Concrete estimate template with every yard costed

What to put on a concrete quote

This concrete estimate template turns a slab into lines a customer can follow: ready mix by volume, rebar and forms, base preparation, then pour and finish by area, with a sealer offered as an option. The sample prices a 320 ft² reinforced patio, 4 in thick, with a broom finish and control joints. Fill it in online, or download a Word, Excel or PDF version to keep.

A concrete quote should state the slab size, thickness, reinforcement, base, finish and joints, because each one changes strength, cost and looks. Write them all down, along with how the truck or pump reaches the forms, so the customer can see what a cheaper price might be leaving out.

1. Dimensions and thicknessLength, width, area in ft² and thickness, such as 4 in for a patio and more for a driveway that carries vehicles.
2. Ready mix volume and strengthCubic yards or m³ with a waste allowance, the specified strength, such as 3,000 or 4,000 psi, and air entrainment where slabs go through freeze and thaw.
3. ReinforcementRebar size and grid spacing, such as #3 bars at 18 in centers, or wire mesh or fiber, plus chairs to hold steel at the right depth.
4. Base and subgradeExcavation depth, compacted gravel base thickness, and any vapor barrier under the slab.
5. Forms and placementForm boards and stakes, and whether the truck can chute straight in or the pour needs a pump or power buggies.
6. FinishBroom, steel trowel, exposed aggregate or stamped, with any color or pattern named.
7. JointsControl joints by groover or saw cut and their spacing, plus isolation joints where the slab meets the house or an existing slab.
8. Curing and protectionCuring compound or covers, how long before foot and vehicle traffic, and hot or cold weather measures.
9. Demolition and haul offBreaking out an old slab, loading, hauling and dump fees, as items of their own.

Sample concreting quotation for a 320 ft² patio

Solidform Concrete prices a reinforced patio for Hamza Yousef: 320 ft² poured 4 in thick with a broom finish and control joints. Materials list 4.5 yd³ of ready mix at $165 and a $640 package for rebar, forms and base. Labor is $900 to excavate and prepare the base and $3.20 per ft² to pour and finish. A sealer at $0.60 per ft² is optional. The subtotal is $3,306.50 with a 15% deposit. Prices are examples, not quotes.

Edit the Solidform Concrete estimate

5 lines are filled in, from ready mix concrete to sealer. Put in your own concrete rates, then download the PDF.

Open the concrete sample

How to price concrete flatwork

Concrete contractors usually show flatwork by the square foot, but the rate is built from four parts: concrete by volume, reinforcement and forms, base preparation, and the crew to place and finish. Keep the parts as separate lines and the quote explains itself.

1. All in per square footOne rate per ft² for a standard thickness and finish. Fast for repeat patios and paths, risky on sloping, remote or awkward sites.
2. Concrete by volume, labor by areaReady mix by the cubic yard or m³, then forming, placing and finishing per ft². Best when thickness or access varies from job to job.
3. Lump sum for site prepExcavation, base and forms as one price after a site visit, since soil and slope vary more than the slab itself.
4. Add ons per itemPump hire per pour, stamped or colored finish per ft², sealer per ft², and saw cutting per linear foot.

Ready mix prices, fuel surcharges and short load fees change often, so check them before each quote. Protect the margin on materials with the markup calculator, and browse other construction quote templates for related work.

Worked example: concrete, rebar and finishing for a driveway slab

The numbers below price the main parts of a 12 x 40 ft driveway slab poured 5 in thick. Supplier prices and rates are examples only.

1. Volume12 x 40 = 480 ft². At 5 in thick, 480 x 5 / 12 = 200 ft³. Divide by 27 for 7.41 yd³.
2. Waste and orderingAdd 10% for uneven subgrade and spillage: 7.41 x 1.1 = 8.15 yd³, rounded up to the next quarter yard, so order 8.25 yd³.
3. Concrete costAt an example $165 per yd³ delivered: 8.25 x 165 = $1,361.25.
4. Rebar#3 bars on an 18 in grid: 9 bars running 40 ft (360 ft) and 28 bars across at 12 ft (336 ft), 696 ft in all. Add 10% for laps: about 766 ft, or 39 sticks of 20 ft at an example $9, which is $351.
5. Finishing and subtotalPlacing and broom finishing at an example $2.80 per ft²: 480 x 2.80 = $1,344. Concrete, rebar and finishing come to $1,361.25 + $351 + $1,344 = $3,056.25 before base, forms and joints.

A pump, a long wheelbarrow run, hot weather retarder or a stamped finish all change the crew size and the rate per ft², so price them as their own lines.

Concrete quote inclusions and exclusions

Concrete quote mistakes

• Ordering exactly the calculated volume, then running short with the truck already gone and a cold joint in the slab.
• Forgetting a short load fee on small pours that fall under the plant’s minimum order.
• Leaving reinforcement vague, so the customer cannot tell rebar from fiber or mesh.
• Not stating control joint spacing, then being blamed for random cracks.
• Assuming chute access when the patio sits behind the house with no way for the truck to get close.
• Giving a fixed price with no exclusion for soft subgrade or buried debris.