Concrete slab cost in Portland, OR

Who does the work: Portland 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 Portland the blend is 1.26.

Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 50% of the weighting: a median of $36.10 an hour, 32% above the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $29.01 and $44.74 an hour. About 1,410 work in the metro. That is 11.7 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 $26.08 an hour, which is 15% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.45 and $31.65 an hour. BLS counts 7,950 of them working in the area, 65.8 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 $38.00 an hour, 32% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $31.37 and $50.10 an hour. About 3,040 work in the metro. That is 25.2 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 $35.44 an hour, 22% above the US median of $29.12. The middle half of them earn between $28.53 and $49.78 an hour. About 9,210 work in the metro. That is 76.2 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 $250 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $210. That is a swing of roughly 4.8% to 5.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.

Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has 1,208,410 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 25th by size among the 300 metros on this site.

The best months for concrete slab in Portland

Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Portland Intl 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 Portland are April through November: 8 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March 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.

Portland gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (5.8 inches in December). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 0.5 and 0.5 inches. The station averages about 15 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.

Optional extras in Portland

Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 1.15 for Portland, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.26) and goods price index (1.05). The estimator above can add them to your total.

What nearby projects cost in Portland

Jobs that often go together with concrete slab are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Portland wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete driveway comes out highest (+19%) and asphalt driveway lowest (+14%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.

Is Portland cheap or dear? The local comparison

Same job, same size (400 sq ft), priced for the nearest metros. Yakima is the priciest of the group at $4,400. Eugene is the cheapest at $4,000.

Out of the 300 metros we cover, Portland ranks #16 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Portland is 4% above the Oregon figure.

Elsewhere in Oregon

Metros of a similar size

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

Portland: what basic, standard and premium work costs

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

Concrete slab: what moves the price in Portland

• 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).

• 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.