Stamped concrete cost in New Orleans, LA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (400 sq ft)
- $2,950 – $7,100
- Per sq ft
- $7.20 – $17
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $5,600
- Rank of 300 metros
- #242
- 1 = most expensive
New Orleans homeowners pay roughly $2,950 to $7,100 to pour stamped concrete at 400 sq ft, or $7.20 to $17 per sq ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, New Orleans is 10% lower. Cement masons and concrete finishers earn a median of $22.99 an hour in the New Orleans area, 16% below the US median of $27.41.
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Estimated cost for 400 sq ft in New Orleans, LA, standard level
$4,200 to $5,850
About $10 to $14 per sq ft before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,200 | $2,850 |
| Labor | $1,850 | $2,750 |
| Permits and fees | $130 | $240 |
| Total | $4,200 | $5,850 |
Cost breakdown for 400 sq ft in New Orleans, LA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $1,700 | $2,550 | $3,350 | 50% |
| Labor | $1,200 | $2,300 | $3,400 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $190 | $320 | 4% |
| Total | $2,950 | $5,000 | $7,100 | 100% |
Why New Orleans prices look the way they do
The wage side of the estimate leans on cement masons and concrete finishers, who do 60% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $22.99 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for New Orleans is 0.85 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 46% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the New Orleans metro is 93.7 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 400 sq ft comes to $2,550, compared with $2,700 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (92.6) and land at $45 to $320.
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for New Orleans is 0.85 times the national level.
For cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051, weighted 60%) the local median is $22.99 an hour, which is 16% below the national $27.41. The middle half of them earn between $17.95 and $29.98 an hour. BLS counts 160 of them working in the area, 3.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 13.3), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $18.98 an hour, 16% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.45 and $23.29 an hour. About 3,620 work in the metro. That is 81.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 10%) the local median is $28.00 an hour, which is in line with the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.97 and $32.23 an hour. BLS counts 1,150 of them working in the area, 25.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the cement masons and concrete finishers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($29.98 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $410. At the 25th percentile ($17.95) it shrinks by about $300. The total moves by 8.2% or 5.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 445,550 jobs in the New Orleans-Metairie area. That makes it the 57th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.29% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cement masons and concrete finishers (47-2051) | 60% | $17.95 | $22.99 | $29.98 | $27.41 | 0.84 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.45 | $18.98 | $23.29 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 10% | $22.97 | $28.00 | $32.23 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.85 | |||||
When to schedule stamped concrete in New Orleans
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for New Orleans Lakefront Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through June is the stretch where pouring concrete runs into the fewest weather problems in New Orleans (10 of 12 months). July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Heat matters for concrete as well. With average highs of 90°F or more in July and August, crews often start early, wet the base and plan for faster set times.
New Orleans gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (6.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 3.6 and 3.6 inches. The station averages about 86 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 47 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 65 | 51 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 71 | 57 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 63 | 5.9 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 71 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 76 | 6.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 78 | 6.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 79 | 6.5 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 76 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 67 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 70 | 56 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 63 | 50 | 4.6 | Workable |
New Orleans against nearby metros and the rest of Louisiana
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 $4,750 to $5,400 across New Orleans and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LAthis page | $2,950 – $7,100 | $5,000 | |
| Houma, LA75 miles | $2,900 – $7,000 | $4,950 | −1% |
| Slidell, LA80 miles | $2,900 – $7,100 | $5,000 | level |
| Gulfport, MS90 miles | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −5% |
| Baton Rouge, LA125 miles | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | +7% |
| Mobile, AL125 miles | $2,900 – $6,950 | $4,900 | −2% |
| Louisiana (statewide) | $2,900 – $7,050 | $5,000 | level |
| United States | $3,250 – $7,950 | $5,600 | +12% |
Across 300 US metros, New Orleans comes in at #242 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $8,150; the cheapest is McAllen, TX at $4,550 (midpoints, 400 sq ft). Statewide, New Orleans is 0% above the Louisiana figure.
