Concrete Project Cost & Quantity Handbook

Inside the actual 64-page edition

This original handbook follows a complete planning sequence: preface, approved project scope, quantity checking, supply and site responsibilities, bid comparison and closeout. Chapters 2–20 each contain an explanation, an accurately worked hypothetical example and a dedicated planning sheet. The PDF has 95 fillable text fields across 19 worksheets, plus printable space for handwritten notes. Fields do not calculate automatically.

Try the method before buying

A fictional 12 ft × 10 ft × 4 in rectangular section has geometric volume 1.48148 cubic yards, using length × width × thickness in inches / 324. Extra-depth sections and any selected ordering allowance must be checked separately. These dimensions are not a recommended slab design, and the result is not a confirmed supplier order.

Use the free concrete quantity calculator to check arithmetic and the contractor quote comparison calculator with complete proposals. The handbook adds the records around those calculations.

Complete chapter list

1. Preface: how to use this book
2. Define the concrete project brief
3. Record the site and existing conditions
4. Separate project use from construction design
5. Check rectangular quantities and units
6. Break irregular shapes into checkable parts
7. Add extra depth and edge volume once
8. Turn a takeoff into an approved order
9. Budget removal, excavation and base scope
10. Ask about reinforcement, joints and interfaces
11. Confirm the mixture and supplier information
12. Price access, delivery and placement logistics
13. Plan weather, curing and use restrictions
14. Compare finishes and ongoing obligations
15. Write a complete concrete proposal scope
16. Build the all-in concrete project budget
17. Normalize contractor proposals
18. Review the live cost forecast
19. Approve changes and reconcile the reserve
20. Close out and retain project records
21. Afterword and source notes

What the examples cover

Work through feet-to-inches conversions, irregular shapes, extra-depth accounting, allowance and order rounding, supporting-work additions, supply fees and final scope reconciliation. Six general budgeting chapters use the HomeCostEngine renovation method with concrete adaptation; thirteen chapters add concrete quantity and scope decisions. No example provides a construction, reinforcement or curing specification.

What you receive after payment

One 64-page English PDF, formatted at 6 × 9 inches, with a clickable chapter outline and 19 printable, fillable planning sheets. After payment, the order page provides your download and our thank-you email contains a link to that order page. Use a compatible PDF reader, save a local copy before entering information and confirm your saved entries persist. No separate account or subscription is required.

The book purchase is £9 GBP. Project examples use hypothetical USD amounts because the planning guidance is for U.S. homeowners. They are teaching examples, not local price benchmarks.

Editorial scope and sources

Written by the HomeCostEngine Editorial Team and reviewed October 25, 2026. Source notes link to FTC contractor guidance, NRMCA CIP 31 ordering guidance and NRMCA CIP 11 curing information. These organizations do not endorse the book.

This handbook organizes planning decisions; it does not replace a site inspection, engineering design, professional installation, local permit review or a written contractor agreement. Personal use includes printing worksheets and sharing your completed project records with your contractors and advisers.