Concrete Foundation Cost Calculator
Order 2.57-2.72 yd³
Plan volume 2.47 yd³ (66.67 ft³); range = NRMCA CIP-8 4-10% ordering allowance.
Typical crew rate for this trade: $41-$68/hr (modeled from BLS median wage × published burden/markup band). How we model costs.
Reference material price: SAKRETE 80 lb Gray Concrete Mix, $6.24/bag (typical retail, sampled 2026-08-15; local prices vary). How we model costs.
- Volume is plan geometry; NRMCA CIP 8 says order 4-10% over plan (subgrade, forms, spillage).
- A 1/8" thickness variation on a 4" slab is a ±3% volume swing; measure thickness honestly.
- Ready-mix increments and short-load fees are vendor practice; confirm with your plant.
Want quotes from local pros for this project? We’re gauging demand for a pro-matching service. No contractor network exists yet: this is a get-notified list, not a quote request.
Why This One Is Different
Three contractors, three different foundation quotes, and none of them show their work: that's the normal state of pricing a footing or foundation wall pour. This calculator sizes your 8-inch-wall volume with the standard ordering allowance and shows a modeled labor band next to a sampled material range, so you can see which side of the number is actually shaky before you call around for bids. A footing pour and a foundation wall pour are billed differently, but both start from the same plan-volume math. A foundation crew's labor cost breaks into bare wages, workers' comp, overhead, and profit as separate line items, then adds a material cost that moves with local ready-mix pricing.
Where the Numbers Come From
- Order 4-10% more concrete than the plan math says for a foundation pour: form deflection, subgrade irregularity, spillage, and settlement all mean placed volume never quite equals plan volume, which is exactly why NRMCA guidance builds in that allowance. Source: NRMCA, CIP 8: Discrepancies in Yield (2021 reprint)
- A unit labor cost decomposes into bare labor plus an O&P add-on (workers' comp, fixed overhead, overhead, profit) rather than one blended hourly rate, the RSMeans convention this calculator's labor band follows. Source: Wiley, How to Estimate with RSMeans Data (4th ed.)
- An 80 lb bag of concrete mix yields approximately 0.60 cubic feet, the figure used when sizing bagged-material fallback quantities for smaller footing sections. Source: QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101 TDS (rev. 2022)
More Questions
Does foundation cost include excavation and footings?
This calculator prices the concrete volume and placement labor for the wall itself; excavation, footing forms, waterproofing, and backfill are separate line items that a full foundation bid would include.
Related Calculators
Formulas, waste factors, and cost models on this page follow the sourced conventions on our methodology page. Estimates only; verify with your supplier and local code.