A cubic yard of ready-mix concrete costs $125 to $195 delivered in 2026, with most domestic jobs landing between $140 and $175. Where you fall in that range depends on the strength you order, how far the plant is from your site, and — more than anything else — how much you buy at once.
The quoted price is only part of the story. Suppliers make a good share of their margin on extras that don’t appear until the invoice, and on a small order those extras can exceed the cost of the concrete itself.
Price by mix strength
Concrete is sold by compressive strength, measured in pounds per square inch after 28 days of curing. Stronger mixes contain more cement, and cement is by far the most expensive ingredient — so the psi number drives the price more than anything else on the ticket.
| Strength | Typical use | Price per yd³ |
|---|---|---|
| 2,500 psi | Footings, non-structural fill | $125–$145 |
| 3,000 psi | Patios, backyard slabs, sheds | $135–$155 |
| 3,500 psi | Driveways, garage floors | $145–$165 |
| 4,000 psi | Heavy driveways, structural slabs | $155–$175 |
| 4,500 psi + | Commercial, exposed structural | $165–$195 |
The step from 3,000 to 4,000 psi costs around $20 a yard. On a five-yard driveway that’s $100 to roughly double the design life of the slab. Measured against the total cost of the job — excavation, sub-base, forms, labour — it’s the cheapest meaningful upgrade available, and the one most people skip.
Going the other way rarely saves much. Dropping from 3,000 to 2,500 psi on a patio saves about $10 a yard, and buys you a slab that scales and cracks sooner. The material is not where you want to economise.
What actually drives the price
Three factors move the number more than everything else combined.
Distance from the batching plant. Concrete starts hydrating the moment water hits cement, and has a usable working life of roughly 90 minutes from batching. Plants price the round trip into every load, and past about 20 miles you feel it sharply. Beyond 25 miles some suppliers simply won’t quote, because the concrete would arrive too stiff to place properly.
Load size. A nine-yard order costs meaningfully less per yard than a two-yard order. The truck, the driver, the fuel and the scheduling slot cost the same either way, so the fixed costs get spread over whatever you buy.
Local competition. Having two plants within range of your site does more for your budget than any amount of negotiating. Where there’s only one supplier who can reach you, the price reflects that.
Beyond those, seasonal demand plays a part. Spring and early summer are the busiest months in most regions, and prices firm up accordingly. A November pour often costs less than the identical job in May, though you’re then dealing with cold-weather placing.
The fees that aren’t in the quote
| Charge | When it applies | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Short-load fee | Orders under 5–10 yd³ | $50–$150 |
| Waiting time | After 20–30 free minutes | $2–$5 per minute |
| Fuel surcharge | Distance bands | $10–$40 |
| Saturday delivery | Weekend slots | 10–15% extra |
| Line pump | Truck can’t reach the pour | $500–$900 |
| Boom pump | Height or long reach | $900–$1,800 |
| Fibre reinforcement | Per yard, optional | $8–$15 |
| Accelerator or retarder | Per yard, weather-dependent | $6–$12 |
| Air entrainment | Freeze-thaw regions | $3–$8 |
The waiting-time clock is the one that catches people out. It starts when the truck arrives on site, not when you start pouring, and not when you’re finally ready. If your formwork isn’t finished, your crew hasn’t shown up, or you’ve got one wheelbarrow for a six-yard pour, you are paying by the minute to sort that out. Two people standing around for half an hour past the free allowance can add $100 to a job with no benefit whatsoever.
Pump hire is the largest single add-on and the one most worth planning for. If the truck genuinely cannot reach the pour, a line pump at $600 is cheaper than four people barrowing for three hours — and dramatically better for the quality of the finished slab, because the concrete goes in at a consistent rate rather than in exhausted bursts.
Worked example: a two-car driveway
Take a driveway 20 ft × 20 ft at 5 inches thick. Five inches expressed in feet is 0.417, so:
20 × 20 × 0.417 = 166.8 ft³, and since a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, 166.8 ÷ 27 = 6.2 cubic yards.
