Concrete Cost per Yard: Delivered vs. Installed (2026)

Ready-mix concrete costs $119 to $147 per cubic yard, according to HomeGuide (January 2026), a price that “includes delivery up to 20 miles.” Order less than a full 10-yard truck and, per HomeGuide, a short-load fee of $53 per yard applies, which puts the range at $172 to $200 (our sum; HomeGuide itself gives “about $172 per yard”). That buys the concrete arriving at your site. A slab that a crew forms, pours and finishes is priced by the square foot instead: HomeGuide’s slab guide (February 2026) puts it at $6 to $12 per square foot installed.

Price per cubic yard, source by source

HomeGuide’s header labels its range “delivered & poured,” but the same page says “Concrete delivery drivers do not pour concrete; they only deliver it.” Read the per-yard number as the price of the material at your site. Fixr also gives two different figures for the concrete before delivery on the same page, “$125 to $133” and “$120 to $130” per yard.

Stronger mixes cost more. HomeGuide’s table runs from $119 a yard for “2,000 PSI, 5.0 Sack Mix” to $124 for 3,000 psi, $129 for 4,000 psi and $147 for 5,000 psi.

Fees that change the per-yard price

HomeGuide and Fixr price small loads differently, so don’t add one source’s fee to the other’s price.

HomeGuide (January 2026): each line is added on top of its $119 to $147 delivered price.

Fixr (January 2025): the concrete is $125 to $133 a yard before delivery, and the delivery charge itself is $15 to $17 per yard for a short load or $55 to $65 per truck for a full 10-yard load. Its $140 to $150 for one delivered yard already includes that charge.

A pump matters when the truck can’t get close. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) notes that “A loaded concrete truck weighs about 80,000 lbs.” and “may not be able to maneuver on loose dirt or over residential curbs and pathways.”

How many yards you need

Cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × (thickness in inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27. This Old House says one cubic yard “will cover an 81-square-foot area with 4-inch-thick concrete.” Fixr’s coverage table gives 65 square feet at 5 inches and 54 at 6 inches.

The figures are our arithmetic. The extra column follows NRMCA’s guidance: “Include an allowance of 4 to 10 percent over plan dimensions for waste, over-excavation and other contingencies.” HomeGuide suggests adding 5% to 10%. NRMCA also advises “Avoid short loads to complete a placement”: recheck the volume near the end of the pour so the plant can adjust the last loads.

Delivered vs. installed: a 20×20 example

Take a 20×20 slab at 4 inches: about 5.1 to 5.4 cubic yards with NRMCA’s allowance. Under 10 yards, that’s a short load at HomeGuide’s $172 to $200 per yard ($119 to $147 plus $53). The concrete alone comes to roughly $880 to $1,090, our arithmetic, before Saturday, distance or pump fees.

HomeGuide’s slab guide prices a 20×20 slab at $2,400 to $4,800 installed, and its price for 4-inch slabs, $6 to $8 per square foot, works out to $2,400 to $3,200 (our math). HomeGuide splits installed cost into materials at $3 to $7 per square foot plus labor at $3 to $5, which “includes concrete form creation.” For the full installed picture, see cost to pour a concrete slab and concrete slab cost per square foot.

What strength to order

Strength in psi depends on the job and your local code, and the sources don’t all agree:

• HomeGuide recommends 2,500 psi “for most residential projects such as walkways, driveways, and sidewalks,” and 3,000 psi for “foundations, footings, and floor slabs.”
• The 2021 International Residential Code (Table R402.2) sets minimums for “Porches, carport slabs and steps exposed to the weather, and garage floor slabs” of 2,500 psi where weathering is negligible, 3,000 psi where it is moderate and 3,500 psi where it is severe, with air-entrained concrete for the last two. The code points to its Table R301.2 for the weathering category. Where weathering is moderate or severe, HomeGuide’s 2,500 psi is below this minimum for garage floors, porches and steps. The newer 2024 edition lists the same values; your city or county may use either edition or local amendments, so ask your building department.
• NRMCA says “Specified strength of 3500 to 5000 psi (25 to 35 MPa) is typical for most concrete applications.”

For thickness by use, see how thick a concrete driveway should be.

Bags instead of a truck

For very small pours there are bags. Quikrete rates an 80-lb bag of its Concrete Mix at “approximately 0.60 ft3,” so one cubic yard is 45 bags (our arithmetic). HomeGuide notes you can haul your own concrete “typically up to 1 cubic yard at a time.” Wet concrete is caustic. NRMCA warns “Fresh concrete can cause severe chemical burns to skin and eyes,” and Quikrete’s data sheet warns “Causes severe skin burns and serious eye damage.”

What the order and the quote should say

NRMCA’s guide to ordering ready-mix lists what the buyer, usually your contractor, tells the plant:

• Strength in psi, or the use and exposure.
• Aggregate size: “For most applications, the nominal maximum size of coarse aggregate used is 3/4 or 1 in.”
• Slump, a measure of the mix’s consistency: “For most applications slump required is 3 to 5 inches.”
• Air content where concrete will freeze: “Air-entrained concrete is required for concrete exposed to freezing temperatures in service.”
• Quantity, “4% to 10% more than an estimate calculated from the plan dimensions.”

In your contractor’s quote, look for the cubic yards and per-yard price, with short-load, Saturday or pump fees as separate lines.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. How many cubic yards are you ordering, and what allowance is included?
2. What psi mix, and is it air-entrained?
3. Is this a short load, and is the short-load fee in the price?
4. Can the truck reach the pour, or will you need a pump?
5. What day is the pour, and is there a Saturday or waiting charge?
6. Is the concrete priced separately from forming, base and finishing?

To turn your measurements into cubic yards with the 4–10% allowance, use the concrete cost calculator. If the concrete is going under a garage or addition, see concrete foundation cost.

Have your own measurements? Run the concrete cost calculator — cubic yards, bags and a sourced price range for your size.

Illustrations here are AI-made sketches that show the idea. They are not photos of a real slab, driveway, product, job or person.

Sources

1. HomeGuide — How Much Does Concrete Cost Per Yard? (2026) (written by Tom Grupa, dated January 6, 2026)
2. HomeGuide — How Much Does a Concrete Slab Cost? (2026) (written by Jennifer Carlson, dated February 3, 2026)
3. Fixr — Concrete Delivery Cost (updated January 31, 2025)
4. This Old House — How Much Does a Concrete Slab Cost? (2026 Prices) (updated March 17, 2026)
5. National Ready Mixed Concrete Association — CIP 8, Discrepancies in Yield (2016 revision), pp. 1–2
6. National Ready Mixed Concrete Association — CIP 31, Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete (2023 revision), pp. 1–2
7. Quikrete — Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet (revised October 2022), pp. 1–2
8. International Code Council — 2021 International Residential Code, Chapter 4 Foundations, Table R402.2 (2021 edition)
9. International Code Council — 2024 International Residential Code, Chapter 4 Foundations, Table R402.2 (2024 edition)

Updated November 2, 2026