What a 10x10 slab is for
A 10x10 slab is a common size for a shed base, a hot tub pad with room to walk around the tub, or a small patio. At 100 square feet it holds a bistro table and a grill, or two lounge chairs.
Concrete for a 10x10 slab at 4, 5 and 6 inches
Every inch of thickness on a 10x10 slab is 8.3 cubic feet, or 0.31 cubic yards. The ready mix order and the bags in this table include 10 percent extra. Change the thickness or the extra in the calculator above.
| Thickness | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Ready mix to order | 80 lb bags | 60 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 33.3 | 1.23 | 1.36 cu yd | 62 | 82 |
| 5 in | 41.7 | 1.54 | 1.7 cu yd | 77 | 102 |
| 6 in | 50 | 1.85 | 2.04 cu yd | 92 | 123 |
The 4 inch row by hand: 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.3 cubic feet, and 33.3 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards. With 10 percent extra that is 36.7 cubic feet. An 80 lb bag makes 0.60 cubic feet and a 60 lb bag makes 0.45, so it takes 62 of one or 82 of the other.
Quikrete says a sidewalk should be at least 4 inches thick and small slabs normally run 4 to 6 inches, depending on the load. The concrete slab calculator page covers what the building code asks for.
Bags or a truck for a 10x10 slab
From bags, it is 62 bags of 80 lb mix at 4 inches, 4,960 lb to lift and mix, about $353 at McCoy's price of $5.99 a bag, or $5.69 for 42 or more.
From a truck, it is 1.36 cubic yards, about $150 to $204 at HomeAdvisor's $110 to $150 per cubic yard delivered. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association says a truck mixer carries 8 to 12 cubic yards, so this is less than one truck load. HomeAdvisor says an order under a full truckload can carry a short-load fee of $40 to $60 per cubic yard, and suppliers often have a minimum order.
By these prices a 10x10 slab costs about $149 to $203 less from a truck than from bags, and it saves lifting 4,960 lb of mix. A short-load fee or a minimum order comes out of that gap, so get a delivered price for 1.36 cubic yards and compare it with $353. It is a bag job only if that quote comes in higher or a truck cannot reach the slab. The association notes that a loaded truck weighs about 80,000 lb and may not be able to cross loose dirt or a residential curb.
| Thickness | 80 lb bags | Bags weigh | Bags cost | Ready mix | Ready mix cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 62 | 4,960 lb | $353 | 1.36 cu yd, less than one truck load | $150 to $204 |
| 5 in | 77 | 6,160 lb | $438 | 1.7 cu yd, less than one truck load | $187 to $255 |
| 6 in | 92 | 7,360 lb | $523 | 2.04 cu yd, less than one truck load | $224 to $306 |
Prices are from the sources below, checked in October 2026; multiply the table by your own to compare. Gravel, steel, forms, finishing and labor are extra.
Pouring a 10x10 slab
Ten feet across is still a one-board screed: a 12 foot 2x4 rests on both forms with some to hold on to. The middle of the slab is 5 feet from every edge, which is past arm's reach, so use a bull float with a long handle instead of crawling out onto the wet concrete. The bags weigh about two and a half tons in all, so plan on more than one trip or have the store deliver.
Gravel base and slope
A 4 inch gravel base under a 10x10 slab is 33.3 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards. Quikrete says to spread and compact 3 to 4 inches, and a 3 inch base is 25 cubic feet, or 0.93 cubic yards. Those are volumes of the finished layer. Gravel settles when it is compacted, so order a little more.
Outside, Quikrete says to slope the slab away from buildings and gives 1/4 inch per foot as the usual fall. Either way across a 10x10 slab, that is 2 1/2 inches from one edge to the other. Set the forms to the slope, and the screed follows them.
Rebar or wire mesh
With bars 24 inches on center both ways, held 3 inches back from each edge, a 10x10 slab takes 6 bars each way, all 9 feet 6 inches long. That is 114 feet of bar. With 10 percent extra, buy 7 bars 20 feet long. Every bar is shorter than the 20 foot length sold, so none has to be joined.
