So you have this gorgeous, stamped driveway in mind, but you’ve never worked with concrete before. Sure, you could hire someone to do the entire project for you, start to finish, or you could save money by doing some of the setup and labor yourself. Even if that’s the route you’re going, you’re still likely going to need someone skilled to pour that concrete for you. That brings us to the next question: How much is this all going to cost?

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Because prices vary depending on where you live and how much concrete you need (among other factors), it’s difficult to give any hard numbers on concrete project costs. We can, however, give you a good estimate of how much you’ll pay to pour concrete.

Average Concrete Costs

Ordering concrete for a project? According to Lawn Love, pouring concrete costs around $125 (CAD 170) per cubic yard, with a typical range between $110 and $165 (CAD 150 and CAD 220). This price point is for just the concrete itself and does not include the cost of delivery and pouring, which is a rate determined by the cement’s pounds-per-square-inch strength and whether you purchase a ready-mix or short-load delivery.

How Much Does Concrete Cost? Ready-Mix Vs. Short-Load

When it comes to ordering concrete, it’s important to remember that a cement truck usually delivers to just one customer at a time. Concrete can be obtained through either ready-mix or short-load deliveries.

Ready-Mix Concrete

Ready-mix concrete is mixed just for the requirements of the customer’s project. It’s ideal for foundations, driveways, large slabs and sidewalks. After the concrete is mixed inside the cement truck, there is approximately a 90-minute window of time for the cement to be delivered and poured before it begins to set.

Most large jobs involve ready-mix deliveries. This concrete is usually superior to short-load deliveries due to the precision mixing at the concrete mixing plant. Most ready-mix concrete loads are mixed in batches of a minimum of 10 cubic yards. According to Lawn Love, pre-mixed concrete usually costs between $4.50 and $27 (CAD 6 and CAD 36) per bag.

Short-Load Deliveries

By contrast, a short-load delivery is for small- or medium-sized concrete projects and involves mixing the concrete on the job site using a freestanding mixer. The concrete is usually used for projects like concrete footings, retaining walls, small slabs, patios and landscaping steps. Typically, the dry concrete needed for these jobs fits in a single truck.

Expect to pay the same base price as pre-mixed concrete for short-load concrete, but tack on an additional mixing fee for using the company’s mixing machine, increasing the average cost to between $150 and $205 (CAD 200 and CAD 275) per cubic yard. Most short-load deliveries are less than 3 cubic yards.

Additional Costs to Pour Concrete

In addition to the base cost and any mixing fees, you may also incur a delivery fee, depending on your proximity to the concrete mixing plant. If you live more than around 20 miles from the plant, Lawn Love says you’ll pay about $10 (CAD 13) per mile for delivery.

Depending on your exact project, you may run into other costs like:

• Saturday deliveries: $7 to $8 (CAD 9 to CAD 11)per cubic yard
• Concrete Staining: $40 to $100 (CAD 55 to CAD 130) per gallon
• Coloring: $15 to $25 (CAD 20 to CAD 35) per square foot

Is It Cheaper to Pour Concrete Yourself?

Whether you’re pouring concrete countertops or a patio out back, it may be cheaper to pour concrete yourself rather than hire someone. Whether you’ll save much in doing so depends largely on the amount of concrete needed and the amount of time you have to invest in your concrete project. Lawn Love estimates that the materials you need to pour concrete cost around $360 (CAD 480), excluding the concrete itself.

It's often more cost-effective in the long run to hire a professional to pour concrete because installing the slab incorrectly could cause issues. For example, you could end up with a cracked or warped driveway or even damage your home's foundation if it causes water to run toward your home.

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Is It Cheaper to Mix Your Own Concrete?

Concrete mix and the supplies needed for mixing concrete are relatively inexpensive. Provided you have the time to spend on mixing your own concrete, you may save some cash by doing it on your own. For relatively small concrete jobs, many folks mix up cement in a wheelbarrow. For larger jobs, you can also rent a cement mixer. For example, you can rent a cement mixer from The Home Depot for around $48 (CAD 65) per day.

How Much Does a Truckload of Concrete Cost?

According to Lawn Love, a truckload (10 cubic yards) of concrete costs $1,025 to $1,395 (CAD 1,375 to CAD 1,870), depending on various factors such as your geographic location and the company you use. Ten cubic yards is enough to pour a driveway measuring 20 feet by 24 feet.

Cost to Pour Concrete in Bulk

If you have a particularly large concrete job in the works, you may be better served by buying concrete by the ton. Expect to pay around $125 to $130 (CAD 170 to CAD 175) per ton. One cubic yard is equal to about 2 tons.

All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.