Concrete Cost Per Yard in 2026

Project size (sq ft)	Typical installed range (2026)	Per square foot
200 sq ft (small pad or walkway)	$2,200 to $3,000	$11 to $15
400 sq ft (patio or single parking pad)	$3,600 to $5,200	$9 to $13
600 sq ft (standard driveway)	$5,400 to $7,800	$9 to $13
800 sq ft (large driveway)	$6,800 to $10,400	$8.50 to $13
1,000 sq ft (double driveway or shop pad)	$8,000 to $13,000	$8 to $13
2,000 sq ft (small commercial pad)	$14,000 to $24,000	$7 to $12
5,000+ sq ft (parking lot or warehouse slab)	$30,000 to $60,000+	$6 to $12

A residential concrete project in Greater New Orleans runs $8 to $14 per square foot installed in 2026, with larger commercial pours dropping toward the lower end of that range because fixed costs like mobilization and forming spread across more area. An actual project price requires a site visit to evaluate subgrade condition, access and demolition scope.

What Determines the Price of a Concrete Pour?

Four to six site-specific variables move a concrete project price by 30% to 50% in either direction. Each one carries a measurable dollar impact.

How Much Does Slab Thickness Affect Cost?

Slab thickness controls material volume directly. A 4-inch residential slab uses 1.23 cubic yards per 100 square feet. A 6-inch slab for vehicle traffic uses 1.85 cubic yards per 100 square feet, a 50% increase in material cost alone. Moving from a 4-inch to a 6-inch slab adds $2 to $4 per square foot to the installed price.

How Much Does Demolition and Removal Add?

Removing an existing slab adds $2 to $6 per square foot depending on slab thickness and rebar density. A standard 4-inch unreinforced residential slab runs $2 to $3 per square foot for demolition and haul-off. A 6-inch reinforced commercial slab with mesh or rebar runs $4 to $6 per square foot because cutting and loading times increase and disposal fees at Jefferson Parish or Orleans Parish landfills run $55 to $85 per ton.

How Does Subgrade Condition Change the Price?

Subgrade preparation adds $1 to $4 per square foot depending on soil type and drainage needs. South shore and west bank properties across Orleans and Jefferson parishes sit on soft alluvial clay with a water table often 18 to 36 inches below grade. That clay requires 4 to 6 inches of compacted limestone base, 6-mil polyethylene vapor barrier and sometimes geotextile fabric to prevent base migration. North shore sites in St. Tammany Parish sit on sandy pine flat with better drainage, reducing base requirements but sometimes needing 8 to 12 inches of compacted fill where washout has occurred.

How Does PSI Rating Affect Material Cost?

A 3,000 PSI mix runs $130 to $145 per cubic yard. A 4,000 PSI mix runs $145 to $165 per cubic yard. Most residential driveways and patios use 3,500 PSI. Commercial slabs and parking areas use 4,000 PSI. Fiber-mesh admixture adds $8 to $12 per cubic yard. Accelerator for cold-weather pours adds $10 to $15 per cubic yard.

How Much Does a Concrete Slab Cost by Size?

Cost per square foot decreases as project size increases because mobilization, forming, and equipment costs stay relatively fixed. The math below uses a mid-range installed rate for 4-inch residential flatwork in the New Orleans metro area.

A 10 ft x 20 ft parking pad (200 sq ft) at $11 to $15 per square foot runs $2,200 to $3,000 total. That 200 sq ft slab uses roughly 2.5 cubic yards of concrete.

A 20 ft x 30 ft driveway (600 sq ft) at $9 to $13 per square foot runs $5,400 to $7,800 total. That 600 sq ft driveway uses roughly 7.4 cubic yards of concrete at 4 inches thick.

A 20 ft x 50 ft double driveway (1,000 sq ft) at $8 to $13 per square foot runs $8,000 to $13,000 total. That 1,000 sq ft slab uses roughly 12.3 cubic yards of concrete at 4 inches thick.

