Concrete Cost Calculator
Material, pumping and the all-in rate per cubic metre.
Quick answer
With the default inputs: Concrete volume 100 m³ · Grade C30 · Waste 2% etc.Total concrete cost 52530 CNY
Edit the inputs below to recalculate.Inputs
Result
Total concrete cost
52530CNY
| Material rate | 490CNY/m³ |
| Volume with waste | 102.00m³ |
| Material cost | 49980CNY |
| Pumping | 2550CNY |
| Haul surcharge | 0CNY |
| All-in rate | 515CNY/m³ |
| All-in per net m³ | 525CNY/m³ |
| Pumping share | 4.9% |
| Mixer trucks at 8 m³ | 13loads |
Rates are indicative and move with cement and aggregate prices; in one city two plants can differ by 15-30 per m³, and large pours are negotiable. Pumping is billed separately by custom — a stationary pump is 8-12 cheaper than a boom but needs pipework. Below about 20 m³ plants add a small-load charge of 200-500.
Reverse: known result, work out one input
Enter a target result; the other inputs stay fixed and this one is worked out.
Formula
| Volume with waste | volume × (1 + waste%) |
| Material | volume × rate |
| Pumping | volume × pumping charge |
| Total | material + pumping + haul |
| All-in rate | total ÷ volume |
| Trucks | ceil(volume ÷ 8) |
100 m³ of C30 at 2% waste and 25 per m³ pumping: 102.00 m³, 49980 in material, 2550 pumping, 52530 in total — 515 per m³ and 13 truck loads.
How to work it out
- Start with the volume including waste: V = volume × (1 + waste). Cast-in-place work typically wastes 1.5-2% through pumping losses, droppings and over-excavation; small jobs run 2-3%.
- Take the unit price by grade: roughly 420 CNY/m³ for C15, 440 for C20, 465 for C25, 490 for C30, 520 for C35 and 555 for C40. This is delivered price including tax within 15-20 km, excluding pumping.
- Add pumping: 25-40 CNY/m³ for a boom pump, 18-25 for a static pump. Take the upper end for tall pours and tight sites.
- Add haulage: about 1.5-2.5 CNY/m³ per kilometre beyond the standard radius. Winter work with antifreeze admixture adds another 15-30 CNY/m³.
- Total = material + pumping + haulage; the all-in unit rate is that total divided by the volume including waste.
- Truck count N = ⌈volume ÷ 8⌉, since 8 m³ is the common drum capacity. For large pours, plan trucks against the placing rate rather than simply dividing the total.
Where it goes wrong
- Setting waste to zero. Cast-in-place work always wastes material at beam-column joints, through over-excavation, formwork loss and droppings. A zero-waste budget always overruns at settlement.
- Omitting the pumping charge. At 25 CNY/m³ against a 490 CNY material price it is 5% — 25,000 CNY on 1,000 m³, and one of the most commonly missed items.
- Taking the drawing grade straight to price without checking supply. In some regions C30 and C35 differ by only 20-30 CNY/m³ while the specification implies a margin, so clarify before negotiating.
- Planning trucks as total ÷ 8 and calling it a transport plan. You need trucks per the placing rate divided by load size, otherwise the pour waits between loads and forms a cold joint — a structural defect, not just a cost issue.
Material and cost
Delivered prices including tax within 20 km: C15 about 400-440 CNY/m³, C20 420-460, C25 445-490, C30 470-520, C35 500-560, C40 535-600. Pumping 18-40 CNY/m³. Waterproof grade P6 adds 15-25; accelerators and antifreeze 15-30 each. Prices track cement and aggregate markets and can move 10% between quarters.
On site
- Small pours under about 30 m³ attract a minimum charge — many plants bill from 5 or 8 m³ — so odd quantities carry a visibly higher unit rate.
- The same grade from different plants can differ by 20-40 CNY/m³, but compare cement type, supplementary cementitious content and slump, not price alone.
- Confirm with the plant whether winter admixtures are already in the rate. Adding them on site is billed separately and usually costs more.
- Settlement on drawing quantities versus delivery tickets makes a large difference. Fix in the contract which governs, and how shortfall is handled — normally drawing quantity plus an agreed waste allowance.
Basis
- GB 50500-2013 Code of bills of quantities and valuation for construction works, concrete and reinforced concrete works
- GB 50204-2015 Code for acceptance of construction quality of concrete structures
- GB/T 14902-2012 Ready-mixed concrete
FAQ
Why is the settled volume more than the drawings?
Two reasons: waste from pump residue, grout loss through form joints and over-excavation; and dimensional tolerance, since as-built sections run slightly large. The trade settles on the plant's delivery tickets, which always exceed drawing quantities. Control it by calculating each pour and ordering the last truck to the remainder.
Boom pump or stationary pump?
A boom is flexible, reaches 30-40 m without pipework and costs 8-12 more per m³ — good for scattered and small pours. A stationary pump needs pipe, cleaning and space but costs less per cube, wins on large volumes and lifts higher. Beyond about 500 m³, or above 100 m of lift, a stationary pump with a placing boom is the cheaper combination.
Why the surcharge on small loads?
Because the plant's fixed costs do not shrink: an 8 m³ truck, pump mobilisation, sampling and washout cost the same and get spread over half the volume. Loads under 20 m³ usually carry a 200-500 charge and some plants refuse under 10. Batch odd pours together, or mix on site.
Cite this page
Use this format in reports, method statements or coursework. The link is permanent.
Building Calculator. Concrete Cost Calculator. 2026-10-25. https://jianzhujisuan.com/en/concrete-cost
Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.