Concrete slab cost in Modesto, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (400 sq ft)
- $2,900 – $6,000
- Per sq ft
- $7.15 – $14
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +17%
- US $3,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #8
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a concrete slab in the Modesto area: $2,900 to $6,000 for 400 sq ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 17% higher than the US figure. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $36.78 an hour in the Modesto area, 34% above the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 400 sq ft in Modesto, CA, standard level
$3,850 to $5,100
About $9.20 to $12 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 48% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,750 | $2,450 |
| Labor | $1,900 | $2,350 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $3,850 | $5,100 |
Cost breakdown for 400 sq ft in Modesto, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,250 | $2,100 | $2,950 | 47% |
| Labor | $1,600 | $2,150 | $2,650 | 48% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $230 | $420 | 5% |
| Total | $2,900 | $4,450 | $6,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Modesto number
The wage side of the estimate leans on cement masons and concrete finishers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $36.78 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Modesto is 1.33 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 48% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Modesto is at 105.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $2,000 nationally becomes $2,100 here (midpoint, 400 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 104.1: $50 to $420.
Cost by quality level and size in Modesto
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Modesto. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from 10x10 pad (100 sq ft) to 30x40 foundation (1,200 sq ft).
Basic
$2,900 to $4,150
4-inch broom-finish slab, light mesh, easy truck access
Standard
$3,850 to $5,100
4-5 inch slab with rebar or heavier mesh and standard base prep
Premium
$4,800 to $6,000
6-inch slab, heavy reinforcement, thick base, pump truck or tight access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 pad (100 sq ft) | $770 – $1,200 | $1,100 – $1,500 | $1,400 – $1,800 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $1,100 – $1,600 | $1,500 – $2,050 | $1,900 – $2,450 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,900 – $4,150 | $3,850 – $5,100 | $4,800 – $6,000 |
| 24x24 garage floor (576 sq ft) | $4,150 – $5,900 | $5,450 – $7,200 | $6,750 – $8,500 |
| 30x40 foundation (1,200 sq ft) | $8,650 – $12,100 | $11,200 – $14,600 | $13,800 – $17,200 |
Concrete slab: what moves the price in Modesto
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.
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).
Related projects, priced for Modesto
Jobs that often go together with concrete slab are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Modesto wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+24%) and detached garage lowest (+15%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,450 – $11,500 | +24% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,450 – $4,850 | +19% |
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $33,200 – $66,600 | +15% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,800 – $9,500 | +19% |
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,650 – $9,100 | +22% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,100 – $12,500 | +22% |
Who does the work: Modesto trade wages
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 4 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Modesto the blend is 1.33.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $36.78 an hour, 34% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $28.19 and $48.46 an hour. About 350 work in the metro. That is 17.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $29.15 an hour, which is 29% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.89 and $38.02 an hour. BLS counts 1,070 of them working in the area, 54.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $43.54 an hour, 51% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $32.57 and $62.15 an hour. About 430 work in the metro. That is 22.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $35.45 an hour, 22% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $28.52 and $40.15 an hour. About 1,430 work in the metro. That is 73.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (cement masons and concrete finishers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $340 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $250. That is a swing of roughly 5.6% to 7.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Modesto has 195,230 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 117th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 50% | $28.19 | $36.78 | $48.46 | $27.41 | 1.34 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.89 | $29.15 | $38.02 | $22.66 | 1.29 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $32.57 | $43.54 | $62.15 | $28.78 | 1.51 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $28.52 | $35.45 | $40.15 | $29.12 | 1.22 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.33 | |||||
The best months for concrete slab in Modesto
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Modesto City Co Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For pouring concrete, the comfortable months in Modesto are February through May and September through November: 7 of 12. Outside them, January and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below, and June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
The 40°F line is a deliberately cautious stand-in. The American Concrete Institute's cold-weather guide (ACI 306R-16) defines cold-weather concreting around an average daily air temperature below 40°F, which is colder than our test of an average overnight low at or below 40°F, so we flag a few extra shoulder months. In cold weather crews may need heated enclosures, insulating blankets or accelerated mixes, and those measures can raise a quote.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in June, July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
Modesto gets about 12 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (2.6 inches in January). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 0.1 and 0.6 inches. The station averages about 90 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 39 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 62 | 42 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 1.0 | Workable |
| May | 82 | 54 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 59 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 63 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 62 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 59 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 52 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 56 | 39 | 2.2 | Cold |
How Modesto compares
Same job, same size (400 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. San Jose is the priciest of the group at $4,650. Merced is the cheapest at $4,000.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modesto, CAthis page | $2,900 – $6,000 | $4,450 | |
| Stockton, CA30 miles | $2,650 – $5,600 | $4,100 | −8% |
| Merced, CA30 miles | $2,600 – $5,450 | $4,000 | −10% |
| San Jose, CA50 miles | $3,050 – $6,250 | $4,650 | +4% |
| Santa Cruz, CA65 miles | $2,700 – $5,700 | $4,200 | −6% |
| Vallejo, CA70 miles | $2,800 – $5,800 | $4,300 | −4% |
| California (statewide) | $2,750 – $5,800 | $4,300 | −4% |
| United States | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,850 | −14% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Modesto ranks #8 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Modesto is 4% above the California figure.
Elsewhere in California
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $2,800 – $5,850 | $4,350 | −3% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $3,150 – $6,450 | $4,800 | +8% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $2,650 – $5,550 | $4,100 | −8% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $2,800 – $5,900 | $4,350 | −3% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $3,050 – $6,250 | $4,650 | +4% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $2,750 – $5,750 | $4,250 | −5% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Modesto against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah, GA | 198,360 jobs | $2,150 – $4,650 | $3,400 | −24% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $2,200 – $4,700 | $3,450 | −22% |
| Manchester, NH | 199,560 jobs | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | −15% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,850 | −14% |
Optional extras in Modesto
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.19 for Modesto, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.33) and goods price index (1.05). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $480 – $1,450 |
| Remove old concrete first | $950 – $2,850 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Concrete slab in Modesto: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete slab in Modesto?
For 400 sq ft, expect $2,900 to $6,000 in the Modesto area. A standard-spec job lands at $3,850 to $5,100. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete slab in Modesto?
About $7.15 to $14 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $50 to $420 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $6 to $12.
+Is concrete slab cheaper in Modesto or Stockton?
Stockton is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 400 sq ft there is $4,100, which is 8% less than Modesto ($4,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Modesto?
About 48% at the midpoint, or $2,150 out of $4,450. Materials are 47% and permits 5%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would 20x20 (400 sq ft) cost in Modesto?
$2,900 to $6,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete slab need a permit in Modesto?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $420 for fees in the Modesto area (our national range of $50 to $400 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Modesto expensive for concrete slab compared with the rest of California?
Modesto is 4% above the California statewide estimate ($4,300 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Modesto?
The BLS median is $36.78 an hour in the Modesto area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.19 to $48.46.
+What do basic and premium concrete slab work cost in Modesto?
For 400 sq ft, basic work runs $2,900 to $4,150 and premium work $4,800 to $6,000. 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.
+When is the best time to pour a concrete slab in Modesto?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through May and September through November. September and October are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
+What does "add rebar reinforcement" add in Modesto?
$480 to $1,450 for 400 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete slab near Modesto
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