Concrete cost per yard is not a complete installed price. Ask for a written delivered total for your specified mix and order quantity. Divide that total by the yards being delivered to compare suppliers; keep excavation, placement and finishing outside that comparison unless explicitly included. A lower material rate can still produce a higher small-load invoice.
Start with the concrete volume and material-cost calculator, using your dimensions and the supplier's own rate. Its price result is a material subtotal, not a delivered or installed bid. Any prefilled price is an editable planning input, not a verified local quotation.
Calculate quantity before comparing a per-yard price
For a rectangular slab, cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × thickness in inches ÷ 324. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. A square yard measures area, not volume; it cannot determine concrete quantity without a thickness. Cement is an ingredient of concrete, not another name for a complete ready-mix order.
A 20 × 12 ft slab at an assumed 4-inch thickness needs 20 × 12 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.963 cubic yards before allowance. An illustrative 10% quantity allowance gives 3.259 yards. If this particular supplier sells in quarter-yard increments, round upward to 3.50 yards. Confirm its actual increments and minimums; do not assume every plant uses that policy.
The thickness here demonstrates arithmetic, not a design recommendation. Measure separate footings, steps or thickened edges without counting the slab portion twice. Use the concrete order allowance and thickened-edge method to separate measured volume, uncertainty and purchase rounding. Do not apply an allowance again to a quantity already padded by the contractor.
Use three separate cost layers
| Layer | Calculation or scope | Do not silently include |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Ordered yards × quoted mix rate | Delivery, fees or labor |
| Delivered ready-mix | Material + supplier charges + applicable tax | Pump rental or finishing unless stated |
| Installed project | Delivered material + all remaining project scope | Unpriced exclusions or duplicated allowances |
Request a line item or written “included” for delivery, fuel surcharge, short-load charge, waiting time, returned material and off-hour service. Some suppliers combine charges; a minimum invoice may replace a fee rather than stack on top of it. Ask which charges actually apply to this order and whether they are per truck, per trip or per project.
Worked comparison: the cheaper rate loses
All dollar figures below are hypothetical arithmetic inputs, not U.S. market prices. Both quotes cover the same specified mix, 3.50-yard order, address and delivery window. Assume the listed charges are separate, non-overlapping and before tax.
| Quoted item | Supplier A | Supplier B |
|---|---|---|
| Mix rate per yard | $170 | $185 |
| Material for 3.50 yards | $595 | $647.50 |
| Delivery | $120 | $80 |
| Short-load charge | $180 | $100 |
| Delivered subtotal before tax | $895 | $827.50 |
| Effective delivered cost per ordered yard | $255.71 | $236.43 |
Supplier B's material rate is $15 higher, but its delivered subtotal is $67.50 lower. Divide $827.50 by 3.50, not by the theoretical 2.963-yard slab volume, when labeling cost per ordered yard. Neither subtotal includes site work, a pump, installation or tax. A different order size or fee policy can reverse the comparison.
Turn the delivered subtotal into a project budget
Add separately quoted demolition and disposal, excavation, compacted base, forms, reinforcement, vapor control where specified, placement equipment, labor, joints, finishing, curing and cleanup. Mark who owns each task. For example, if a contractor's lump sum already includes ready-mix, adding the supplier invoice again would double count material.
Record exclusions and allowances in the contractor scope and quote comparison tool. A known excluded pump charge belongs in the expected subtotal; an unpriced possibility belongs in your uncertainty notes until a quote is obtained. Keep any contingency separate rather than calling it a supplier fee.
What changes a local quote?
Specify the project application and any approved drawings before asking the producer to quote a mix. Strength, exposure, aggregate, air content, fibers and placement method can change the supplied product. Do not choose a cheaper mix by deleting requirements. NRMCA's ordering guidance explains why project requirements and delivery coordination matter; it is not a national price list.
For a straightforward pour, the crew may place directly from a safely positioned truck. Restricted access can require a buggy or pump, additional mobilization and a different discharge schedule. Difficult-site scope may also include demolition, unstable subgrade, drainage corrections or weather protection. These are low-to-high scope scenarios, not defensible universal dollar ranges.
Plant distance, regional labor and disposal costs, local tax treatment and scheduling affect the total. Ask the local building department whether the proposed slab, driveway approach or structural work needs permits or inspections. A calculator cannot decide engineering requirements, vehicle access restrictions or compliance for your property.
For a small pour, compare this full delivered total with the bagged-versus-ready-mix workflow, including bag yield, mixing equipment and crew time. A short-load surcharge alone does not decide which method fits.
Before confirming delivery
- Send identical quantities, specifications, address and planned date to each supplier; request quote expiry and applicable tax.
- Confirm minimum invoice, ordering increments, short-load thresholds and whether adding unnecessary volume would actually save anything after disposal.
- Have the contractor and supplier agree on truck access, discharge method, crew readiness, waiting-time allowance and extra-time charges.
- Confirm who supplies curing materials and performs curing; finishing the surface does not complete that work.
- Document cancellation, returned-load and additional-trip terms. Reconcile the delivery ticket's quantity and mix designation with the order.
Keep the quantities, quotes and unresolved items together in the free home-project scope and cost workbook. Revisit the calculator when dimensions or the supplier quote change, then update the comparison with the same scope. Downloading the workbook does not require opting into marketing messages.
FAQ
Does concrete price per yard include installation?
Not automatically. Treat it as a mix rate unless the written quote explicitly includes delivery, placement, finishing and other project work.
How do I calculate delivered cost per yard?
Divide the complete delivered invoice by the ordered cubic yards, stating whether tax and optional services are included. Do not compare that result with another supplier's material-only rate.
Should I order a full truck to avoid a short-load fee?
Compare the actual written totals first. Unneeded concrete adds purchase and disposal obligations; eliminating one fee does not necessarily reduce the total.
Can I convert cost per cubic yard to cost per square foot?
For material only, multiply the per-yard rate by thickness in inches and divide by 324. That excludes allowance, delivery, site work and installation, so it is not an installed square-foot quote.
Why is there no fixed national price here?
Mix requirements, order size, location, date and supplier charges change the total. A current local written quote is a better input than a static unsourced national rate.
Primary references
- NRMCA CIP 31: Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete — specifying and coordinating an order, not price data.
- NRMCA CIP 11: Curing In-Place Concrete — why curing belongs in the work scope.