Stamped concrete cost in Iowa
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (400 sq ft)
- $3,150 – $7,750
- Per sq ft
- $7.80 – $18.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $5,600
- Metros covered
- 7
Iowa prices for stamped concrete: $3,150 to $7,750 for 400 sq ft, or $7.80 to $18.50 per sq ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 2% below the national one. Local wages for cement masons and concrete finishers are $27.99 an hour.
Inside Iowa, the metros we cover range from $5,450 (Sioux City) to $5,700 (Waterloo) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 400 sq ft in Iowa (statewide), standard level
$4,550 to $6,400
About $11 to $15.50 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $2,850 |
| Labor | $2,250 | $3,300 |
| Permits and fees | $120 | $230 |
| Total | $4,550 | $6,400 |
Cost breakdown for 400 sq ft in Iowa
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,700 | $2,550 | $3,350 | 46% |
| Labor | $1,450 | $2,750 | $4,100 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $180 | $310 | 3% |
| Total | $3,150 | $5,450 | $7,750 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Iowa prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from 10x20 patio (200 sq ft) to 2-car driveway (600 sq ft).
Basic
$3,150 to $5,000
Basic pattern, one integral color
Standard
$4,550 to $6,400
Two-tone color release and a border
Premium
$5,950 to $7,750
Multi-color, hand-detailed, sealed to a high finish
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x20 patio (200 sq ft) | $1,600 – $2,600 | $2,350 – $3,300 | $3,050 – $4,050 |
| 20x20 patio (400 sq ft) | $3,150 – $5,000 | $4,550 – $6,400 | $5,950 – $7,750 |
| 2-car driveway (600 sq ft) | $4,700 – $7,450 | $6,750 – $9,450 | $8,800 – $11,500 |
Iowa versus the states around it
Iowa ranks 31 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for stamped concrete, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $7,800 and the cheapest Arkansas at $4,850, both for 400 sq ft at the midpoint. Iowa sits at $5,450. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 190 miles away | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,200 | −5% |
| Missouri | 220 miles away | $3,350 – $8,200 | $5,750 | +6% |
| Wisconsin | 230 miles away | $3,350 – $8,350 | $5,850 | +7% |
| Minnesota | 240 miles away | $3,550 – $8,850 | $6,200 | +13% |
| Illinois | 240 miles away | $3,850 – $9,600 | $6,700 | +23% |
Add-ons priced for Iowa
Add-ons start from national price ranges and are scaled by 0.98 for Iowa, which is the average of the area's wage index (1.02) and goods price index (0.94). The estimator above can add them to your total.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a vapor barrier | $200 – $390 |
Other Iowa jobs that often go with stamped concrete
Each project weights the trades differently, so Iowa's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, paver patio is level and concrete slab −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,200 – $3,900 | −3% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,600 – $9,150 | −1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,000 – $5,450 | level |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $5,000 | −3% |
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,000 – $7,350 | −1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,450 – $9,950 | −2% |
Stamped concrete cost by metro in Iowa
3 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $5,450, and the top-to-bottom gap is 4%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (400 sq ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo, IA | $3,250 – $8,100 | $5,700 | +4% |
| Davenport, IA | $3,250 – $8,050 | $5,650 | +4% |
| Des Moines, IA | $3,200 – $7,900 | $5,550 | +2% |
| Dubuque, IA | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | level |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $3,150 – $7,800 | $5,500 | level |
| Iowa City, IA | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | level |
| Sioux City, IA | $3,150 – $7,750 | $5,450 | level |
When Iowa weather lets you pour
Weather decides when pouring concrete can happen, and Iowa is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Des Moines has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Iowa at 7 months (April through October); Dubuque has the shortest at 5 (May through September). Rainfall runs from 29 inches a year in Sioux City to 38 inches in Dubuque.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 14 | 86 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Davenport | 14 | 84 | 36 | 6: May through October |
| Cedar Rapids | 11 | 83 | 36 | 5: May through September |
| Iowa City | 15 | 86 | 36 | 6: May through October |
| Waterloo | 11 | 85 | 36 | 5: May through September |
| Sioux City | 10 | 85 | 29 | 5: May through September |
| Dubuque | 11 | 82 | 38 | 5: May through September |
Why two Iowa quotes can differ
Pattern and color
Basic to average coloring runs $8-$19 per sq ft. A 2-car stamped driveway runs $12-$18 per sq ft (HomeGuide); Estimators.us puts decorative slabs at $15-$30.
Specialist labor
Stamping has to be done before the concrete sets, so crews arrive in larger teams and charge for it.
Sealing and vapor barrier
Sealer is usually quoted separately; vapor barrier material is $0.20-$1.50 per sq ft depending on thickness (HomeGuide).
Not included
These prices don't include site prep that depends on the project: demolition, grading, or a thicker base.
Wages behind the Iowa number
Iowa's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.02 times the national level.
Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051), 60% of the weighting: a median of $27.99 an hour, in line with the US median of $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $22.74 and $31.25 an hour. About 2,110 work in the state. That is 13.5 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 $23.31 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.90 and $28.11 an hour. BLS counts 13,780 of them working in the state, 88.4 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 $29.01 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.77 and $34.93 an hour. About 5,530 work in the state. That is 35.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for cement masons and concrete finishers ($31.25 an hour) would add about $190 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($22.74) would take off about $310. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,559,240 jobs across Iowa (May 2025), which is 1.0% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 60% | $22.74 | $27.99 | $31.25 | $27.41 | 1.02 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.90 | $23.31 | $28.11 | $22.66 | 1.03 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $25.77 | $29.01 | $34.93 | $28.78 | 1.01 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.02 | |||||
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Stamped concrete in Iowa: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour stamped concrete in Iowa?
$3,150 to $7,750 for 400 sq ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Iowa can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Iowa is cheapest for stamped concrete?
Sioux City at about $5,450 (midpoint, 400 sq ft). The priciest is Waterloo at $5,700.
+Is stamped concrete cheaper in Iowa than the US average?
It is 2% cheaper: $5,450 against $5,600 for 400 sq ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Iowa?
About 50% ($2,750). Materials are 46%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.02x the national wage level.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in Iowa?
The BLS statewide median is $27.99 an hour, against $27.41 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.74 to $31.25.
+Where does Iowa rank for stamped concrete costs?
31st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $5,450 for 400 sq ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium stamped concrete work cost in Iowa?
For 400 sq ft, basic work runs $3,150 to $5,000 and premium work $5,950 to $7,750. Basic means: basic pattern, one integral color. Premium means: multi-color, hand-detailed, sealed to a high finish.
+Does the season matter for stamped concrete in Iowa?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Iowa metros we cover, Des Moines has the most comfortable months (7 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
+What does "add a vapor barrier" add in Iowa?
$200 to $390 for 400 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the statewide wage and goods indexes.
Stamped concrete by city in Iowa
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 Stamped Concrete Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- SimplyWise: Concrete Estimate Template: Free PDF + Excel (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
Note on derived figures: Materials = SimplyWise's 200 sq ft stamped-patio line ($900-$1,800), divided by 200 sq ft.