A plain 4-inch slab costs $6-12 per square foot installed. Stamped or colored runs $10-18. The first decision: bags or a truck.
Tallyard Editorial·Updated April 20, 2026·Reviewed against NRMCA pricing, RS Means, and regional concrete contractor data
The bags-or-truck decision comes first
Below 1.5 cubic yards, mixing bags is practical. Tedious, but practical. Above that, a ready-mix truck saves hours of mixing and your lower back. A ready-mix truck delivers concrete at $130-180 per cubic yard with a 1-yard minimum. At that price, the concrete for a 600 square foot driveway (7.4 yards) costs about $1,100 in material. The concrete calculator tells you exactly how many yards your project needs so you know which side of the crossover you are on.
Fig. 1. Plain slab is the baseline at $6-12/ft². Decorative finishes (stamped, exposed aggregate) add 50-80% to the cost.How we calculated these numbers▾
Ready-mix pricing from NRMCA (National Ready Mixed Concrete Association) regional surveys. Installed costs from RS Means 2026 residential concrete section and HomeGuide contractor databases.
Fig. 2. Below 1.5 cubic yards, bags work. Above that, a truck saves hours and produces better concrete (consistent mix, no cold joints).Fig. 3. Material is 20-30% of installed cost. Labor, grading, forming, finishing, and curing are the rest.
Illustrative example · Phoenix, AZ
A homeowner poured a 12×16 patio slab (192 ft², 4 inches thick, 2.4 cubic yards). Ready-mix delivery: $350 (2.4 yd³ × $145). Gravel base, rebar, forming lumber: $280. He formed and placed it himself with two helpers. Total material: $630. A contractor quoted $2,200 for the same slab. His DIY savings: $1,570. The trade-off: a full Saturday of hard physical labor in Arizona heat and a finish that a pro would have made smoother.
Composite illustration based on typical project dimensions, regional contractor pricing, and 2026 material costs. Not a specific real project.
DIY
Professional
Concrete (600 ft² slab)
$1,100
$1,100
Gravel base + rebar
$400–600
Included
Forms + stakes
$100–200
Included
Finishing tools rental
$75–150
Own equipment
Labor
$0 (brutal day)
$2,500–5,000
Total
$1,675–2,050
$5,000–10,000
DIY concrete saves 60-70% but requires helpers (you cannot pour a driveway alone), finishing skill, and physical endurance. Concrete waits for nobody.
You cannot undo a pour
Concrete begins setting within 90 minutes. Once the truck arrives, the clock starts. Forming, grading, and rebar placement must be complete before the truck backs up. If you are not ready, you pay a standby fee ($2-3 per minute) or the driver dumps the load where you are not prepared. This is not a project you can figure out as you go.