Concrete Cost Per Yard 2026: $127 to $175 on Supplier Price Lists
A cubic yard of ready-mix costs $127.05 to $165.00 for 3,000 PSI and $132.00 to $175.00 for 4,000 PSI on four suppliers’ published price lists, read 13 October 2026, before tax. Small orders pay more a yard once trip and short-load fees are added: 2 yards on the Nebraska list works out at $173.00 a yard.
Price Per Cubic Yard by Strength
| Supplier (region) | 2,500 | 3,000 | 3,500 | 4,000 | 5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme Concrete Los Angeles, CA | $123.75 | $127.05 | $130.35 | $132.00 | $137.50 |
| Minimix Concrete Pequannock, NJ | n/a | $136.00 | $139.00 | $142.00 | $148.00 |
| Gehring Construction & Ready-Mix Columbus, NE, list dated 2026-01-01 | $144.00 | $148.00 | $152.00 | $156.00 | n/a |
| Scenic City Ready Mix Tennessee, list dated 2024-08-03 | n/a | $165.00 | $170.00 | $175.00 | n/a |
PSI (pounds per square inch) is the specified strength at 28 days. Prices per cubic yard before tax, exactly as each list publishes them, read 13 October 2026; “n/a” means that list does not publish the strength. Scenic City’s prices are delivered, for orders of 8 yards or more.
What a Yard Really Costs on a Small Order
| Order | Gehring (NE) | Scenic City (TN) | Supreme (LA, Zone A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yd | $198.00 | $400.00 | $545.93 |
| 2 yd | $173.00 | $282.50 | $336.49 |
| 3 yd | $164.67 | $210.00 | $266.68 |
| 4 yd | $148.00 | $198.75 | $231.77 |
| 5 yd | $148.00 | $192.00 | $210.83 |
| 8 yd | $148.00 | $169.38 | $179.41 |
| 10 yd | $148.00 | $168.50 | $168.94 |
3,000 PSI, per yard, order total divided by yards. Gehring: $148.00 a yard plus a $50 small-load charge under 4 yards, no mileage charge within 20 miles. Scenic City: $165.00 a yard plus a $35 fuel and environmental surcharge per truck, $100 at 5 yards or less and $100 more at 2 yards or less (its list price is quoted for 8+ yard orders, so smaller orders may also be priced higher). Supreme: $127.05 a yard plus $363.88 Zone A delivery and a $55 environmental fee per trip of up to 10 yards. Minimix does not publish delivery charges.
How Many Yards Do You Need?
One cubic yard covers
- 4 inches thick: about 81 sq ft
- 5 inches thick: about 65 sq ft
- 6 inches thick: about 54 sq ft
- 8 inches thick: about 41 sq ft
Yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x thickness (in) / 12 / 27. Add 5 to 10% for waste.
Per-yard extras on the same lists
- Fiber added at the plant: $8 to $15 a yard (three lists)
- Pumping (Supreme): $300 set-up plus $13 a yard
- Strength step, 3,000 to 4,000 PSI: see the 4,000 PSI page
- Bagged mix: 45 x 80 lb bags a yard, $450 at $9.99 a bag (one Ace Hardware store, October 2026)
Is Concrete Getting More Expensive?
The BLS producer price index for ready-mix concrete stood at 402.65 in August 2026, 2.3% above August 2025 (393.679), on FRED series PCU327320327320. The index tracks what plants charge, not a dollar price, so use it for direction, and a supplier’s list for the price.
Other guides print single national numbers: HomeAdvisor $110 a yard (page dated 20 June 2026), Concrete Network a 2025 average of $179.95 per cubic yard (dated 14 July 2026). Neither states the strength, order size or delivery terms. Why the guides disagree is set out on the homepage.
Sources: ready-mix price lists from Supreme Concrete, Minimix Concrete, Gehring Construction & Ready-Mix, Scenic City Ready Mix (read 13 October 2026); Ace Hardware, Quikrete 80 lb (13 October 2026); QUIKRETE 1101 data sheet; BLS PPI via FRED (read 13 October 2026); HomeAdvisor and Concrete Network pages read 14 October 2026.