Concrete slab cost: national prices and local ranges
Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- US range (400 sq ft)
- $2,450 – $5,200
- Per sq ft
- $6 – $12
- materials and labor
- Cheapest metro
- $3,200
- McAllen, TX
- Priciest metro
- $5,300
- Kahului, HI
A concrete slab runs $2,450 to $5,200 nationally for 400 sq ft, or $6 to $12 per sq ft for materials and labor. Where you live moves that number a lot: across 300 metros the midpoint runs from $3,200 in McAllen, TX to $5,300 in Kahului, HI.
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Estimated cost for 400 sq ft in the US average, standard level
$3,300 to $4,400
About $7.80 to $10 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,700 | $2,300 |
| Labor | $1,450 | $1,750 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $3,300 | $4,400 |
Cost breakdown for 400 sq ft in the US
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,200 | $2,000 | $2,800 | 52% |
| Labor | $1,200 | $1,600 | $2,000 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $230 | $400 | 6% |
| Total | $2,450 | $3,850 | $5,200 | 100% |
What basic, standard and premium mean
Basic
$2,450 to $3,550
4-inch broom-finish slab, light mesh, easy truck access
Standard
$3,300 to $4,400
4-5 inch slab with rebar or heavier mesh and standard base prep
Premium
$4,100 to $5,200
6-inch slab, heavy reinforcement, thick base, pump truck or tight access
Cost by size and quality level
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 pad (100 sq ft) | $650 – $1,050 | $940 – $1,300 | $1,200 – $1,600 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $910 – $1,400 | $1,300 – $1,750 | $1,650 – $2,150 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,450 – $3,550 | $3,300 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,200 |
| 24x24 garage floor (576 sq ft) | $3,500 – $5,050 | $4,650 – $6,150 | $5,800 – $7,300 |
| 30x40 foundation (1,200 sq ft) | $7,250 – $10,300 | $9,500 – $12,500 | $11,800 – $14,800 |
How a concrete slab job goes, step by step
- Check the permit and the ground. Slabs under a small size are often exempt, bigger ones and anything attached to a house are not. Mark utilities with 811 before anyone digs.
- Excavate and build the base. The crew strips sod and soft soil, then lays and compacts a gravel base. A poor base is the most common reason slabs crack early.
- Set forms and reinforcement. Wood forms set the edges and slope. Rebar or wire mesh goes in on chairs so it sits in the middle of the pour, not on the dirt.
- Pour, finish, and cut joints. Concrete is placed, screeded, floated and troweled or broomed. Control joints are cut within about a day so cracks happen where you want them.
- Cure before you use it. Keep it damp or sealed for several days. Most slabs take foot traffic after a day or two and vehicles after about a week, but your installer's guidance wins.
What changes the price of a concrete slab
Thickness and mix
A 4-inch slab uses about 1.23 cubic yards of concrete per 100 sq ft; a 6-inch slab uses about 1.85. Stepping up from a 3,000 PSI to a 4,000-4,500 PSI mix adds $10-$40 per cubic yard (Estimators.us).
Base and reinforcement
A compacted gravel base, vapor barrier, and wire mesh or rebar are priced separately by some contractors and bundled by others. Ask which one your quote does.
Truck and pump access
If the mixer truck can't back up to the forms, someone has to wheelbarrow it in or hire a pump. Pump or line-pump hire is typically billed per day.
Small-job minimums
Many crews have a minimum charge, so a 10x10 pad can cost more per square foot than a 20x20 slab.
Finish
A broom finish is the baseline. Stamped, stained, or exposed-aggregate finishes are priced as add-ons on top of the slab.
Wages behind the national estimate
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) do the largest share of the work, about 50% of the weighting. Their national median is $27.41 an hour. Among 281 metros with a published figure, the median runs from $17.71 in Lynchburg, VA to $50.22 in Kahului, HI, and the middle metro sits at $27.51. That ratio between the high and low end is 2.84 to 1, and it feeds straight into the labor line of the estimate.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $22.60 | $27.41 | $32.15 | $27.41 | 1.00 | US |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.57 | $22.66 | $28.72 | $22.66 | 1.00 | US |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $23.40 | $28.78 | $37.10 | $28.78 | 1.00 | US |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 | $29.12 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 1.00 | |||||
Add-ons and extras
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to the US by the average of the local wage index (1.00) and goods index (1.00), a factor of 1.00. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $400 – $1,200 |
| Remove old concrete first | $800 – $2,400 |
Does the season matter for concrete slab?
