slab costs 2022

[NDJ]

I realize inflation is way up. I am planning to get a concrete slab put in to park on and am getting some really high prices....Like CAN$35/square foot including everything. For a 20x20 slab. What are you guys seeing around you ?Construction is going nutz in my area I guess guys can charge what they want.

 

[liliysdad]

Minimal dirt work, $7 a square foot. We don't do footings, etc. down here. Just a slab.

It was $5 a square in 2019, $6 a square last year.

 

[billconner]

I got quoted US $10 sf least year. $12 would be no surprise, if anyone could do it in 2022.

 

[serk2021]

For my 30X45 I paid $20k

 

[billconner]

I realize inflation is way up. I am planning to get a concrete slab put in to park on and am getting some really high prices....Like CAN$35/square foot including everything. For a 20x20 slab. What are you guys seeing around you ?Construction is going nutz in my area I guess guys can charge what they want.

How deep at edge? Insulation? Base prep? How thick? Reinforcement?

 

[NDJ]

4" slab. Including grading and prep, and gravel. Not sure if it was rebar or mesh.

 

[serk2021]

whats the psi on the concrete? also you should have a vapor barrier (plastic)

 

[NDJ]

Dont know on the PSI. I didnt ask for anything fancy/special ; Just a basic slab to park vehicles on.

 

[billconner]

Well, CA $35 sf (US $27) does seem a lot high for just a thickened edge exterior slab. (Assuming broom finish and air entrained). It is a seller's market - at least around me and I gather US and CA, if not worldwide. Be sure he's quoting what you are expecting. Get another quote? Ask contractor for options to reduce cost? Learn the trade? Condolences.

 

[haveissues]

Seems steep but prices vary a lot by area. I did a 30x50 5 inch thick 4000psi with fiber, hot water, and calcium slab the end of last year. Concrete and pump was 4200, rebar was 900, labor to pour and finish was 1875, vapor barrier and chairs was probably another 250 or so. I did all the prep, rebar, etc myself. The concrete guys just had to show up and do their thing.

 

[ycgoat]

I expect area price will vary, but I paid about $12/sqft last May for a monolithic / turndown slab. The contractor’s forms broke where he had dug too deep and he ended up with a lot of extra concrete so he claimed he lost money. This was a friend of the family (even though I did not know him). I considered paying for the extra concrete but did not. It was his mistakes and in business you win some and you lose some.

 

[CombatNinja]

$35/sq ft seems a little ridiculous even in this climate. I think you got the "F you" price. As in, we're gonna quote you to the moon and if you wanna pay it, F you. That is usually an indication that a trade has all the work they can handle and they are being picky about which jobs they take.

Concrete work down here in the Carolinas is running about $17-20 a sq. foot for driveways and parking pads like you are looking for.

 

[dcg9381]

$10-$12 sqft for 2400 ft 3 years ago for relatively simple design shop slab. Concrete costs here are about $130/yard.

 

[19D2P]

60x40x5" with 24" thickened edge and 1/2 fiberglass bars 24"oc ran me 22k last November.

This was after I did excavation, vapor barrier, insulation, and radiant tubing.

 

[Chumly]

Rural San Diego, $13 a square with just the pour; $17 averaged out if all goes perfect and it never does. "all included" might include forming, underlay, and labor of 2 hands? I'm getting another quote soon with the footings so it'll be by yardage and not squares. I can't grasp $35/27 until I see the end billing on tax, fees, and all the line items but even 32/27 can't be labor.

The standby time for the truck is what seems massive really; there's a driver in that truck that is working hourly, so the payload isn't the only cost...just something to look at if you're just seeing a low-ball and then sign a bill you weren't ready to chew on. If the driver sits, it's basically on our dime.

(A 60x40x5 with 24" footings ain't "just something to park on" kinda slab. Total end costs will never be the same as someone needing a simple 20x20 pour)

 

[brownbagg]

a 20x 20 is five yards without footing, on a parking slab you dont need footing or rebar. You could do it for (cheap side) $1000 with concrete, no dirt work or forming

 

[jmdirk]

Out in Ottawa I paid ~$23/sq ft last year for a foundation slab. 34 x 40, 6" thick, 24" x 24" thickened edge. That was turn key. Excavation, gravel, concrete, perimeter insulation. The only thing it didn't include was final grading.

$35/sq ft for a basic 4" slab sounds really expensive. but, construction has been crazy the last couple years. Just finding someone willing to do the work is hard enough. Heck, I had a bunch of guys unwilling to even bother quoting.

 

[billconner]

~CA $23 = ~US $18 - sounds right for all that was included.

 

[brianpgriset]

Just paid $5.50 US for ~700 sq ft patio slab, 4” 3500 psi, no footings, minimal dirt work (common here), #3 rebar on 16” centers broom finish.

 

[Steve_P]

$10-$12 sqft for 2400 ft 3 years ago for relatively simple design shop slab. Concrete costs here are about $130/yard.

