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Concrete pricing guide for 2026

A plain broom-finish slab runs $6 to $12 per square foot installed, colored or exposed-aggregate runs $10 to $16, and stamped concrete runs $12 to $20 or more. Those are starting points — the number that actually pays turns on slab thickness, reinforcement, sub-base prep, the finish, and how much demo and grading the site needs before you pour.

We build websites and SEO for concrete contractors across the country, so these are the ranges we see on real bids. Here's how to build a quote that wins the driveway or patio and still pays after concrete, labor, fuel, and the prep nobody sees.

Per-square-foot ranges by finish

Plain broom finish

$6–$12/sq ft

Standard gray slab for driveways, sidewalks, and basic patios. The base of every other price. A 4-inch slab with mesh sits at the low end; thicker pours with rebar push higher.

Colored / exposed aggregate

$10–$16/sq ft

Integral color, a broadcast finish, or exposed aggregate. More material and a more careful finish than plain gray, but far less labor than stamping.

Stamped concrete

$12–$20+/sq ft

Color hardener, release, stamping mats, detailing, and sealer, plus the skill to set a clean pattern before the slab cures. The finish work can double the plain-slab price.

What moves the price up

The finish sets the band; these factors decide where you land inside it and whether you make money:

When you should not be the low bid

Concrete is permanent and expensive to redo, so the lowest bid often scares good customers more than it attracts them. Hold your price when:

Quote the prep and reinforcement openly, show your finished work, and let the homeowner see why your number is what it is. Educated buyers pick the bid that won't crack.

Where we fit

Pricing right only matters if homeowners find you to bid. The harder part is being the concrete contractor a homeowner finds and trusts before the cheapest crew gets the call. That is the part we build: a hand-built concrete site with a gallery of driveways, patios, and stamped work, reviews, and 24/7 AI lead capture that turns "concrete contractor near me" into named, callable leads.

Our Start Getting Leads plan is $249/month — site, AI lead capture, hosting, and updates, month-to-month, and you own everything. See concrete website design, our estimate template, concrete SEO, or SEO for contractors. The AI receptionist catches bid requests while you're on a pour.

What concrete contractors say

We don't post stock testimonials. On a 15-minute call we screen-share the real dashboards behind our own businesses — live leads, rankings, and the exact page that produced each one. See the proof →

Common questions

How much per square foot for a driveway?

A plain 5–6 inch reinforced driveway runs $6–$12 per square foot installed, depending on prep and reinforcement. Add demo of the old slab and any grading as separate lines so the number holds up.

Why does stamped cost double?

The finish — color hardener, release, mats, detailing, and sealer — plus the skill and time to stamp before the slab sets. That labor and material is where the extra per-foot goes.

Should I have a minimum?

Yes. Mobilizing a crew and ordering a short load has fixed costs. A job minimum, or a higher per-foot rate on small pours, covers the short-load fee and setup so a small slab still pays.

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