We checked NOAA 1991-2020 normals for 300 metros and counted the months with no freezing or heat problem for pouring concrete. 10 metros have all 12 months comfortable; the median metro has 6. The shortest seasons are in Anchorage, AK (3), Grand Junction, CO (3), Kennewick, WA (3) and Pueblo, CO (3). The wettest metro is Pensacola; the driest is El Centro at about 3 inches a year.
Local pages show a month-by-month table for each metro. We do not change prices by month, because there is no reliable published seasonal price series.
How much the price varies by city
Across the 300 metros we cover, the midpoint for 400 sq ft runs from $3,200 in McAllen to $5,300 in Kahului, a gap of 67%. The median metro is $3,700, which is −3% against the national midpoint of $3,850. 29 metros are 10% or more above the national figure, 52 are 10% or more below, and 219 sit within 10% of it.
Most expensive metros for concrete slab
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | $3,500 – $7,100 | $5,300 |
| Honolulu, HI | $3,450 – $6,950 | $5,200 |
| San Francisco, CA | $3,150 – $6,450 | $4,800 |
| San Jose, CA | $3,050 – $6,250 | $4,650 |
| Anchorage, AK | $3,050 – $6,250 | $4,650 |
| Chicago, IL | $3,000 – $6,200 | $4,600 |
| Seattle, WA | $2,950 – $6,100 | $4,550 |
| Modesto, CA | $2,900 – $6,000 | $4,450 |
| Bellingham, WA | $2,900 – $6,000 | $4,450 |
| Napa, CA | $2,900 – $6,000 | $4,450 |
Least expensive metros for concrete slab
| Metro | Range | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| McAllen, TX | $2,000 – $4,350 | $3,200 |
| Fort Smith, AR | $2,050 – $4,400 | $3,200 |
| Albany, GA | $2,050 – $4,450 | $3,250 |
| Jonesboro, AR | $2,050 – $4,450 | $3,250 |
| Texarkana, TX | $2,050 – $4,450 | $3,250 |
| El Paso, TX | $2,050 – $4,450 | $3,250 |
| Monroe, LA | $2,100 – $4,500 | $3,300 |
| Brownsville, TX | $2,100 – $4,500 | $3,300 |
| Dothan, AL | $2,100 – $4,500 | $3,300 |
| Lynchburg, VA | $2,100 – $4,550 | $3,300 |
Concrete slab cost by state
| State | Range (400 sq ft) | Midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $2,150 – $4,650 | $3,400 |
| Alaska | $3,050 – $6,250 | $4,650 |
| Arizona | $2,400 – $5,100 | $3,750 |
| Arkansas | $2,100 – $4,550 | $3,350 |
| California | $2,750 – $5,800 | $4,300 |
| Colorado | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,900 |
| Connecticut | $2,550 – $5,400 | $4,000 |
| Delaware | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,700 |
| District of Columbia | $2,650 – $5,600 | $4,100 |
| Florida | $2,250 – $4,900 | $3,600 |
| Georgia | $2,200 – $4,800 | $3,500 |
| Hawaii | $3,400 – $6,900 | $5,150 |
| Idaho | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,700 |
| Illinois | $2,950 – $6,050 | $4,500 |
| Indiana | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,850 |
| Iowa | $2,400 – $5,000 | $3,700 |
| Kansas | $2,300 – $4,850 | $3,550 |
| Kentucky | $2,300 – $4,900 | $3,600 |
| Louisiana | $2,200 – $4,650 | $3,400 |
| Maine | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,750 |
| Maryland | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,800 |
| Massachusetts | $2,700 – $5,600 | $4,150 |
| Michigan | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 |
| Minnesota | $2,700 – $5,650 | $4,150 |
| Mississippi | $2,150 – $4,600 | $3,400 |
| Missouri | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,900 |
| Montana | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,850 |
| Nebraska | $2,250 – $4,850 | $3,550 |
| Nevada | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,850 |
| New Hampshire | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 |
| New Jersey | $2,800 – $5,850 | $4,300 |
| New Mexico | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,500 |
| New York | $2,750 – $5,800 | $4,250 |
| North Carolina | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,500 |
| North Dakota | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,750 |
| Ohio | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,850 |
| Oklahoma | $2,150 – $4,600 | $3,350 |
| Oregon | $2,700 – $5,650 | $4,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,500 – $5,300 | $3,900 |
| Rhode Island | $2,550 – $5,400 | $3,950 |
| South Carolina | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,550 |
| South Dakota | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,500 |
| Tennessee | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,550 |
| Texas | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,500 |
| Utah | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,700 |
| Vermont | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,850 |
| Virginia | $2,350 – $5,050 | $3,700 |
| Washington | $2,850 – $5,950 | $4,400 |
| West Virginia | $2,300 – $4,850 | $3,550 |
| Wisconsin | $2,550 – $5,300 | $3,950 |
| Wyoming | $2,400 – $5,050 | $3,700 |
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Concrete slab cost: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete slab?
