Ready Mix Concrete Calculator
Plan and price a ready-mixed concrete delivery — cubic yards to order, truck loads, short-load fees, delivery, mix (PSI) pricing, and optional pump — with a mix comparison and a downloadable PDF order sheet.
Plant pricing, minimums, and short-load / delivery fees vary widely — enter your local plant's numbers for an accurate quote. For planning purposes only.
| Mix (PSI) | Price / yd | Concrete Cost | + Fees | Total Delivered |
|---|
For your — cu yd order. Prices are typical defaults — edit the price field for your plant.
How to use the ready mix concrete calculator
Four quick steps turn your pour into a delivered price — cubic yards to order, truck loads, short-load fees, mix pricing, and an optional pump — with a PDF order sheet.
Enter your volume
Type in the cubic yards you already have, or let the tool work them out from a slab, footing, or round-column dimensions, then set your overage.
Set delivery & fees
Enter the truck capacity, the plant’s full-load minimum, its short-load fee per yard, and any flat delivery or fuel charge.
Pick mix & price
Choose a PSI strength, enter your plant’s price per yard, and tick a line or boom pump if the truck can’t reach the pour.
Read the cost & save a PDF
Get the total delivered cost, loads, all-in price per yard, a mix-strength comparison, and a downloadable order sheet.
How the delivered cost is calculated
It starts with volume in cubic yards, adds overage and rounds up to a quarter yard, then layers on the concrete price and the fees that catch people out — short-load, delivery, and pump. Here is the exact math.
Worked example — a 20 × 20 ft slab, 4″ thick, at $170/yd
Volume: 20 × 20 × (4/12) ÷ 27 = 4.94 cu yd
+ 10% overage, rounded to ¼ yd: 5.50 cu yd
Concrete: 5.50 × $170 = $935
Short-load (5.5 under an 8-yd min, $40/yd): 2.5 × $40 = $100
Total delivered ≈ $1,035 — about $188/cu yd all-in, in one truck.
Ready-mix ordering charts
Handy lookups for the numbers that shape a delivery — slab volumes, how the short-load fee bites, mix strengths, and typical plant fees. Add 5–10% overage to any volume before ordering.
| Thickness | Cu ft per sq ft | Cu yd per 100 sq ft | Cu yd per 400 sq ft (20×20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 0.33 ft³ | 1.23 yd³ | 4.94 yd³ |
| 5 in | 0.42 ft³ | 1.54 yd³ | 6.17 yd³ |
| 6 in | 0.50 ft³ | 1.85 yd³ | 7.41 yd³ |
| 8 in | 0.67 ft³ | 2.47 yd³ | 9.88 yd³ |
Multiply “cu yd per 100 sq ft” by your slab area ÷ 100. Figures exclude overage — add 5–10% and round up to the next quarter yard when ordering.
| Order volume | Yards short of minimum | Short-load fee | Effective add per yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cu yd | 6 yd | $240 | +$120 / yd |
| 3 cu yd | 5 yd | $200 | +$67 / yd |
| 4 cu yd | 4 yd | $160 | +$40 / yd |
| 5 cu yd | 3 yd | $120 | +$24 / yd |
| 6 cu yd | 2 yd | $80 | +$13 / yd |
| 8 cu yd | 0 yd | None | — |
Shows why small pours cost far more per yard. Minimum and rate vary by plant — some charge a flat short-load fee instead. Enter your plant’s numbers for an accurate quote.
| Mix | Typical use | Default price / cu yd |
|---|---|---|
| 2500 psi | Paths, non-structural | $150 |
| 3000 psi | Patios, sidewalks | $160 |
| 3500 psi | Driveways, slabs | $170 |
| 4000 psi | Footings, structural | $180 |
| 4500 psi | Heavy / commercial | $195 |
Prices are ballpark defaults for comparison. Local delivered pricing typically falls between $125 and $200 per yard — edit the price field for your plant.
