Concrete Estimating Software for Concrete Contractors

Why concrete jobs are hard to price

• Volume has to be right. A short load on pour day costs time and money.
• Forms, base and reinforcement. Gravel base, forms, rebar or mesh are their own lines.
• Finish and extras. Broom, stamped or exposed finishes, plus sealer and saw cuts, change labor.
• Site conditions. Access for the truck, pumping and haul-away can change the job.

How Trades HQ helps concrete contractors

• Ready-made concrete template. Start from a slab template with ready-mix, wire mesh, rebar and labor lines.
• Quick Measure for concrete. Enter sizes for slabs, walls or footings, and it turns them into estimate lines.
• Measure from blueprints. Measure slab and footing areas right off a blueprint PDF.
• Labor-rate guidance by state. See typical cement mason wages in your state, then set your own rate.
• Material price requests. Send one price request to your suppliers and turn the best quote into a purchase order.
• Live job profit as labor and materials come in.

A concrete slab estimate, step by step

1. Measure length, width and thickness.
2. Convert to cubic yards: length × width × thickness (in feet) ÷ 27.
3. Add extra for uneven grade and spillage; many contractors add about 5–10%.
4. Add base, forms, reinforcement and finishing.
5. Add pump, saw cuts, sealer and haul-away if needed.
6. Apply your overhead and profit.

Example (illustrative): a 20 × 20 ft slab, 4 inches thick.

Pricing tip: Order a little extra. A short load on pour day costs more than leftover concrete. And remember that markup and margin aren't the same number: a 20% margin needs a 25% markup. The Estimating Basics guide walks through the math, and the free markup and margin calculator does it for you.