Buying / Field notes

Concrete Cost Per Yard: Turn a Local Quote Into a Real Budget

Published 2026 figures put ready-mix concrete at about $119 to $147 per cubic yard delivered (HomeGuide) up to a 2025 national average of $179.95 (Concrete Network). Small loads usually cost more per yard. Your real number is your local quote for the actual order, including every charge the supplier confirms.

By ConcreteTotals · Prepared 2026-10-21 · 3 min read

Illustration for explanation. Dimensions, quantities and layouts are examples.

Typical concrete prices per cubic yard in 2026

National cost guides do not agree closely, so treat them as a range to check a quote against, not as a price you can order at.

Source	Reported price	What it covers
HomeGuide, January 2026	$119–$147 per yd³	Ready-mix including delivery up to 20 miles. Loads under 10 yd³ add about $53 per yd³; Saturday delivery adds about $8 per yd³.
Concrete Network, updated July 2026	$179.95 per yd³ average (2025); typically $160–$195 or more	Nationwide ready-mix price, with regional examples such as Chicago, Los Angeles and Lynchburg, Virginia.

Taken together, published guides currently describe roughly $120 to $195 per cubic yard for the concrete itself. A typical home pour of 2 to 6 yards is a short load, so expect a short-load charge or minimum on top. Pumping, forms, base, reinforcement, placement and finishing are separate again. Installed slab costs are usually discussed per square foot instead; see the slab cost calculator for published ranges.

Start with the amount you will actually order

Calculate the project volume, add the allowance you selected, then apply the supplier's order increment. Keep those three numbers separate. Charging a rounded order quantity can change the bill even when the advertised unit rate stays the same.

For a 20 ft × 20 ft slab at an assumed 4-inch thickness, the geometric volume is 4.938 cubic yards. A selected 10% allowance gives 5.432 yards. If the supplier accepts quarter-yard increments, round that order up to 5.50 yards. This is a quantity example; the appropriate slab thickness comes from the project plan.

Work an example with a quoted rate

Suppose your written quote says $160 per yard, inside the published range above. At 5.50 yards, material costs $880. If that same quote separately lists $140 delivery and $80 in other applicable charges, the known subtotal is $1,100 before any tax or missing items. The delivery and other charges are example figures.

Dividing $1,100 by 5.50 gives $200 per ordered yard for those included charges. Label that figure delivered cost per ordered yard so it cannot be confused with the $160 material rate.

Keep installation and missing charges visible

A concrete supplier's material quote may leave excavation, base preparation, forms, reinforcing, placement and finishing to others. An installed contractor quote can include some or all of those tasks. Ask for the scope in writing before comparing totals.

Enter your figures in the slab cost calculator. Use the quote comparison when you have two offers. A blank fee means unknown until confirmed; it does not establish free delivery. Keep the quote date and validity period beside your notes. Record whether tax applies to the material, delivery or other items using the supplier's actual billing rules.

Sources & further reading

Examples illustrate arithmetic. Use project specifications and current local supplier quotes for a purchase.