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete (delivered) | $125 – $200 / cu yd | Varies by region & PSI |
| Short-load fee | $30 – $60 / yd short | Or a flat fee at some plants |
| Delivery / fuel | $0 – $150 flat | Per load |
| Line pump | $500 – $900 | Small / tight-access jobs |
| Boom pump | $900 – $1,800 / day | Tall or long-reach placement |
| Wait time | $100 – $150 / hr | After the free unload window |
Ranges are typical, not quotes. Ask your plant which of these apply — wait-time and washout fees especially can surprise a first-time buyer.
Everything the calculator works out
One volume — however you enter it — turns into a complete, costed order you can hand to the plant, fees and all.
Key figures every delivery depends on
Built for any concrete delivery
From a single backyard slab to a multi-truck foundation pour, the same calculator prices the order.
Ordering for a patio, shed slab, or driveway and wants to know the real delivered cost before calling the plant.
- Work the volume from slab size
- Watch the short-load fee on small pours
- Compare bags vs ready-mix under a yard
Pricing concrete for a bid and needs loads, all-in cost per yard, and fees nailed down before quoting.
- Price across PSI mixes at once
- Bake in delivery and pump fees
- Keep the PDF order sheet on file
Coordinating a larger pour and needs to plan truck loads, timing, and whether a pump is required.
- Split volume into truck loads
- Flag pump-access constraints early
- Total yards for pour-day logistics
7 tips for ordering ready-mix
Small habits keep the order right, the pour smooth, and the surprise fees off your invoice.
Ready mix concrete calculator FAQ
The pricing, truck, and ordering questions people ask most before booking a concrete delivery.
Delivered ready-mix typically runs about $125 to $200 per cubic yard in 2024–2025, depending on region, mix strength, and quantity. Higher-PSI mixes cost more — roughly $150 for 2500 psi up to about $195 for 4500 psi as ballpark defaults.
Small orders also carry short-load fees, so the all-in cost per yard on a tiny pour can be much higher. Always confirm with your local plant.
A full mixer truck holds about 10 cubic yards, though the usable load is often 8 to 9 yards to stay within weight limits and keep the mix workable.
A large pour is simply split across multiple trucks. Divide your order by the truck capacity and round up to get the number of loads.
When you order less than the plant’s full-load minimum — commonly around 8 cubic yards — many plants add a short-load fee for the yards you’re under, often $30 to $60 per yard (some charge a flat fee instead).
For example, a 5-yard order against an 8-yard minimum at $40 per yard adds about $120. It covers the cost of sending a truck that isn’t full.
Work out the volume from your dimensions, then add 5 to 10 percent overage and round up. Concrete is ordered in cubic yards, usually to the nearest quarter yard.
You can’t add a second truck mid-pour, and coming up short leaves a cold joint or a poor finish, so it’s safer to have a little left over than to run out.
Match the mix strength to the job. Roughly, 2500 psi suits paths and non-structural work; 3000 psi for patios and sidewalks; 3500 psi for driveways and slabs; 4000 psi for footings and structural work; and 4500 psi for heavy or commercial use.
Local code and your engineer set the requirement for structural work, so confirm before ordering.
A pump helps when the truck can’t reach the pour directly — tight access, backyard slabs, upper floors, or long distances. A line pump (about $500 to $900) suits smaller residential jobs, while a boom pump (about $900 to $1,800 a day) reaches over obstacles and up high.
For a driveway the truck can chute into, you usually don’t need one.
Add about 5 to 10 percent. Sub-grade that isn’t perfectly level, form spread, spillage, and slight over-excavation all consume more than the raw calculation.
Because you can’t top up a pour once the truck leaves, order a little long and round up to the next quarter yard.
For anything above roughly one cubic yard, ready-mix is cheaper and far less work than mixing bags, and it gives a continuous pour. Below about a yard, bagged mix often wins once short-load fees are added — a cubic yard is roughly 45 eighty-pound bags.
The crossover depends on your plant’s minimum and short-load charge.
General Estimating Notice: This calculator estimates ready-mix volume and delivered cost from user input and typical default pricing. Plant pricing, load minimums, short-load fees, delivery charges, and pump rates vary widely by region and supplier — enter your local plant’s numbers for an accurate quote. Mix strength for structural work is set by local code and your engineer. For planning purposes only.