Concrete slab cost in Fort Wayne, IN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (400 sq ft)
- $2,450 – $5,150
- Per sq ft
- $6 – $12
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $3,850
- Rank of 300 metros
- #131
- 1 = most expensive
A concrete slab in Fort Wayne, IN usually costs $2,450 to $5,150 for 400 sq ft. That works out to about $6 to $12 per sq ft before permits. That is within a few percent of the national midpoint, so there is little local premium or discount. Building materials run about 6% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 94.3).
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Estimated cost for 400 sq ft in Fort Wayne, IN, standard level
$3,250 to $4,350
About $7.80 to $10 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,600 | $2,200 |
| Labor | $1,550 | $1,850 |
| Permits and fees | $140 | $270 |
| Total | $3,250 | $4,350 |
Cost breakdown for 400 sq ft in Fort Wayne, IN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,150 | $1,900 | $2,650 | 50% |
| Labor | $1,300 | $1,700 | $2,150 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $210 | $370 | 5% |
| Total | $2,450 | $3,800 | $5,150 | 100% |
Where the Fort Wayne price comes from
Labor is 45% of the midpoint bill here, against 42% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is cement masons and concrete finishers (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (10%), carpenters (10%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Fort Wayne the blended ratio comes out at 1.06.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Fort Wayne is at 94.3 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $2,000 nationally becomes $1,900 here (midpoint, 400 sq ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 92.6: $45 to $370.
Specs and site conditions that change a Fort Wayne bid
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).
Add-ons priced for Fort Wayne
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.00 for Fort Wayne, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.06) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add rebar reinforcement | $400 – $1,200 |
| Remove old concrete first | $800 – $2,400 |
What nearby projects cost in Fort Wayne
Jobs that often go together with concrete slab are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Fort Wayne wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, asphalt driveway comes out highest (+13%) and detached garage lowest (−2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,700 – $9,450 | +2% |
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,250 – $4,050 | level |
| Detached garage | 576 sq ft | $28,300 – $56,700 | −2% |
| Stamped concrete | 400 sq ft | $3,250 – $8,000 | level |
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,500 | +13% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,650 – $10,700 | +5% |
Fort Wayne weather and the concrete slab calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Ft Wayne Intl Ap (10 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 Fort Wayne are May through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, November and December have an average overnight low of 40°F or below.
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.
Fort Wayne gets about 39 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 34 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (4.6 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.0 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 16 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 | 33 | 18 | 2.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 37 | 21 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 2.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 61 | 39 | 3.7 | Cold |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 33 | 3.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 38 | 24 | 2.5 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Fort Wayne
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 Fort Wayne the blend is 1.06.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $29.13 an hour, 6% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $23.38 and $31.93 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 11.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 13.3 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $22.83 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.33 and $28.67 an hour. BLS counts 1,670 of them working in the area, 74.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $37.24 an hour, 29% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $27.79 and $44.55 an hour. About 650 work in the metro. That is 28.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Carpenters (47-2031), 10% of the weighting: a median of $29.04 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.74 and $33.41 an hour. About 1,240 work in the metro. That is 55.0 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 $80 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $170. That is a swing of roughly 4.4% to 2.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Fort Wayne has 225,520 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 107th 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% | $23.38 | $29.13 | $31.93 | $27.41 | 1.06 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $19.33 | $22.83 | $28.67 | $22.66 | 1.01 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $27.79 | $37.24 | $44.55 | $28.78 | 1.29 | metro |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | 10% | $23.74 | $29.04 | $33.41 | $29.12 | 1.00 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.06 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Fort Wayne
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Fort Wayne. 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
$2,450 to $3,550
4-inch broom-finish slab, light mesh, easy truck access
Standard
$3,250 to $4,350
4-5 inch slab with rebar or heavier mesh and standard base prep
Premium
$4,050 to $5,150
6-inch slab, heavy reinforcement, thick base, pump truck or tight access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x10 pad (100 sq ft) | $650 – $1,000 | $920 – $1,300 | $1,200 – $1,550 |
| 12x12 (144 sq ft) | $910 – $1,400 | $1,250 – $1,750 | $1,600 – $2,100 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,450 – $3,550 | $3,250 – $4,350 | $4,050 – $5,150 |
| 24x24 garage floor (576 sq ft) | $3,500 – $5,000 | $4,650 – $6,100 | $5,750 – $7,250 |
| 30x40 foundation (1,200 sq ft) | $7,250 – $10,200 | $9,500 – $12,400 | $11,700 – $14,700 |
Is Fort Wayne cheap or dear? The local comparison
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 400 sq ft range from $3,650 to $3,800 across Fort Wayne and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne, INthis page | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | |
| Elkhart, IN55 miles | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | level |
| South Bend, IN70 miles | $2,500 – $5,150 | $3,800 | +1% |
| Kalamazoo, MI85 miles | $2,350 – $5,000 | $3,700 | −3% |
| Toledo, OH85 miles | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | level |
| Niles, MI95 miles | $2,350 – $4,950 | $3,650 | −4% |
| Indiana (statewide) | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,850 | +2% |
| United States | $2,450 – $5,200 | $3,850 | +1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Fort Wayne ranks #131 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Fort Wayne is 2% below the Indiana figure.
Elsewhere in Indiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 1,105,170 jobs | $2,500 – $5,250 | $3,900 | +2% |
| Evansville, IN | 135,250 jobs | $2,550 – $5,300 | $3,950 | +3% |
| South Bend, IN | 131,670 jobs | $2,500 – $5,150 | $3,800 | +1% |
| Elkhart, IN | 127,730 jobs | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | level |
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $2,450 – $5,150 | $3,800 | level |
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $2,500 – $5,200 | $3,850 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fort Wayne against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta, GA | 231,930 jobs | $2,200 – $4,750 | $3,450 | −9% |
| Springfield, MO | 223,030 jobs | $2,350 – $5,000 | $3,650 | −3% |
| Trenton, NJ | 240,190 jobs | $2,800 – $5,850 | $4,350 | +14% |
| Deltona, FL | 219,740 jobs | $2,250 – $4,800 | $3,500 | −7% |
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Concrete slab in Fort Wayne: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour a concrete slab in Fort Wayne?
For 400 sq ft, expect $2,450 to $5,150 in the Fort Wayne area. A standard-spec job lands at $3,250 to $4,350. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for concrete slab in Fort Wayne?
About $6 to $12 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $370 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $6 to $12.
+Is concrete slab cheaper in Fort Wayne or Elkhart?
Elkhart is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 400 sq ft there is $3,800, which is 0% more than Fort Wayne ($3,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fort Wayne?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $1,700 out of $3,800. Materials are 50% and permits 5%. Nationally, labor is 42%.
+What would 20x20 (400 sq ft) cost in Fort Wayne?
$2,450 to $5,150. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does concrete slab need a permit in Fort Wayne?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $370 for fees in the Fort Wayne area (our national range of $50 to $400 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fort Wayne expensive for concrete slab compared with the rest of Indiana?
Fort Wayne is 2% below the Indiana statewide estimate ($3,850 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Indiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Fort Wayne?
The BLS median is $29.13 an hour in the Fort Wayne area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.38 to $31.93.
+What do basic and premium concrete slab work cost in Fort Wayne?
For 400 sq ft, basic work runs $2,450 to $3,550 and premium work $4,050 to $5,150. 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 Fort Wayne?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are May through October. 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 Fort Wayne?
$400 to $1,200 for 400 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Concrete slab near Fort Wayne
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