Worked example: a 40×20 two-car driveway at 5 inches
800 sq ft at 5 inches thick is 333 cubic feet — 12.3 cubic yards, so order 12.5. At $155/yd the mud costs $1,938. No short-load fee at this volume. Labor and finishing at $5.50/sq ft adds $4,400, landing near $6,340 total — $7.93 per sq ft, right in the normal driveway band. Quotes of $5,800–$7,200 are competitive; $4,500 means corners are being cut on base prep or thickness.
- • Thickness is the cheapest strength you can buy: going from 4 to 5 inches adds ~25% more concrete cost but roughly doubles load capacity.
- • Base prep (4–6 in of compacted gravel) is where bad contractors save money — ask for it in the quote.
- • Wire mesh or rebar adds $0.50–$1.50/sq ft and is worth it for driveways in freeze-thaw climates.
When the per-yard price is not the real price
Short-load fees (under 4 yards), Saturday delivery, pump trucks for backyard pours ($500–$900), and fiber or admixtures all stack on top of the plant price. For small pours under 1.5 yards, bagged mix can actually beat ready-mix — a yard of bagged concrete is about 45 bags of 80 lb mix at $6–8 each, with no delivery or short-load fee.
FAQ
How much does a yard of concrete cost in 2026?
Ready-mix runs $125–$165 per cubic yard delivered in most US markets, before short-load fees ($150–$250 on orders under 4 yards) and pumping.
How many yards of concrete do I need for a 20×20 slab?
At 4 inches thick: 4.9 yards (order 5). At 6 inches: 7.4 yards (order 7.5).
What does a concrete driveway cost per square foot?
Plain broom-finish concrete installed runs $6–$10 per sq ft nationally; stamped or colored finishes push it to $12–$18.
Is it cheaper to mix concrete yourself?
Only under ~1.5 yards. Above that, ready-mix is cheaper per yard and massively faster — one truck pours in an hour what takes a weekend of bag mixing.
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