Same in TN on current cost per cubic yard. I was talking to a neighbor, he's building a new house and garage, and it's about this amount.

 

[LOW1]

Sounds pricey to me. I would get some more bids.

if there was not a lot of dirt work involved and the site was accessible for the truck I would be tempted to try it myself

 

[Sleepy1]

Just paid ~$8 US
6" thick, +footings, vapor barrier, #3 rebar, minimal pad work, power trowel

 

[billconner]

they seem to cost less in Texas...

 

[Snip]

Nov 2020, 66'x40'x5.5" about 45 cu yd (4000 psi)with fiber. If i remember correctly mud was around a buck twenty/yard. Contractor spread gravel ( I had on site) layed down vapor barrier, poured, smooth finished and saw cut. All in I think i was at around 9500. Gable end wall was set up so trucks could pull in, no pump needed.

 

[NDJ]

Sounds pricey to me. I would get some more bids.

if there was not a lot of dirt work involved and the site was accessible for the truck I would be tempted to try it myself

I'm considering this. But I've never done concrete work before (watched a bunch of Mike Day Concrete UTube vids tho). I can arrange grading/leveling and setup the forms etc. My fear is what if I eff something up on the pour. I'm gonna have to have a pro do that part but they may not be interested without getting the other work. The spot is right off the back alley so no pump needed. I think.

 

[PCustoms]

I'll ask tomorrow (friend does the books for her families concrete business).

It's highly location dependant. We've got a plant in town, another an hour away west and a third an hour away north, yet some of the most expensive materials cost I've seen.

My father is 3hrs from the nearest plant, with a single road in. His slab cost 1/4 what mine will before I account for inflation.

 

[Jesse69]

Just had concrete done this weekend in 1 shop and pad prepped for another that will be going up in a month. Total quote $75.000 for 5000sq. This was third quote first was $34 that guy bailed second was 60$ that guy bailed and have had 10 different others look no one else wanted the job. Property was fairly flare as i thought but had to bring it up 18”. So my quote got me #4 rebar 6” concrete prep work saw cut, fiber for both shops 1 is 36x30 second is 42x96. If you do hire someone hopefully they show up, the crew that i finally got were great. This was more then I expected but prices of everything continue to increase. After seeing how many guys it took i would leave it to the pros depending on shop size. Good luck

 

[bobmcc81]

30'x40'
Minimal dirt work other than scraping sod
4" slab on 12" footer
3500 psi
Rounded top edge
Central Florida
3 expansion joints
4 weeks from down payment it was complete
Poured from truck no pump
$8,175

 

[joes169]

I might have to move, there's no way we could get $35 a square foot for something so simple! IMPO, this falls into the "gouging" category. I see a little bit of this in my area, but most of them are newer companies and have no idea that it will eventually burn them when the bottom drops out............

 

[thebmrust]

I realize inflation is way up. I am planning to get a concrete slab put in to park on and am getting some really high prices....Like CAN$35/square foot including everything. For a 20x20 slab. What are you guys seeing around you ?Construction is going nutz in my area I guess guys can charge what they want.

Plan for several long hard weekends. Prep the site. Set forms. Go rent a mixer & tools, have your local gravel pit drop a load or two of sand & gravel. Buy a pallet of bagged Portland cement. On pour day, mix, screed, and finish. Save $8-10,000.

You could also buy a used towable mixer at a rental site. Sell it at the end of the job and you will still save a decent amount of money.

Flat work is insanely hard and fast. You’ll understand why experience costs.

To DIY it, break up your site into workable sections. It’s ok to do this over time. Or, if you’re crazy do it all in one day. A 20x20 isn’t impossible even if you mix it yourself.

Concrete does two things:
Gets hard.
Cracks.

Good luck.

 

[thebmrust]

I might have to move, there's no way we could get $35 a square foot for something so simple! IMPO, this falls into the "gouging" category. I see a little bit of this in my area, but most of them are newer companies and have no idea that it will eventually burn them when the bottom drops out............

It’s not really gouging if it’s not something required, like milk, diapers, gas…

Business 101: want to be less busy and/or move into a different target market? Raise your prices.

 

[joes169]

It’s not really gouging if it’s not something required, like milk, diapers, gas…

Business 101: want to be less busy and/or move into a different target market? Raise your prices.

Sure, I get it, I've been in business since '99 and have seen quite a few seasons that were far less lucrative than they are now. Maybe part of it is that I'm not just in it for the money, and enjoy the challenges and accomplishment's as much as the check. But, there's three main reasons "overcharging" will eventually bite these guys in the **** when the economy inevitably slows down:

- It's easy to go from $5 a sq. foot to $35 a sq. ft., you can be pretty sloppy and still make a great profit.
- Expectations from customers have never been higher, and when customers feel they're paying a premium, they tend expect perfection, sometimes for decades, in my experience.
- If you work in a relatively small market, you will forever be remembered as an "expensive" contractor by a number of your potential clients, and when there's very little work to be had, this will not work in your favor. This is something that I've personally struggled with for years, I've harbored a reputation as being "high-end/pricey/a pre-Maddona because I'm picky on the jobs I take". If I really gouged on top of that, I doubt that I could make it through a huge turn-down........

