How much to charge for concrete per square foot
Enter the length, width and thickness of the slab. We work out the bags and build the quote with your labor, by the hour or by the square foot.
QUOTE
Concrete
- Labor8 h × $25.00/h$200.00
- Concrete mix74 bags$444.00
- Subtotal$644.00
- Overhead (10%)$64.40
- Profit (15%)$106.26
TOTAL$814.66
Example numbers: replace them with yours.
Is your rate right?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes what employers pay per hour in this trade. A wage is not a rate: your rate also has to cover your overhead and your profit.
National average (May 2025): $28.87 an hour; median: $27.41 an hour.
See this trade’s wage in every state
If you have helpers, work out their overtime at Cuenta Horas: overtime calculator
How it is worked out
The bags come from the Maestro Calc concrete calculator: length × width × thickness, plus the waste you enter, divided by what one bag makes (0.30, 0.45 or 0.60 cu ft by size) and rounded up. For footings, columns or steps use that calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Should I charge by the hour or by the square foot?
Both work. By the hour is simpler when you do not know how long it will take; by the square foot is easier to explain to the client. The calculator takes either, and you type your own price, because only you know your costs and your market.
Where does what a bag makes come from?
From a manufacturer’s data sheet (QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101): 0.30 cu ft for the 40 lb bag, 0.45 for 60 lb and 0.60 for 80 lb. Real yields vary with the product and the mix, so the bag count is an estimate.
What overhead and profit percentages should I use?
The ones your business needs. Add to the labor and the material what you spend on vehicle, insurance, tools and office time, and what you want to earn. There is no percentage that is right for everyone, so the calculator does not make one up: the starting numbers are only an example.