Plain concrete flatwork runs roughly $6 to $12 per square foot installed across the country in 2026. We do not post a New Orleans price sheet. Two driveways of the same size can need very different amounts of digging, fill and steel here, and a narrow lot can mean pumping the concrete in.
The dollar figures on this page are national ranges that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from New Orleans Concrete Solutions. What you pay in New Orleans depends on local labor and material prices, how a truck reaches the pour, and what the soil under the slab needs. Last checked October 2026.
How much does a concrete driveway cost?
The national range for a concrete driveway is $6 to $15 per square foot, which comes to $2,400 to $8,600 for a two-car size. A plain finish sits at $6 to $10 per square foot and basic decorative work at $10 to $15. Many New Orleans driveways are a single lane or two strips, so the area is small, but the base work per foot is often more than average.
| Driveway | National installed range |
|---|---|
| Plain, per sq ft | $6 to $10 |
| Basic decorative, per sq ft | $10 to $15 |
| 20x20 (400 sq ft) | $2,400 to $6,000 |
| 24x24 (576 sq ft) | $3,500 to $8,600 |
How much does concrete cost per square foot?
An installed slab is $6 to $12 per square foot by the national figures. Thickness moves it: about $6 to $8 for 4 inches and $8 to $10 for 6 inches. That covers forms, base, concrete, finishing and labor. Breaking out old concrete, bringing in fill and hiring a pump are separate lines when a job calls for them.
How much does a concrete patio cost? Is my 20x20 quote a fair price?
A plain patio is $4 to $12 per square foot nationally. Stained or stamped patios run $8 to $30. For a 20x20 patio, a fair national range is $1,600 to $4,800 plain and $3,200 to $12,000 stained or stamped. A plain 12x12 is $600 to $1,700. There is no published row for 12x20 or 16x20, so take your square footage (240 or 320) and multiply by the per-foot range.
How much does it cost to pour a slab for a 24x24 garage or a 30x40 shop?
The published national slab sizes are 10x10 at $600 to $1,200, 20x20 at $2,400 to $4,800 and 30x30 at $5,400 to $10,800. For 24x24 and 30x40 there is no published row. Our own arithmetic from the $6 to $12 per square foot figure gives $3,460 to $6,900 for 576 square feet and $7,200 to $14,400 for 1,200 square feet. In New Orleans a slab that carries a building is an engineered foundation and may sit on piles or grade beams. That part is priced from the drawings, not from a per-foot rule.
How much is concrete per cubic yard?
Ready-mix is $119 to $147 per cubic yard nationally, delivered within 20 miles. That is only the material on the truck. Labor, base, forms, steel and finishing make up most of a bill, so the yard price is a poor guide to the cost of a finished slab.
How much does it cost to remove and replace an old driveway?
Add two numbers. Removal runs $3 to $8 per square foot nationally with disposal, or $1,200 to $4,500 for a whole driveway. The new driveway is $6 to $15 per square foot on top of that. Our quotes list tear-out as its own line so you can see both parts.
What does it cost to have old concrete broken up and hauled away?
Having concrete broken out and hauled away costs $3 to $8 per square foot by the national figures, disposal included. Thick slabs, slabs full of steel and backyards a machine cannot reach take longer. In older New Orleans yards we sometimes find a second slab or old brick paving under the first one, and that adds to the load.
How much more does stamped concrete cost than plain? What about color or stain?
Stamped concrete cost nationally is $8 to $19 per square foot, compared with $6 to $10 for a plain driveway. Examples: a 20x20 stamped patio at $3,200 to $7,600, a stamped two-car driveway at $6,900 to $10,400, and a 4x20 stamped walk at $800 to $1,700. No separate figure is published for color or stain alone, so we do not give one. We price it once we have seen the slab and you have picked a look.
How much does a concrete walkway cost?
A walkway or sidewalk is $7 to $17 per square foot installed in the national figures. At 4 feet wide that works out to $28 to $68 per running foot, and $1,400 to $3,400 for an average job. Short front walks cost more per foot than long ones because the setup is the same either way.
How much does a concrete retaining wall cost?
The national average for a concrete retaining wall is $3,000 to $10,000, or $45 to $270 per linear foot, or $15 to $45 per square foot of wall face. New Orleans is flat, so walls here tend to be short: raised beds, the edge of a filled yard, a border at a driveway. The footing in soft soil is where the money goes.
What does a parking pad or sidewalk cost for a small business?
We have no published figure for commercial parking pads or lots, so we give no number. A small business job is priced after a site visit. Truck weights, drainage, an accessible route to the door and any work on the city sidewalk all change it. For a plain sidewalk, the walkway range above is a fair starting point.
My three quotes for the same patio are far apart. Which one do I trust?
Trust the one that tells you what is under the concrete. When three quotes for the same patio are far apart, they are rarely for the same job. One may dig out soft muck and bring in compacted fill. Another may pour on whatever is there. Ask each bidder for the thickness, the base, the steel, the joint plan and who hauls the spoil. Then compare like with like.
The contractor wants extra for a stone base after the demolition. Is that fair?
It can be fair, if the ground turned out worse than anyone could see. Asking extra for a stone base after demolition is common here because old slabs often sit on wet organic soil or on voids. A fair change comes with photos, a measured quantity, a price in writing, and your approval before the work goes on. It is not fair if the base was plainly needed from the start and was left out to make the bid look low.
How do I know if a concrete quote is fair?
A concrete quote is fair when it sits inside the published ranges for its type and explains anything that pushes it higher. Check it this way:
- Square feet and thickness are written down.
- Base depth, fill material and compaction are named.
- Steel is described: bar size and spacing, or mesh.
- Tear-out, hauling, pumping and permits are separate lines.
- Finish, joints and curing are stated.
- Payment steps are tied to progress.
The real number for your address comes from a free visit and a written quote. Call (504) 732-1542, or text a photo of the area and we will tell you what we see.