Concrete slab cost in Dubuque, IA

The best months for concrete slab in Dubuque

Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Dubuque Rgnl 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 Dubuque are May through September: 5 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, April, October, 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.

Dubuque gets about 38 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 43 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (5.2 inches in June). Inside the workable window, August and September are the driest, at 4.0 and 3.8 inches. The station averages about 6 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.

Cost by quality level and size in Dubuque

The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Dubuque. 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).

Extras that change the Dubuque total

Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.98 for Dubuque, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.03) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.

Planning more than one job in Dubuque?

Jobs that often go together with concrete slab are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Dubuque wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (level) and detached garage lowest (−4%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.

Who does the work: Dubuque 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 Dubuque the blend is 1.03.

Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $28.08 an hour, in line with the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $25.83 and $29.82 an hour. About 110 work in the metro. That is 18.8 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 $23.46 an hour, which is 4% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.37 and $28.85 an hour. BLS counts 500 of them working in the area, 85.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.

Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 10% of the weighting: a median of $29.93 an hour, 4% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.92 and $35.52 an hour. About 160 work in the metro. That is 27.4 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 $28.89 an hour, in line with the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $23.41 and $30.47 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 44.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 43.1 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.

A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (cement masons and concrete finishers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $50 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $65. That is a swing of roughly 1.8% to 1.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.

Dubuque has 58,470 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 292nd by size among the 300 metros on this site.

Concrete slab: what moves the price in Dubuque

• 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.

Dubuque against nearby metros and the rest of Iowa

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 $3,700 to $4,000 across Dubuque and its five closest metros.

Out of the 300 metros we cover, Dubuque ranks #150 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Dubuque is 0% above the Iowa figure.

Elsewhere in Iowa

Metros of a similar size

Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Dubuque against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.