10x16 Concrete Slab: Cost, Yards & Bags of Concrete
Quick answer: a 10 × 16 ft slab (160 sq ft) 4 inches thick needs 1.98 yd³ of concrete, 2.17 yd³ with 10% waste (order 2.25 yd³ of ready-mix) or 98 bags of 80-lb mix. Installed, it costs about $1,240 – $2,170 ($7.50 – $14.00 per sq ft); DIY materials run $560 – $820.
A 10 × 16 ft slab (160 sq ft) suits a larger storage shed, a lean-to against a garage wall, or a narrow side-yard patio. Its long, narrow shape needs a control joint across the middle so it cracks where you choose; the layout below splits it into panels no longer than 1.5 times their width.
Concrete for a 10x16 Slab at 4, 5 and 6 Inches
| Thickness | Net volume | With 10% waste | Ready-mix order | 80-lb bags | 60-lb bags | 40-lb bags | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in (typical) | 1.98 yd³ | 2.17 yd³ | 2.25 yd³ | 98 | 131 | 196 | $1,240–$2,170 |
| 5 in | 2.47 yd³ | 2.72 yd³ | 2.75 yd³ | 123 | 163 | 245 | $1,320–$2,270 |
| 6 in | 2.96 yd³ | 3.26 yd³ | 3.5 yd³ | 147 | 196 | 294 | $1,400–$2,370 |
How Much Extra to Order
The table above adds 10%, the usual allowance for a formed slab on a graded base. Pick less only for rigid forms on a laser-flat base, more for soft or uneven ground:
| Waste allowance (4 in slab) | Concrete | 80-lb bags |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (exact volume) | 1.98 yd³ | 89 |
| 5% | 2.07 yd³ | 94 |
| 10% | 2.17 yd³ | 98 |
| 15% | 2.27 yd³ | 103 |
Bags or a Ready-Mix Truck?
| Option | What you buy | Concrete bill |
|---|---|---|
| 80-lb bags | 98 bags at $6.50 + mixer rental $75 | $712 |
| Ready-mix | 2.25 yd³ at $150 + $120 delivery + $140 short-load fee | $598 |
Ready-mix is $115 cheaper here and saves about 3.9 hours of mixing 98 bags. Bags only win below about 1.3 yd³, once the delivery and short-load fees are counted. Try your own prices in the bags vs. ready-mix calculator.
What a 10x16 Slab Costs
| Line item (4 in slab) | Basis | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete + delivery | 2.17 yd³ at $150 + $120 | $446 |
| Forms | 52 lin ft at $2.20 | $114 |
| Vapor barrier | 160 sq ft at $0.35 | $56 |
| #4 rebar at 18 in | 160 sq ft at $1.25 | $200 |
| Broom finish | 160 sq ft at $0.75 | $120 |
| Labor (place & finish) | 160 sq ft at $5.00 | $800 |
| Direct cost | Before overhead and profit | $1,736 |
- Installed price: $1,240 – $2,170. The low end is a plain slab with lower-cost labor; the high end is the full scope above plus 25% contractor overhead and profit.
- Site prep and gravel base (excavation and 4 in of compacted stone): about $220 – $530 more.
- Thickened edge (12 in wide, 12–18 in deep) if the building sits on the slab: 1.3–2.3 yd³ more concrete, about $200 – $340, plus trenching and two #4 bars around the edge.
- Permit, where one is needed: about $50 – $350.
Have a contractor's price? Put it into the concrete quote checker, or compare two or three bids side by side there.
Materials List for a 10 × 16 ft Slab
| Concrete | 2.25 yd³ ready-mix, or 98 × 80-lb / 196 × 40-lb bags |
|---|---|
| Gravel base (4 in compacted) | 2.27 yd³, about 3.2 tons |
| Forms | 6 × 2x4 boards 12 ft long, 22 stakes, 44 screws (52 lin ft) |
| Rebar (#4 at 18 in) | 234 lin ft = 12 × 20-ft sticks, 24 chairs |
| Or wire mesh (6x6) | 6 sheets of 5 × 10 ft, about $72 – $120 |
| Vapor barrier | 160 sq ft plus 6 in laps |
| Control joints | 2 panels of about 8 × 10 ft: 10 lin ft of saw cut, 1 in deep |
Recommended Specs for a Shed Floor
| Thickness | 4 in; thicken the edge to 8-12 in under the walls in frost country, or follow your permit |
|---|---|
| Strength | 3,000 PSI; 3,500 PSI air-entrained where it freezes |
| Base | 4 to 6 in of compacted crushed stone |
| Reinforcement | 6x6 wire mesh, or #4 rebar at 18 in if a mower, ATV or car will park inside |
| Anchors | 1/2 in J-bolts in the wet concrete, 1-3/4 in in from the edge, about every 4-6 ft and within 12 in of each corner |
- Narrow slabs crack across their width first. Cut the joint across the 10-ft side within the saw-cut window rather than hoping the slab holds together.