A 50 ft x 100 ft commercial pad (5,000 sq ft) at $6 to $12 per square foot runs $30,000 to $60,000 total. Commercial pours of this size often require 6-inch thickness, which pushes material volume to approximately 92.5 cubic yards.

How Does Finish Type Change the Cost of Concrete?

Finish selection adds $0 to $8 per square foot above a standard broom finish. The base price in every range above assumes broom finish, which is the standard exterior surface for driveways and walkways.

Broom finish costs $0 additional and provides slip resistance on driveways, walkways and pool decks. Broom finish is the default for residential flatwork in Greater New Orleans.

Exposed aggregate finish adds $2 to $4 per square foot. The concrete crew washes and brushes the surface within 2 to 4 hours of placement to expose stone aggregate. Exposed aggregate is common on patios and pool surrounds.

Stamped concrete adds $4 to $8 per square foot. Stamped concrete requires color hardener ($0.60 to $1.00 per square foot of material), release agent and pattern stamps. A 400 sq ft stamped patio runs $5,200 to $8,400 total compared to $3,600 to $5,200 for the same patio in broom finish.

Colored concrete adds $1.50 to $3 per square foot using integral color mixed into the batch. Colored concrete maintains a uniform tone through the full slab depth rather than surface-applied stain that wears over 3 to 5 years.

What Is Included in a Contractor's Concrete Price?

A complete contractor price covers everything from subgrade to sealed surface. Knowing what is inside and outside the scope prevents surprise line items.

What Does a Full Concrete Bid Typically Include?

A complete residential concrete bid in the New Orleans market includes excavation to subgrade, 4 to 6 inches of compacted limestone base, 6-mil poly vapor barrier, steel reinforcement (#3 rebar on 18-inch centers or 6x6 W2.9/W2.9 welded wire mesh), wood or steel forming, concrete material and delivery, placement and finishing, control joint cutting within 12 hours of pour, and basic cleanup.

What Is Typically Not Included in a Concrete Bid?

Items normally outside a standard concrete bid include demolition and removal of an existing slab ($2 to $6 per square foot), tree root removal ($300 to $800 per root system), grading and drainage correction ($1 to $3 per square foot), decorative finish upgrades ($2 to $8 per square foot), concrete sealer application ($0.50 to $1.50 per square foot), and permit fees. Permit requirements vary by parish and project scope.

How Do You Tell if a Concrete Quote Is Fair?

A fair quote for residential flatwork in Greater New Orleans falls between $8 and $14 per square foot for 4-inch broom-finish work in 2026. Bids significantly below $7 per square foot for a residential driveway raise specific concerns.

Three things a low bid typically cuts. First, slab thickness drops from 4 inches to 3 or 3.5 inches, reducing material cost by 12% to 25% but producing a slab that cracks under vehicle loads within 2 to 4 years on New Orleans clay. Second, base preparation is skipped or reduced from 4 to 6 inches of compacted limestone to 2 inches of loose gravel, which saves $1 to $2 per square foot but guarantees settlement on south shore soils. Third, reinforcement is omitted entirely, saving $0.75 to $1.50 per square foot but leaving the slab with no crack control.

A reliable quote includes a line-item breakdown showing slab thickness, PSI rating, base depth, reinforcement type and finish. Any bid that lists only a lump sum without these details makes comparison impossible.

Where Do New Orleans Concrete Prices Sit Against the National Average?

Greater New Orleans concrete prices run 10% to 20% above the national average of $7 to $11 per square foot for installed residential flatwork. Three local conditions drive the premium. First, soft alluvial clay across Jefferson and Orleans parishes requires thicker base material, vapor barriers and sometimes geotextile fabric, adding $1 to $3 per square foot that a project on stable sandy soil in other markets avoids. Second, ready-mix plants in the metro area price concrete $5 to $15 per cubic yard above Gulf Coast averages due to aggregate haul distances. Third, summer heat and humidity in New Orleans compress the workable window for a concrete crew to 3 to 5 hours per pour, which limits daily output and increases labor cost per square foot by $0.50 to $1.50 compared to crews working in moderate climates with 6 to 8 hour work windows.