 

[Chumly]

~CA $23 = ~US $18 - sounds right for all that was included.

That's a happy realization to toss in there because I was really thinking we were closer on the CND/USD than that. I'm in another "CA" and "17 USD seems close to that but I feer we both have regulatory fees in the end billing that aren't in the quote...give wiggle room? I don't know how much.

I've always had trucks pull up for massive pours and we had a team on it, or I'm at home mixing 9lb bags in a little mixer or simple wheelbarrows. I'm following this because I too need a pour close to this and have no one around here locally to compare with.

 

[NDJ]

Got a quote for 1M (35.3 CU FT) delivered off the truck. CAN$550. Have to see what it goes down to for more quantity.

 

[dcg9381]

they seem to cost less in Texas...

The reason for that is our close-border neighbor to the south makes labor less expensive in most cases.

There is massive construction pressure in Texas. I'm seeing pretty wild sings in bids that are direct to "consumer" (usually those that don't know what they are doing) in the concrete trade. Concrete is really hard to un-screw-up. And material costs pretty high, I think $130/yard "cash price".

I just had a 5' x 4' sidewalk poured. $170 for 38 bags of concrete. I had 1/2 rebar sitting around from other projects. I cut the rebar and helped tie it. It was framed with spare 2x4. I worked with a guy that I know who typically assists the local concrete contractor. Labor costs, I paid him a little "extra" $250. I can mix and pour, but I'm crappy at concrete finish. So, all in, under $500.





Lots of contractors can do a good job with basic slabs and sidewalks. When you get into things that are pretty large, it requires having several people all working cooperatively (especially in Texas where concrete dries fast) and you need a real contractor Here's a look at $80k in concrete foundation.. Well, more than $80k, as we had this engineered and the garage above it needed a bunch of 10' piers. The framing in back is a 12" thick concrete wall for a "walk out basement". The bottom slab is 1500 sqft. This was about 2 years ago.

 

[Scotto]

Phew those are some CRAZY prices you guys are posting. 8 months ago I had my 30x40 pole barn and 6x40 apron (about 18 yards) done for $6200 (~$4.3/sq ft). That's about $3400 worth of concrete ($180/yard) and $2800 labor for a day's work for 4 guys. 4000psi with mesh. I did all the prep, grading, compacting, forming, vapor barrier, etc. Power troweled finish in the garage and broom-finished on the apron. 4 relief cuts in the garage a week later.
The guy I had do it was well respected on FaceBook and did it on the side. Came out fantastic. Even some companies I called were maybe $6-7/sq ft.
If you want to save some money, take care of the prep yourself. Rent a small loader/skidsteer for a day, bring in some gravel/fill, and compact it. If you set it up so the concrete guys just need to show up to pour it'll be A LOT cheaper.

Call a local concrete plant to see how much it is to have how many yards you need delivered. That'll give you a good idea how much the contractor is charging for labor.

 

[jmdirk]

I'm considering this. But I've never done concrete work before (watched a bunch of Mike Day Concrete UTube vids tho). I can arrange grading/leveling and setup the forms etc. My fear is what if I eff something up on the pour. I'm gonna have to have a pro do that part but they may not be interested without getting the other work. The spot is right off the back alley so no pump needed. I think.

Wow, you sound like me That was my exact worry too. Seems to be fairly sensitive to how long you need to wait between floating and troweling etc. Which all changes with humidity and temperature. I didn't want to end up with several thousand dollars of wasted concrete on my hands.

I was also a bit nervous about setting the forms in my case. Mine were 24" deep. Didn't want to risk a form blowing out during the pour and trying to rectify it. If you're just doing a 4" basic slab, that could be a lot easier.

I think you'll see the price come down quite a bit for quantity. Probably ~$200 of the $550 you mention is delivery. Truck should hold ~7 meters if I remember.

 

[jmdirk]

~CA $23 = ~US $18 - sounds right for all that was included.

Yeah, when I did estimates of doing it myself and just hiring a finisher, in the end I don't think it cost me that much more to go turn key.

Looking back, that was 51 yards of concrete in my pour. The thickened slab definitely increases the $ per sq ft

 

[drivesitfar]

Interesting that nobody has mentioned the concrete drivers strike here in the PNW by teamsters. It’s shut down some huge projects so I’m not even sure I could get concrete today. Last bid I had for my 20x50 driveway was $6 foot with prep and old driveway removal and I thought that was high cause it’s only a couple days work with 2 guys. That said there would be some rental fees for equipment involved if I did work myself. Anybody else doing work innPNW and have a good concrete guy and source?

 

[19D2P]

Forgot to add my cost included a pumper truck due to access. Only on side of the build site was accessible.