With wire mesh instead, 2 sheets 8 feet by 12.5 feet, lapped 8 inches, cover it. The spacing and the sheet size are where the calculator starts. Your plans or your building department set the steel for your slab.
Control joints
Quikrete says control joints in a 4 inch slab go every 6 to 8 feet and about a quarter of the slab deep, which is 1 inch. Keeping them no more than 8 feet apart cuts a 10x10 slab into 2 panels each way. That makes 4 panels, each 5 feet square, with 20 feet of joint to cut.
Before you pour a 10x10 slab
As a patio next to the house, slope it away from the wall. Quikrete gives 1/4 inch per foot, so the far edge sits 2 1/2 inches lower than the edge at the house. Set the forms to that slope before you order, because the slope comes from the forms and not from the finishing.
Other slab sizes
8x1010x1010x1212x1210x2012x2016x2020x2020x2424x2424x3030x40
Common questions
How much concrete do I need for a 10x10 slab?
A 10 by 10 foot slab 4 inches thick holds 33.3 cubic feet of concrete, which is 1.23 cubic yards. With 10 percent extra, order 1.36 cubic yards of ready mix. At 5 inches thick it holds 1.54 cubic yards and at 6 inches 1.85.
How many 80 lb bags of concrete do I need for a 10x10 slab?
62 bags at 4 inches thick, with 10 percent extra. They weigh 4,960 lb in all and cost about $353 at the store price checked in October 2026. At 5 inches thick it is 77 bags and at 6 inches 92.
How thick should a 10x10 concrete slab be?
Quikrete calls for at least 4 inches for a sidewalk and 4 to 6 inches for small slabs, depending on the load. The International Residential Code minimum for a house floor slab is 3.5 inches. On a 10x10 slab each extra inch adds 0.31 cubic yards, so going from 4 to 6 inches takes the ready mix order from 1.36 to 2.04 cubic yards. Ask your building department what it wants for a driveway or a garage floor.
Can one person pour a 10x10 slab?
From bags it is possible but hard: 62 bags of 80 lb mix is about two and a half tons to lift and mix, and NRMCA says concrete normally sets two to eight hours after mixing. Have at least one helper, and a mixer, so the last batch goes in while the first can still be worked.
Is a 10x10 slab big enough for a hot tub?
For most two to six person tubs, yes. A tub about 7 or 8 feet square leaves 1 to 1 1/2 feet on each side, or more on one side if you push it to a corner. The tub maker's install guide sets the thickness and the steel.
Tools for this job
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- Form stakes. Hold the form boards in place while you pour.
- Concrete float. Smooths the surface after the concrete is leveled.
- Edger. Rounds the slab edges so they do not chip.
- Groover. Cuts control joints so cracks follow a straight line.
- Finishing trowel. Gives the slab its final smooth surface.
- Rubber boots. Keep wet concrete off your skin while you stand in the pour.
Sources
- Quikrete, Pouring and Finishing Concrete Slabs
- Quikrete, Concrete Sidewalks and Small Slabs project guide
- Quikrete Concrete Mix data sheet (yield per bag)
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, CIP 31: Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete
- International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 5: concrete floors on the ground (R506)
- International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 4: foundations (R403, concrete cover over steel)
- Wire Reinforcement Institute, Manual of Standard Practice: Structural Welded Wire Reinforcement
- City of Dubuque, Iowa, minimum requirements for a detached garage slab
- City of Fridley, Minnesota, Garage Slabs handout
- PJ's Rebar, stock rebar sizes and lengths
- International Residential Code 2021, Chapter 1: work exempt from permit (R105.2)
- McCoy's Building Supply: Quikrete Concrete Mix, 80 lb bag
- HomeAdvisor: concrete delivery cost, per cubic yard and short-load fees
Facts on this page were last checked against these sources in October 2026.