What Goes Into the Price of Concrete Work (2026)

What a standard slab or driveway runs here

We multiply the total area by the rate for the type of work. Where you fall in each range depends on the finish you pick and how easy the site is to work in.

Housing in Lakeland has a 1981 median build year, so many driveway jobs start with breaking out concrete that has sat in the ground for decades. Whether the old slab has to be demolished and hauled off is the first thing we check on a driveway, since tear-out adds to the scope.

These questions come up on concrete driveway installation jobs. Shopping for a concrete contractor in Lakeland? Our home page has more.

How we handle yardage and linear footage

Concrete is ordered by the yard, but we quote you by the square foot. One yard covers about 81 square feet at four inches thick, and we fold the yardage into the square foot rate so you see one number instead of a materials list. Thickened edges or a heavier slab pull more yards off the truck, which raises the price.

If you ask about 1,000 linear feet, we convert it to area first. A 1,000 foot run of four-foot walk is 4,000 square feet. Narrow runs take longer per square foot because the forms take time to set. Where the truck can't back up to the forms, a concrete pump carries the mix to them, and that goes in the quote ahead of pour day.

Why your final number moves up or down

The dominant soil in Lakeland is Adamsville, which is somewhat poorly drained. Water doesn't leave the ground quickly, so we spend extra time on the subbase and the grade before any concrete goes in. The summer wet season brings heavy rain, and we schedule earthwork around dry windows. With storm and hurricane exposure rated high here, we grade each slab so runoff clears it fast.

We build permit time into the driveway schedule.

Finish also changes the price. After the surface moisture sheen disappears, we float the concrete. We then follow with a steel trowel for a smooth surface or a broom for texture. Troweling takes more crew time than brooming, and that shows up in the quote.

Getting a number from us

Call with your measurements, what the slab or driveway will be used for, and anything about access, such as a tight yard, a gate or overhead lines. After we look at the site, we put together a written quote that breaks out square footage, the finish and any pump or tear-out work.