Sub-bases are never perfectly level and formwork always bulges slightly, so add 8% for wastage. That takes you to 6.7 yards, which you’d round up to 6.75 when ordering.
At $155 per yard for a 3,500 psi mix, the concrete is $1,046. There’s no short-load fee at that volume. Add polypropylene fibres at $10 a yard and you’re at $1,114 delivered.
Compare that against the same driveway at 4 inches: 4.94 yards, $766 of concrete. You’d save $348 — and get a driveway that will crack under a delivery van. Run your own dimensions through the concrete cost calculator, which handles both per-yard and per-cubic-metre pricing and compares ready-mix against bagged.
What a full truck costs
A standard mixer carries 8 to 10 cubic yards, though highway weight limits usually cap the load before the drum is physically full. A nine-yard load of 3,500 psi runs $1,300 to $1,500 delivered.
Because there’s no short-load fee at that volume, a full truck represents the best price per yard you’ll get on a domestic job. If your project is close to a truckload, it’s worth checking whether a slightly thicker slab — which you’d probably benefit from anyway — takes you over the threshold. There’s more detail in our guide to how many yards fit in a concrete truck.
Regional variation
Prices track local cement supply and haulage costs rather than anything national. The Northeast and West Coast sit at the top of the range, driven by higher labour costs and tighter plant capacity. The Midwest and South tend to sit at the bottom.
The bigger variable is rural versus urban. A site 30 miles from the nearest plant pays a premium regardless of which state it’s in, and may find fewer suppliers willing to quote at all. If you’re rural, ring every plant within 25 miles rather than assuming the nearest is cheapest — the second-nearest may have a lower base rate that more than covers the extra fuel surcharge.
Getting an accurate quote in one call
Suppliers quote against what you tell them. Have these five things ready and you’ll get a firm number rather than a range:
- Volume in cubic yards, with your wastage allowance already included
- Strength in psi — if you’re unsure, describe the job and let them recommend
- Delivery address and any access limits: narrow lane, low branches, soft ground, weight-restricted bridge
- Date and a time window
- Any additives — fibres, air entrainment — and whether you need a pump
Ask specifically what the short-load threshold is and how much free unload time you get. Those two numbers vary more between suppliers than the price per yard does, and knowing them lets you compare quotes properly.
Common questions
How much concrete do I need for a 20×20 slab?
At 4 inches thick, 4.94 cubic yards. At 5 inches, 6.17 yards. At 6 inches, 7.41 yards. Add 5–10% for wastage before you order — most people land on 5.25, 6.5 and 8 yards respectively.
Is concrete cheaper by the truckload?
Per yard, yes. The short-load fee disappears above roughly 5 to 10 yards depending on the supplier, which can be worth $150. But ordering concrete you don’t need to dodge a fee is a false economy — you’re paying $155 a yard for material you’ll throw away. Only order up if you have a genuine second use for the extra.
Why did my quote go up between calls?
Cement prices move with energy costs and most plants revise pricing quarterly, so quotes older than about a month are worth re-checking. Fuel surcharges change more often than the base rate. Seasonal demand also matters — the same job quoted in February and May can differ by 8 or 10%.
Can I negotiate concrete prices?
On a single domestic load, rarely — margins on small deliveries are thin once the truck and driver are accounted for. On repeat work or anything over about 20 yards, yes: ask directly for a contractor rate. Booking mid-week and mid-morning helps too, since plants price around their busiest slots and a Tuesday 10am delivery is easier for them to fit.
Does the price include the driver pouring it?
No. The driver discharges concrete down the chute and positions it within the chute’s reach, and that is where their responsibility ends. Placing, spreading, screeding, floating and finishing are yours or your contractor’s. Some drivers will help nudge the chute around; none of them will pick up a rake.
What happens if it rains on the day?
Most suppliers let you cancel free the day before. On the morning, once the load has been batched, you’ll usually pay for it whether you take it or not — concrete can’t be stored or resold. Watch the forecast and make the call early rather than hoping.