Other Louisiana metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $3,100 – $7,650 | $5,400 | +7% |
| Lafayette, LA | 179,570 jobs | $3,000 – $7,250 | $5,100 | +2% |
| Shreveport, LA | 162,750 jobs | $2,900 – $7,000 | $4,950 | −1% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $2,950 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +2% |
| Slidell, LA | 98,240 jobs | $2,900 – $7,100 | $5,000 | level |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $2,800 – $6,700 | $4,750 | −5% |
Cities with a workforce like New Orleans's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is New Orleans against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | 446,380 jobs | $4,450 – $11,200 | $7,850 | +56% |
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $3,050 – $7,400 | $5,200 | +4% |
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $3,450 – $8,500 | $5,950 | +19% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $3,000 – $7,200 | $5,100 | +2% |
Extras that change the New Orleans total
Extras are quoted nationally and then scaled to New Orleans by the average of the local wage index (0.85) and goods index (0.94), a factor of 0.89. Tick any of them in the estimator above to add them to your total. Treat these as planning figures: an add-on touches different trades than the main job, so the scaling is an approximation.
| Add-on | Local range |
|---|---|
| Add a vapor barrier | $180 – $360 |
New Orleans: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for New Orleans wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$2,950 to $4,600
Basic pattern, one integral color
Standard
$4,200 to $5,850
Two-tone color release and a border
Premium
$5,450 to $7,100
Multi-color, hand-detailed, sealed to a high finish
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10x20 patio (200 sq ft) | $1,500 – $2,400 | $2,150 – $3,050 | $2,800 – $3,700 |
| 20x20 patio (400 sq ft) | $2,950 – $4,600 | $4,200 – $5,850 | $5,450 – $7,100 |
| 2-car driveway (600 sq ft) | $4,350 – $6,800 | $6,200 – $8,650 | $8,050 – $10,500 |
Related projects, priced for New Orleans
Because every project leans on different trades, New Orleans's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, asphalt driveway runs −7% and concrete driveway −12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete patio | 300 sq ft | $1,150 – $3,550 | −11% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,250 – $8,050 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,700 | −10% |
| Asphalt driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,850 – $6,850 | −7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,400 | −8% |
Stamped concrete: what moves the price in New Orleans
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.
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Stamped concrete in New Orleans: your questions
+How much does it cost to pour stamped concrete in New Orleans?
For 400 sq ft, expect $2,950 to $7,100 in the New Orleans area. A standard-spec job lands at $4,200 to $5,850. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft for stamped concrete in New Orleans?
About $7.20 to $17 per sq ft for materials and labor, plus $45 to $320 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $8 to $19.
+Is stamped concrete cheaper in New Orleans or Houma?
Houma is 75 miles away. The midpoint for 400 sq ft there is $4,950, which is 1% less than New Orleans ($5,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in New Orleans?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $2,300 out of $5,000. Materials are 50% and permits 4%. Nationally, labor is 48%.
+What would 20x20 patio (400 sq ft) cost in New Orleans?
$2,950 to $7,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does stamped concrete need a permit in New Orleans?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $320 for fees in the New Orleans area (our national range of $50 to $350 scaled by the local price level).
+Is New Orleans expensive for stamped concrete compared with the rest of Louisiana?
New Orleans is 0% above the Louisiana statewide estimate ($5,000 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Louisiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do cement masons and concrete finishers earn in New Orleans?
The BLS median is $22.99 an hour in the New Orleans area, compared with $27.41 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.95 to $29.98.
+What do basic and premium stamped concrete work cost in New Orleans?
For 400 sq ft, basic work runs $2,950 to $4,600 and premium work $5,450 to $7,100. Basic means: basic pattern, one integral color. Premium means: multi-color, hand-detailed, sealed to a high finish.
+When is the best time to pour stamped concrete in New Orleans?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. October and November 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 a vapor barrier" add in New Orleans?
$180 to $360 for 400 sq ft, from a national range scaled by the local wage and goods indexes.
Stamped concrete near New Orleans
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.