Concrete & construction
Concrete Patio Calculator
Concrete and cost for a patio slab, at the thickness a patio needs rather than a driveway.
Result
Concrete is ordered by the cubic yard and delivered in fixed increments, so the figure you order is always rounded up. Most crews add 5% to 10% for spillage, uneven subgrade and over-excavation; running short mid-pour is far more expensive than a little waste. Excavation, base preparation, forming, reinforcement and control joints are not included.
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About this calculator
Why add waste?
Because the ground is never exactly the depth you formed it to. Five to ten percent covers over-excavation and spillage, and running short mid-pour leaves a cold joint that never fully heals.
Does thickness alone prevent cracking?
No. Concrete cracks; the questions are where and how wide. Proper base compaction, reinforcement and control joints cut at the right spacing decide that far more than an extra inch.
The formula
cubic yards = area x thickness/12 / 27, plus waste
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