An installed concrete slab costs $8–$18 per square foot (USD) or $85–$200 per square metre across most English-speaking markets, depending on thickness, finish, reinforcement, and local labour rates. That wide range exists because ‘concrete cost’ means different things in different contexts: some quotes cover material only, others include a complete installed price. This guide standardises the comparison across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, and shows how to convert between units without errors.
Use the Concrete Cost per Square Foot Calculator to enter your actual slab dimensions, thickness, and finish type and get an installed cost estimate calibrated to current material and labour pricing.
The conversion formula and why getting it wrong costs money
1 square foot = 0.0929 square metres. 1 square metre = 10.764 square feet. These are fixed. Where estimators go wrong is applying a per-square-foot rate directly to a square metre count, or vice versa, without adjusting the unit price.
If a US contractor quotes $12/sq ft and a UK contractor quotes £110/sq m, you cannot compare them without two adjustments: unit conversion and currency conversion. The correct comparison, at the time of writing with GBP/USD approximately 1.27:
| Original Quote | Unit Conversion | Currency Conversion | USD/sq ft Equivalent |
| $12.00/sq ft (USD) | — | — | $12.00/sq ft |
| £110/sq m (GBP) | £110 ÷ 10.764 = £10.22/sq ft | £10.22 × 1.27 = $12.98/sq ft | $12.98/sq ft |
| AUD $165/sq m | AUD 165 ÷ 10.764 = AUD 15.33/sq ft | AUD 15.33 × 0.65 = $9.96/sq ft | $9.96/sq ft |
| CAD $155/sq m | CAD 155 ÷ 10.764 = CAD 14.40/sq ft | CAD 14.40 × 0.74 = $10.65/sq ft | $10.65/sq ft |
Currency rates move, so always apply the current rate at time of comparison. The unit conversion is fixed.
Regional installed cost benchmarks: what full project pricing looks like
The figures below reflect a standard 4 in (100 mm) residential flatwork slab — driveway, patio, or garage floor — with broom finish and basic rebar or wire mesh reinforcement. They include material, delivery, labour, forming, finishing, and a 5–8% waste allowance. They exclude demolition, subgrade excavation, permits, and sealing.
United States
| Project Type | Thickness | USD/sq ft | USD/sq m |
| Standard driveway (broom finish) | 4 in / 100 mm | $8–$14 | $86–$151 |
| Decorative/stamped driveway | 4 in / 100 mm | $14–$22 | $151–$237 |
| Garage floor (broom or float) | 4 in / 100 mm | $7–$12 | $75–$129 |
| Patio (broom finish) | 4 in / 100 mm | $8–$13 | $86–$140 |
| Commercial parking lot | 6 in / 150 mm | $10–$17 | $108–$183 |
Regional variation within the US is significant: labour rates in California and New York run 30–50% above the national average; rural Midwest rates can be 20–30% below it.
United Kingdom
| Project Type | Thickness | GBP/sq m | USD/sq ft equiv. |
| Domestic driveway (plain) | 100 mm / 4 in | £75–£120 | $8.85–$14.16 |
| Domestic patio (brushed) | 100 mm / 4 in | £70–£110 | $8.27–$12.99 |
| Garage floor (power float) | 100 mm / 4 in | £65–£100 | $7.68–$11.81 |
| Commercial hardstanding | 150 mm / 6 in | £90–£150 | $10.63–$17.71 |
UK ready-mix pricing averages £90–£115 per cubic metre for C25/30 concrete (equivalent to 3,625–4,350 PSI). Fuel levies and aggregate tax add a variable surcharge, particularly in Scotland and Wales.
Canada
| Project Type | Thickness | CAD/sq m | USD/sq ft equiv. |
| Driveway (broom finish) | 100 mm / 4 in | CAD $140–$220 | $9.63–$15.13 |
| Garage floor | 100 mm / 4 in | CAD $130–$200 | $8.95–$13.76 |
| Exposed aggregate patio | 100 mm / 4 in | CAD $175–$280 | $12.04–$19.26 |
Ontario and British Columbia are highest; Prairie provinces run 10–20% lower. Air entrainment is standard across most of Canada due to freeze-thaw requirements — this typically adds CAD $8–$12/m³ to the mix cost. Minimum footing depths run 1.2–1.8 m depending on frost zone, which affects all foundation-connected slabs.
Australia
| Project Type | Thickness | AUD/sq m | USD/sq ft equiv. |
| Driveway (broom finish) | 100 mm / 4 in | AUD $100–$180 | $6.05–$10.88 |
| Exposed aggregate driveway | 100 mm / 4 in | AUD $150–$250 | $9.08–$15.13 |
| Residential slab-on-grade | 100 mm / 4 in | AUD $80–$140 | $4.84–$8.47 |
| Pool surround (honed) | 100 mm / 4 in | AUD $175–$300 | $10.58–$18.15 |
Sydney and Melbourne labour rates are highest; regional Queensland and Western Australia typically run 15–25% lower. AS 3600 governs structural concrete in Australia; residential driveways require minimum N20 grade concrete (20 MPa / 2,900 PSI).
