How to bid a concrete job: the steps
- Read the drawings, the specification sections and the bid instructions for your scope.
- Measure each element from the foundation plans, sections and schedules, and convert to cubic yards.
- Measure forms by contact area and edge forms by length.
- Take off reinforcing by bar size and weight, or mesh by area.
- Price material from current supplier quotes and labor from your own production rates and wages.
- Add equipment, overhead and profit, then write inclusions, exclusions and open questions.
- Fill in the bid form or proposal and acknowledge every addendum.
What to measure for a concrete bid
| Item | Unit |
|---|---|
| Concrete by element | CY |
| Slab area and finish | SF |
| Forms | SFCA (square feet of contact area) |
| Reinforcing | LB or tons |
| Vapor retarder, joints, curing | SF and LF |
Short on time? Send the plans and specs and we do this for you. Fixed quote within 2 business hours. Plan review is free, and you pay only after you accept.
Get a fixed quoteCubic yards and rebar weight
Cubic yards equal length times width times thickness in feet, divided by 27. A 40 by 30 ft slab at 4 in is 400 CF, or 14.81 CY. Rebar weight is linear feet times the bar’s weight per foot: #4 bars at 12 in each way in that slab are 2,470 LF, about 1,650 lb at 0.668 lb per ft.
Run the numbers in the concrete calculator and the rebar calculator.
Commercial and public concrete bids
- Mix designs, testing and inspection requirements come from the Division 03 sections.
- Flatness, finish and curing requirements change finishing labor.
- On federally funded or assisted construction contracts over $2,000, the US Department of Labor says the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts require locally prevailing wages and fringe benefits; many states have their own prevailing wage laws for public work. Check the bid documents before you price labor.
Where concrete bids go wrong
- Thickened edges and turndowns priced as slab instead of footing
- Forms and rebar left out of a volume-only number
- Short-load fees, pumping and cold or hot weather protection
- Excavation and backfill assumed by sitework without saying so
Tools and templates for the bid
Use the concrete calculator, the construction estimate template, the bid sheet template to lay out the numbers, and the contractor markup calculator for overhead and profit. For a measured takeoff from your plans, see concrete estimating.
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate a concrete job?
Measure volumes by element in cubic yards, forms by contact area and rebar by weight, then price each at your rates and add pumping, testing, overhead and profit.
How do I calculate cubic yards of concrete?
Length times width times thickness in feet, divided by 27. Add waste and round up to your supplier’s ordering step.
Can Bidmere do my concrete takeoff?
Yes. Single-trade estimates are from $195 and takeoff-only work from $149, ready in 48 hours after you accept a fixed quote, which you get within 2 business hours.