Free concrete estimate template with the yardage math
This free concrete estimate template covers flatwork and footings with the yardage math shown: square feet times thickness in inches, divided by 324, equals cubic yards. It lines out base, forms, reinforcement, the pour, and finishing, with the short-load and pump questions answered in writing. A downloadable PDF version is on this page.
Prep and base
| Line item | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Excavation and grading labor | hr | |
| Gravel base | cy | compacted in lifts, state the depth |
| Vapor barrier | sf | under interior slabs |
| Form lumber | lf | |
| Form stakes | ea |
Concrete and reinforcement
| Line item | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete | cy | state psi and air entrainment, expect a short-load fee on small pours |
| Fiber mesh additive | cy | |
| Rebar #4 | lf | on chairs, not lifted by boot mid-pour |
| Welded wire mesh | sf | |
| Anchor bolt | ea | layout per the framing plan before the pour |
Finishing and joints
| Line item | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Place and finish crew | hr | name the finish, broom for exterior traction |
| Sawcut control joints | lf | cut within 6 to 18 hours, spacing about 2 to 3 times thickness in feet |
| Expansion joint | lf | |
| Concrete sealer | sf |
Footings and piers
| Line item | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sonotube | lf | |
| Concrete pier footing | ea | size and depth per local frost line |
Example scope
Pour a 24 by 24 detached garage slab: 576 sf at 4 inches with 12 inch thickened edges, roughly 9 yards of 4,000 psi air-entrained ready-mix, 4 inch compacted gravel base, vapor barrier, #4 rebar at 24 inch grid on chairs, anchor bolts per plan, broom finish with sawcut control joints. Excludes tree or stump removal and subgrade corrections beyond the written unit price.
What a concrete estimate must include
Thickness, psi, and reinforcement specified
A 4 inch 3,000 psi broom-finish patio and a 5 inch 4,000 psi fiber-reinforced driveway are different jobs at different prices. Write the thickness, the mix strength, air entrainment for exterior work in freeze climates, and the reinforcement, rebar grid or welded wire, so the bid can be compared honestly.
The yardage math, visible
At 4 inches thick, one cubic yard covers 81 sf, so a 576 sf garage slab is a hair over 7 yards before waste. Show the math with ready-mix around $178 per yard and the client can follow the biggest number on the page. Order a half yard over, because coming up short on a pour day is a disaster.
Short-load and pump money
Batch plants charge short-load fees when the truck is not full, and a pour the chute cannot reach needs a pump, which is a real four-figure day in many markets. State who pays for the pump and that small pours carry the short-load fee. These two omissions kill more concrete margin than bad finishing ever will.
Subgrade and weather conditions
The bid assumes a stable, compactable subgrade. Soft spots, buried debris, and over-excavation bill at written unit prices. Cold weather adds blankets or accelerator, hot weather adds retarder and crew. Concrete is the trade most at the mercy of dirt and sky, and the estimate should say so.
Joints, finish, and cracking honesty
Name the finish, broom, trowel, or exposed, and the joint plan, sawcut or tooled control joints on proper spacing. Then say in writing that concrete cracks and control joints direct the cracking rather than prevent it. That sentence is the difference between a callback and a shrug.
Payment on the pour
Material leaves your account the day the trucks roll, so bill to match: deposit at signing, a draw the day of the pour, balance at completion or sealer. A net-30 invoice on a job that is 60 percent material is you financing the client's driveway.
Estimating mistakes that cost concrete contractors money
Eating the short-load fee
A 3 yard pour on a truck that carries 10 means the plant charges for the empty barrel. Either batch small jobs together or put the fee on the estimate. It is a known, published charge, and absorbing it silently is a choice.
No pump line on a bad-access pour
Backyard slab, no gate wide enough, and suddenly you need a pump truck nobody priced. Walk the chute path at the site visit, and if access is doubtful, carry the pump as a named line or a contingency the client has already accepted.
One square-foot price regardless of thickness
The difference between 4 and 5 inches is 25 percent more concrete, and thickened edges and footings add yards the flat rate never saw. Bid from the yardage math every time. Square-foot pricing is a menu, not an estimate.
Assuming the subgrade is fine
Old fill, tree roots, and buried construction debris turn a morning of grading into a day of excavation and imported base. State the stable-subgrade assumption and a unit price for corrections, or the dirt will quietly own your margin.
Skipping the cracking disclosure
Concrete cracks. Control joints put the cracks where you want them, and a client who was never told this reads the first hairline as a defect. One honest sentence on the estimate converts physics into an expectation instead of a callback.
Frequently asked questions
How do I figure cubic yards for a slab?
Square footage times thickness in inches, divided by 324. A 4 inch slab gets 81 sf per yard, so 576 sf needs just over 7 yards, before thickened edges and waste. Order a half yard over what the math says, because a short pour cannot wait for a second truck.
What psi should residential concrete be?
3,000 psi covers most interior flatwork, and 3,500 to 4,000 psi with air entrainment is the norm for driveways and exterior slabs in freeze-thaw climates. Some jurisdictions set minimums by code, so the estimate should state the ordered mix rather than leaving it to the plant's default.
What is a short-load fee?
A per-yard surcharge ready-mix plants add when a truck delivers less than a full load, because the truck and driver cost the same either way. Small pours like a 3 yard pad almost always trigger it. It belongs on the estimate as a line, not inside a mystery number.
Why do concrete contractors bill on pour day?
Because most of the job's cost, the ready-mix itself at roughly $178 per yard plus base and rebar, is spent the day the trucks arrive. A deposit at signing and a draw on pour day keep the contractor from financing the project. The balance rides on finishing and sealer.
How do I fill this template out fast?
Say the dimensions and Eddie, Staxen's estimator, runs the structure for you, yardage math included, priced and ready to adjust and send for e-signature by text. Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 for all three, and the first job is free with no card required.
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