Concrete Cost per Yard: 2026 Prices and Delivery Math

Published 2026 supplier prices

The examples below come directly from supplier price pages. Their mix descriptions, account terms and delivery areas differ, so use them to understand the structure of a quote rather than to select a universal rate. Confirm availability, project specifications and current terms with the plant.

Why a small order can cost more per yard

Gehring lists a $50 small-load charge for orders under 4 yards and states that sales tax is excluded. Three yards of its listed $148 mix plus that small-load charge gives $494, or about $164.67 per ordered yard, before any other applicable charges.

American Concrete separately lists a $820 minimum purchase for COD 3,000 PSI orders of 4 yards or less. At a 3-yard requirement, that minimum alone is about $273.33 per required yard. Ask how delivery and other extras interact with the minimum before calculating the final invoice.

A minimum material charge replaces a lower material subtotal; it is not automatically an extra fee added to that subtotal. A separate delivery or short-load fee is added only when the supplier’s terms say it applies.

Build the supply total in four steps

First calculate the actual concrete requirement from measured geometry and the project’s chosen allowance. Next apply the supplier’s ordering increment and billed-volume rules. Then calculate the material charge and any applicable minimum. Finally add separate fees and tax on the basis shown in the quote.

For the compact calculator above, use: supply subtotal = max(billed yards × quoted rate, minimum material charge) + separate fees. Enter zero for a minimum that does not apply. The result excludes tax and installation. If a quoted minimum already includes a fee, do not include that fee a second time.

Convert a slab into yards before comparing quotes

For a uniform rectangular slab, cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × thickness in inches ÷ 324. A 20 × 20 ft slab at 4 inches contains 4.93827… yd³. An example 10% allowance raises that to 5.43210… yd³.

If a supplier rounds the required quantity up to the next quarter yard, this example orders 5.5 yd³. The supplier may use a different increment or a separate minimum bill. Slab edges, footings or other sections must be measured separately without double-counting overlapping concrete.

Keep the required physical volume and billed volume visible. Dividing an invoice by billed yards and dividing it by the project’s geometric yards answer different questions.

Ask which extras are already included

A short-load fee, distance charge, minimum purchase and delivery fee can describe different terms. Confirm each on the actual quote. Waiting time, a pump, special admixtures, weekend service and cleanup may also change the cost. An apparently cheaper yard rate can result in a larger total.

Use the same required mix and service scope when comparing plants. A lower price for a different specification is not a like-for-like alternative.

• Specify the job location, mix requirement, volume and delivery date.
• Ask for the billed quantity and any material minimum.
• List delivery, short-load and other separate charges.
• Confirm included unloading time, tax and how extra time is billed.
• Record quote validity and cancellation terms supplied by the vendor.

Compare ready-mix with bags on the same basis

The referenced QUIKRETE mix lists a nominal 0.60 ft³ yield for an 80 lb bag. One cubic yard is 27 ft³, so 45 such bags provide a nominal yard before allowance. For 3 exact yards, the corresponding base quantity is 135 bags.

At an invented $7 per bag, those 135 bags cost $945 before delivery, mixing equipment and handling. This is a calculation example, not a current retail price. Enter the price and yield of the actual mix in the ready-mix versus bags calculator.

Keep site preparation, forms, reinforcement, placing, finishing and curing outside a material-only comparison, or include the same scope on both sides. A delivered concrete subtotal is not an installed slab price.

Common questions

Sources and product references

• Gehring Construction — Ready-Mix Products & Pricing

  Public list effective January 1, 2026; SG mix examples and under-4-yard fee checked September 23, 2026. Regional supplier terms, not a national average.

• American Concrete — Pricing

  Public list effective April 1, 2026; COD mix prices and minimum-purchase condition checked September 23, 2026.

• QUIKRETE — Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet

  Product-specific nominal yields, including 0.60 ft³ for an 80 lb bag. Verify the selected mix label; the bag-price example here is hypothetical.