Why costs differ even at the same specification
Labour market. Labour is the largest variable after material. In high-cost cities (San Francisco, London, Sydney), labour alone can account for 50–60% of an installed slab cost. In lower-cost labour markets, it may be 30–40%.
Ready-mix pricing by region. Ready-mix concrete is a local commodity. Batch plant proximity to aggregate sources, fuel costs, and local demand all affect the price per cubic yard or cubic metre. The Concrete Price per Yard by State provides current US state-level ready-mix benchmarks.
Finish specification. A plain broom-finish driveway and a hand-seeded exposed aggregate driveway involve the same concrete volume but two to three times the labour on the decorative version. Finish is the single biggest driver of cost variation at a fixed thickness.
Site conditions. Pump hire, access surcharges, and poor subgrade conditions can add $1.50–$3.50 per square foot ($16–$38 per square metre) to any project. These are site-specific and cannot be predicted from a benchmark rate.
Common mistakes
1. Comparing quotes in different units without converting. A contractor quoting $11/sq ft and another quoting $120/sq m look similar but are not. $120/sq m converts to $11.15/sq ft — effectively identical. $140/sq m converts to $13.01/sq ft — a 18% difference. Always convert to the same unit before comparing. The Imperial to Metric Concrete Converter handles all concrete unit conversions in one tool.
2. Using a cost-per-square-foot rate from one thickness for another. A 4 in (100 mm) slab and a 6 in (150 mm) slab use 50% more concrete per square foot. The labour and forming costs are nearly identical. Applying a $/sq ft rate from a 4 in slab to a 6 in design will underestimate material cost by roughly 30–35%.
3. Applying US rates to Australian or UK projects without labour adjustment. US ready-mix is among the cheapest in the developed world; US contractor labour (excluding major metro areas) is typically lower than Australian and comparable to UK rates. An Australian estimator using US benchmark figures will underprice their project by 15–40% depending on the finish and region.
4. Treating all-in quotes and material-only quotes as equivalent. A quote of $6/sq ft material-only and a quote of $6/sq ft installed are not comparable. They differ by the entire cost of labour, delivery, and forming. Always confirm the scope before comparing unit prices.
Related calculators you might need
To get from a per-square-foot or per-square-metre rate to an actual project cost, enter your area and thickness into the Concrete Cost Calculator. If the project involves stamped or decorative flatwork, the Stamped Concrete Calculator applies the relevant finish multipliers to your base cost. For a complete picture that includes material, labour, and waste in a single output, the Full Concrete Project Estimator is the most comprehensive starting point. If you need to verify that your concrete volume calculation is correct before pricing, use the Concrete Slab Calculator to confirm the cubic yard or cubic metre figure your cost rate is being applied to.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete driveway cost per square metre in the UK? A standard plain concrete driveway in the UK costs £75–£120 per square metre installed, including ready-mix (C25/30), formwork, placing, and a broom or brushed finish. This equates to roughly £7–£11 per square foot. Decorative options such as exposed aggregate or pattern-imprinted concrete add £30–£80 per square metre depending on complexity.
What is the cost per square foot for a concrete slab in the US? An installed residential concrete slab — driveway, patio, or garage floor — costs $8–$14 per square foot for a standard 4 in (100 mm) thick broom finish with wire mesh or rebar. Stamped or decorative concrete runs $14–$22. These figures include material, delivery, forming, labour, and finishing. They exclude demolition, permits, and sealers.
How do I convert concrete cost from per square metre to per square foot? Divide the per-square-metre price by 10.764 to get the per-square-foot equivalent. Example: AUD $160/sq m ÷ 10.764 = AUD $14.86/sq ft. Then apply the exchange rate for a USD equivalent. Use the Imperial to Metric Concrete Converter to handle unit conversion automatically.
Is concrete cheaper in Australia or the US? On a USD-adjusted basis, residential concrete flatwork is cheaper in Australia than in the US coastal metro areas, and comparable to the US Midwest and South. Australian ready-mix material costs are higher (AUD $130–$180/m³ vs USD $120–$165/yd³ equivalent), but this is partly offset by lower pump hire and forming costs on typical residential jobs. The wider variance in Australian exposed aggregate pricing reflects the high labour intensity of the finish.
Why does concrete cost vary so much within the same country? Ready-mix pricing is set at the local batch plant level and varies with aggregate haulage distance, fuel costs, and local demand. Labour rates are set by local market conditions and vary by 30–60% between major metros and regional areas in the US, UK, and Australia. Site conditions — access, slope, subgrade quality — add a variable surcharge that no regional benchmark can predict.
Does a thicker slab always cost more per square metre? Yes, in terms of total cost, because it requires more concrete. But the relationship is not linear: the labour, forming, and delivery costs are nearly identical for 100 mm and 150 mm slabs. Only the material volume increases. On a 150 mm slab, material cost rises by approximately 50% versus a 100 mm slab, but the installed $/sq m increase is typically 20–30% because labour and fixed costs are diluted across the same surface area.