$2,450 to $5,200 for 400 sq ft at national prices, including a permit of $50 to $400.
+What is the average cost per sq ft?
$6 to $12 per sq ft, materials and labor. The mid-range is about $9.
+How much does the price vary by city?
A lot. The most expensive metro we cover is 67% above the cheapest for the same 400 sq ft job. The cheapest is McAllen, TX; the priciest is Kahului, HI.
+How much of the cost is labor?
About 42% at the national midpoint ($1,600). Materials are 52%.
+Does a concrete slab need a permit?
Often yes if it's structural (a garage floor or foundation) and often no for a small at-grade pad. Permit fees run $50-$400 depending on the city (HomeGuide).
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn on a concrete slab job?
The national BLS median is $27.41 an hour for cement masons and concrete finishers, with the middle half earning $22.60 to $32.15. Local wages are what move this estimate from town to town.
+How much more does a premium concrete slab job cost than a basic one?
At the national level, basic runs $2,450 to $3,550 and premium $4,100 to $5,200 for 400 sq ft. Basic means: 4-inch broom-finish slab, light mesh, easy truck access. Premium means: 6-inch slab, heavy reinforcement, thick base, pump truck or tight access.
+Can concrete slab work be done in winter?
It depends on where you are. We checked NOAA 1991-2020 normals for 300 metros and counted the months with no freezing or heat problem for pouring concrete. 10 metros have all 12 months comfortable; the median metro has 6. The shortest seasons are in Anchorage, AK (3), Grand Junction, CO (3), Kennewick, WA (3) and Pueblo, CO (3). The wettest metro is Pensacola; the driest is El Centro at about 3 inches a year.
Related projects
Largest metros: Concrete slab prices
- New York, NY$4,450 midpoint
- Los Angeles, CA$4,350 midpoint
- Chicago, IL$4,600 midpoint
- Dallas, TX$3,700 midpoint
- Houston, TX$3,600 midpoint
- Washington, DC$3,950 midpoint
- Philadelphia, PA$3,950 midpoint
- Atlanta, GA$3,600 midpoint
- Miami, FL$3,750 midpoint
- Boston, MA$4,150 midpoint
- Phoenix, AZ$3,750 midpoint
- San Francisco, CA$4,800 midpoint
- Seattle, WA$4,550 midpoint
- Minneapolis, MN$4,350 midpoint
- Detroit, MI$4,000 midpoint
- Riverside, CA$4,100 midpoint
- Denver, CO$3,950 midpoint
- San Diego, CA$4,350 midpoint
- Tampa, FL$3,550 midpoint
- Orlando, FL$3,500 midpoint
- Charlotte, NC$3,550 midpoint
- Baltimore, MD$3,800 midpoint
- St. Louis, MO$4,200 midpoint
- Austin, TX$3,500 midpoint
- Portland, OR$4,350 midpoint
- Las Vegas, NV$3,850 midpoint
- San Jose, CA$4,650 midpoint
- San Antonio, TX$3,400 midpoint
- Pittsburgh, PA$3,950 midpoint
- Columbus, OH$4,000 midpoint
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Concrete Slab Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Estimators.us: Concrete Slab Cost in 2026 | $6-$12/Sq Ft Guide (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Concrete Patio Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a Concrete Driveway Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020