Concrete Flatwork work on an active jobsite

Concrete Flatwork project guide

Concrete Flatwork contractors cost and hiring guide

Slabs, patios, sidewalks and pads poured on a compacted base with the right thickness, reinforcement and joint spacing.

Key facts

Concrete Flatwork numbers you can check

Rules and figures that come up in nearly every concrete flatwork quote, with the public source for each one.

Fact	What it says	Source
Silica limit	OSHA caps respirable crystalline silica exposure at 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over 8 hours.	OSHA, Respirable Crystalline Silica (29 CFR 1926.1153)As of September 2026
Wet cutting controls	OSHA Table 1 specifies water-fed tools or dust collectors for sawing concrete; wet methods remove the need for respirators on most cuts.	OSHA, Respirable Crystalline Silica (29 CFR 1926.1153)As of September 2026
Concrete washout	The federal Construction General Permit prohibits concrete washout discharge unless it is managed in an appropriate control.	EPA, 2022 Construction General Permit (final permit)As of September 2026

Project guide

Hiring concrete flatwork contractors

Concrete flatwork covers everything flat and horizontal: garage and shop slabs, patios, sidewalks, equipment pads and aprons. Most of what determines whether a slab lasts happens before the truck arrives. The subgrade is compacted, a gravel base of about four inches is placed and compacted, forms are set to grade with slope away from the building, and reinforcement, typically wire mesh or #3 or #4 rebar on chairs, is placed. Residential slabs are usually four inches thick and poured at 3,000 to 4,000 psi; anything that will see trucks or equipment goes to five or six inches. Control joints are cut at intervals of roughly two to three times the slab thickness in feet, so about every eight to twelve feet on a four-inch slab, because concrete will crack somewhere and joints tell it where. Concrete needs about seven days before foot traffic and twenty-eight to reach design strength.

GradeLine lists 361 concrete flatwork contractors.Compare their work and equipment, then confirm availability and service area before requesting a quote.

Listed businesses are based in , Alexandria, Wooster, Cripple Creek, Lakeside, Batavia, though most crews travel well beyond their home city.

What concrete flatwork work costs

Standard broom-finish flatwork typically runs $6 to $12 per square foot installed, so a 20 by 20 foot patio lands around $2,500 to $5,000 and a two-car garage slab $4,000 to $8,000. Removing an old slab adds $2 to $6 per square foot, and pumping, thickened edges or a heavy-duty six-inch pour push the number up from there.

Ranges are national and approximate; regional labor rates, material prices and site conditions move them in both directions.

Common projects

Garage, shop, barn and shed slabs with turned-down edges or thickened footings
Patios, walkways, steps and pool decks in broom, trowel or exposed-aggregate finish
Equipment pads, dumpster pads, aprons, curbs and ADA-compliant sidewalks

What affects a quote

Square footage, thickness and mix design, and whether the truck can back to the forms or a pump is needed
Excavation, gravel base, vapor barrier, reinforcement and any old concrete that has to be removed first
Finish type, joint cutting, sealing and how far the crew has to travel for a small pour

Concrete Flatwork FAQ

What does concrete flatwork work cost?

What should I share when requesting a concrete flatwork estimate?

Send the dimensions, what will sit or drive on the slab, the finish you want, where water should run, how a mixer truck can get in, and whether old concrete or turf needs to come out first.

What can change the cost of concrete flatwork work?

The main cost items are square footage, thickness and mix design, and whether the truck can back to the forms or a pump is needed; excavation, gravel base, vapor barrier, reinforcement and any old concrete that has to be removed first; finish type, joint cutting, sealing and how far the crew has to travel for a small pour. A site visit helps the crew see which ones apply.

Do concrete flatwork projects need permits?

Many jurisdictions exempt small patios and walkways but require a permit for slabs that support a structure, anything in the public right-of-way, and work that changes drainage onto a neighbor. Sidewalks along a street usually have to meet city standards and ADA slope limits.

Contractor directory

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Hicks Dirt Works

concrete flatwork, driveways, erosion control, excavation, grading, land clearing

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