Concrete Pad Cost Calculator
Shed base, hot-tub pad, patio extension — enter the size and thickness for the installed price, the exact cubic yards, and ready-mix vs. bagged cost side by side. Free, instant, no signup.
Quick answer
A 4-inch concrete pad costs $6–$12 per square foot installed in 2026 — most jobs land near $8. Small pads pay more per foot thanks to the $800–$1,200 minimum charge most contractors carry. A 10×10 pad needs ≈1.23 cubic yards of concrete (about 56 × 80-lb bags).
0% matches the exact volume math. Pros usually order 5–10% extra so the pour never runs short.
Your concrete pad estimate
Pro installed cost
$800
100 sq ft pad at 4 inches thick
- Typical installed range ($6–$12/sq ft)
- $600 – $1,200
- Concrete needed
- 1.23 yd³
- Ready-mix cost (concrete only)
- $198
- Bagged mix — 56 × 80-lb bags
- $336
Heads up: under 3 yd³, most ready-mix plants add a short-load fee that pushes the effective price 20–50% higher. Bagged mix is often competitive at this size.
Installed cost is a planning estimate at your $/sq ft rate — site prep, pumps, demolition, and permits are extra. Concrete-only costs exclude gravel, forms, and reinforcement.
How the calculation works
- Volume: cubic yards = (length × width × thickness in feet) ÷ 27. A 10×10 pad at 4 inches is 33.3 cu ft ≈ 1.23 yd³.
- Installed cost: pad area × your $/sq ft rate. The typical 2026 range is $6–$12, most jobs near $8.
- Bags: cubic feet ÷ 0.6 per 80-lb bag, rounded up. The same 10×10 pad is about 56 bags.
- Ready-mix: cubic yards × your delivered price ($125–$195/yd³). Under ~3 yd³, expect a short-load fee on top.
Typical pad costs by size (4-inch, installed)
| Pad size | Concrete | Installed cost |
|---|---|---|
| 10×10 (100 sq ft) | ≈1.23 yd³ | $600–$1,200 |
| 12×12 (144 sq ft) | ≈1.78 yd³ | $864–$1,728 |
| 20×20 (400 sq ft) | ≈4.94 yd³ | $2,400–$4,800 |
| 30×30 (900 sq ft) | ≈11.11 yd³ | $5,400–$10,800 |
Why do small pads break the per-foot math? Read our concrete pad cost guide — it covers the minimum-charge trap, what quotes leave out, and the honest DIY math.
Worked example: a 10×10 pad at $8 a square foot
Take the classic backyard pad — 10×10 ft, 4 inches thick, professionally installed at $8 per square foot:
- Total price: 100 sq ft × $8 = $800, the figure the calculator leads with.
- The concrete in it: 100 sq ft at 4 inches is 1.23 cubic yards — 56 bags of 80-lb mix if you pour it yourself, or a short ready-mix load if a truck does.
- Why it isn't cheaper: a 1.23-yard pour is below most plants' comfortable minimum, so short-load fees apply — the truck costs nearly as much to send for one yard as for four. That fixed cost is most of why small pads price high per square foot.
Double the pad to 10×20 and the concrete doubles, but the truck, the crew's trip, and the setup don't — which is why the per-square-foot rate drops as pads get bigger.
Mistakes that throw off the estimate
- Comparing quotes with different scope. One bid includes excavation, a gravel base, and hauling the dirt away; the cheaper one is pour-only over whatever's there. Line the scopes up before you compare the totals.
- Ignoring minimum charges on a small pour. Delivery minimums and short-load fees mean the first cubic yard is the most expensive one. If a truck is coming anyway, that's the moment to add the walkway you've been putting off.
- Cutting the gravel base to cut the price. The base and any reinforcement aren't upsells — a pad poured straight onto soft soil cracks and settles early. Saving $150 there can cost the whole pad.
- Forgetting the old pad. If an existing pad or patio comes out first, demolition and disposal are their own line item — on a small job they can rival the cost of the new concrete itself.