Concrete flatwork is the trade name for anything poured flat: driveways, patios, sidewalks, garage floors, shop slabs, and the pads under AC units and sheds. It is priced per square foot, and the per-square-foot number hides two things that matter more than the finish you pick: how thick the slab is, and what is under it. A driveway poured four inches thick on unprepared Texas clay will cost less this year and crack next year. This guide is about telling the two apart on a bid.
Concrete Flatwork Cost Breakdown
What these ranges price: poured flatwork — driveways, patios, sidewalks and slabs, finished.
| Level | Price Range (per sq ft) |
|---|---|
| Broom finish, 4 inch, mesh | $6 – $10 |
| 5 to 6 inch with rebar, exposed aggregate or color | $10 – $14 |
| Stamped or decorative, heavy-duty slab | $14 – $20 |
Typical ranges across Texas, last reviewed September 2026. 365 Builders builds statewide and these are statewide figures, not a market study of any one city; pricing moves between markets and with material costs. Treat them as a starting point, not a quote.
Those bands line up with what the 2026 national guides report. This Old House (March 2026) puts a basic slab at $4 to $8 per square foot installed, with stamping adding $10 to $14 and elaborate patterns $18 to $20; a paving contractor's April 2026 commercial guide puts basic concrete slabs at $6 to $12 and heavy-traffic loading docks at $10 to $15 and up. Where Texas jobs land inside those bands depends mostly on the items below.
What the numbers mean in practice, from the same sources:
- A cubic yard of concrete is about $113 to $126 delivered and covers roughly 81 square feet at four inches. Material is a fraction of the price; forming, base, finishing and the crew are the rest.
- Thickness moves the price about $0.50 to $1.25 per square foot per inch. Four inches is standard for patios and walks. Five to six inches, with rebar, is what a driveway that sees a truck or a trailer should be.
- Reinforcement: wire mesh about $0.35 per square foot; rebar $2 to $3. On South Texas clay, rebar is not an upgrade.
- Finishes: stain or dye adds $3.50 to $7.50; stamping $10 to $14 on top of the slab; a sealer around $4.50.
- Typical projects (This Old House averages): a parking pad about $1,200, a driveway about $3,000, a patio about $3,000, a garage floor about $3,500, a 30 by 30 slab $3,600 to $7,200.
What Drives the Price Up or Down
1. What is under the slab
This is the whole game in Texas. Much of the state sits on expansive clay that swells wet and shrinks dry. A slab poured on it without a compacted base moves with it. A contractor who knows the ground excavates, brings in four to six inches of crushed limestone or flex base, compacts it, and pours on that. It costs more per square foot and it is the difference between a driveway that lasts thirty years and one that cracks in three.
2. Thickness and steel
See above. Ask what thickness the bid assumes and whether the steel is mesh or rebar. "Four inch with mesh" is a patio spec, not a driveway spec.
3. Demolition
Tearing out an existing driveway or patio and hauling it off adds roughly $1 to $3 per square foot. Some bids include it, some list it, some leave it out and mention it on demo day. Ask.
4. Finish
Broom finish is the standard and the cheapest. Exposed aggregate, stamping, integral color and stains each add labor and material, and stamping in particular is a skill; a crew that does not do it often will show it in the pattern.
5. Access and size
A concrete truck needs to get within reach. A backyard patio behind a narrow gate means a pump truck, several hundred dollars, or a line of wheelbarrows and a slower pour. Small pours also cost more per square foot because the truck, the forms and the crew are the same whether they pour 200 feet or 2,000.
6. Heat
Texas summers cure concrete too fast, which causes surface cracking and a weaker slab. Experienced crews pour early, sometimes at first light, and use curing compound. If a contractor wants to pour a driveway at two in the afternoon in August, ask about their curing plan.
What a Flatwork Bid Should Include
- Square footage, thickness, and steel, stated. Not "driveway, $4,800."
- Base prep: excavation depth, base material and depth, compaction.
- Demolition and haul-off, in or out, priced.
- Finish, named.
- Control joints: where they cut and how many. Slabs crack; joints decide where.
- Curing: method and how long they keep traffic off it. Seven days before a car is normal.
- Drainage: which way the slab slopes and where the water goes. Toward the house is wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does concrete flatwork take?
Most residential pours are formed one day and poured the next, then cured for a week before vehicles. Demolition and base prep add days on the front end. Weather, mostly rain and summer heat, is what moves a pour date. We put the schedule in writing with the estimate.
Do I need a permit for a driveway or patio in Texas?
It depends on the city. Replacing a driveway on the same footprint often does not need one; a new driveway, a wider one, or a new curb cut usually does. Patios and slabs for structures follow the structure's permit. Ask your city's building department, or ask us and we will find out.
Concrete or asphalt for a driveway?
Concrete costs more up front and lasts longer with less maintenance in Texas heat. Asphalt is cheaper and softer in the sun. Our concrete vs. asphalt driveway guide works through it.
Why did my neighbor's driveway crack in a year?
Almost always the base, the thickness, or the curing, in that order. Concrete does not fail on its own; it fails because of what was under it or how fast it dried.
Get a Free Concrete Flatwork Estimate in Texas
At 365 Builders, we provide detailed, transparent estimates for concrete flatwork projects across Texas, residential and commercial. We've been serving the community since 2015, and we stand behind our work. Tell us what you want poured and where, and send a photo of the site, and we will tell you what the ground needs and which band you are in before we build a number.
Explore our concrete flatwork services, read our McAllen and RGV concrete driveway guide, or browse all the areas we serve across Texas.
Call us at (956) 607-0470 or request a free quote to get started.