Concrete Cost Estimator
The concrete itself is rarely the expensive part. Forming, reinforcement and finishing labour are, and they scale with edges rather than volume.
Drop plan sheets or site photos
Up to 6 files — they're read together as one job
Ballpark for planning and bid-checking — not a quote. Confirm against local supplier and subcontractor pricing.
What a complete concrete estimate covers
- Excavation and gradingCY
- Base / sub-base materialSF
- FormingLF
- Reinforcement (rebar / mesh)SF
- Concrete supplyCY
- Placement labourCY
- FinishingSF
- Control joints and sealingLF
- Pump or conveyancelot
Scope most often left out
These are the lines that turn a won bid into a loss. Price them or exclude them in writing — never assume them.
- Pump truck when the placement is not reachable by chute
- Short-load fees on small pours
- Form stripping and disposal
- Weather protection, and cold- or hot-weather placement measures
- Access and protection of adjacent surfaces
Edges drive the labour, volume drives the material
Two slabs of identical volume price very differently if one is a simple rectangle and the other has curves, steps and multiple elevations. Forming and finishing are edge-and-surface activities. Take off linear feet of form and square feet of finish separately from cubic yards of concrete.
Placement access is a real line item
If the truck cannot reach the pour with a chute, you are buying a pump or moving concrete by hand — a substantial cost that has nothing to do with the quantity. Establish access on the site walk and price it explicitly.
FAQ
How do you estimate concrete work?
Take off three quantities separately: cubic yards for supply and placement, linear feet of forming, and square feet of finishing and reinforcement. Add excavation, base material, joints and sealing, plus pump or conveyance if access requires it. The estimator does this from your uploads or description.
Why is a small pour more expensive per yard?
Fixed costs dominate. Mobilisation, forming, finishing crew and short-load fees are much the same whether you place three yards or ten, so the cost per yard rises sharply as the pour gets smaller.
What is most often left out of a concrete estimate?
Pump or conveyance when the truck cannot reach the pour, short-load fees, form stripping and disposal, and weather protection.
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