- For a lean-to or side-yard slab, slope it away from the house wall and keep the top at least 6 in below siding.
- Compare the bag and truck totals below with your local prices: the short-load fee is the number that decides it at this size.
Pour Day for a 10x16 Slab
- Crew time: about 6 crew-hours to set forms, place, finish and cut joints (0.035 h per sq ft for a broom finish).
- Trucks: 2.25 yd³ is 1 truck, about 11–18 minutes of unloading in total. Concrete must be placed within 90 minutes of batching.
- Reach: a truck chute reaches about 15–20 ft, enough for this slab if the truck can park beside it. If it can't, budget wheelbarrows or a line pump.
- Joints: saw-cut 4–12 hours after finishing with a wet saw, or 1–4 hours with an early-entry saw.
- Curing: foot traffic after 24–48 hours, cars after 7 days, full strength at 28 days.
Price Your Own 10x16 Slab
The calculator below starts at 10 × 16 ft, 4 inches. Change the thickness, finish or reinforcement, pick your state for local prices, and the Live Estimate updates with a blueprint of the joint and rebar layout.
Concrete Slab Cost & Volume Estimator
Precision multi-layer project budgeting: Materials, Sub-Base, Reinforcement, Labor & Equipment
Picking a location sets the ready-mix, excavation and labor rates below to that area's typical level. You can still type your own local prices afterwards. Slab prices by state.
Closer spacing uses more steel and raises the rebar cost.
Not charged when bagged concrete is selected.
A scaled plan of your slab: rebar grid at the spacing you chose, support chairs about every 3 to 4 ft, and the recommended control-joint saw cuts (2.5 times the thickness in inches, in feet, capped at 15 ft). It redraws as you change the inputs.
| Scope Item / Material Description | Amount |
|---|
Enter the total your contractor quoted. We compare it with a benchmark for the same slab and scope you set in the calculator: materials at your entered prices plus labor at the regional standard rate, before any overhead or profit. Make sure the calculator scope (base, rebar, finish, pump, demolition) matches what the bid includes.
Optional: enter the bid's line items to see where the markup sits
Enter the forecast for pour day. The check follows ACI 306R (cold weather) and ACI 305R (hot weather) and estimates the surface evaporation rate that drives plastic shrinkage cracking.
10x16 Slab Questions
About $1,240 to $2,170 installed for a 4-inch slab with forms, a broom finish and labor ($7.50 to $14.00 per sq ft), at U.S. average prices. DIY materials run about $560 to $820. Site prep and a gravel base add about $220 to $530.
At 4 inches thick with 10% waste: 98 bags of 80-lb mix, 131 bags of 60-lb mix or 196 bags of 40-lb mix. At 6 inches: 147 bags of 80-lb mix.
At 4 inches, 1.98 cubic yards (order 2.25 with waste); at 5 inches, 2.47 (order 2.75); at 6 inches, 2.96 (order 3.50). Ready-mix is sold in quarter yards, so round up.
Ready-mix. 2.25 yards delivered costs about $598, while 98 bags would cost about $712 and take roughly 4 hours of mixing. Bags only win below about 1.3 cubic yards.
A #4 grid at 18 inches each way needs about 234 linear feet of bar including laps: 12 twenty-foot sticks and about 24 chairs. Welded wire mesh instead takes 6 sheets of 5 x 10 ft.
Across the middle of the 16-ft length, cut 1 inch deep on a 4-inch slab. That makes two panels of about 10 × 8 ft, close to square, which is what keeps random cracks away.