Concrete Pad Cost: Sheds, HVAC Units, Hot Tubs and More

Quick reference: the terms that change the price

Four terms explain most of the gap between two quotes for the same job.

What a pad costs by size

The per-square-foot price falls as the pad grows, because the fixed costs (mobilisation, a short load, forming setup) are spread over more area. A 64 sq ft pad can quote at $18 per square foot while a 400 sq ft pad quotes near $8, for the same thickness and finish.

If the pad is under about 150 sq ft and truck access is poor, mixing from bags can be cheaper than a ready-mix delivery, but the labour is heavy and the finish is harder to control. Get both prices before deciding.

What sits on the pad changes the specification

A shed pad carries a light structure, so 4 inches with mesh on a compacted base is usually enough. An HVAC condenser pad carries vibration, and the unit needs to sit level and above grade so water drains away. A hot tub is the heaviest small pad most homeowners build: a filled tub can weigh several tons, and the manufacturer often specifies the pad size, thickness and reinforcement.

Vehicle pads and RV pads move up to 5 or 6 inches with a rebar grid. A garage floor is thicker again and usually finished smooth. The pad depth and reinforcement should come from the load and the manufacturer or code, not from the cheapest quote.

Base, drainage and why pads fail

Most pad failures start underneath. A base that is too thin, not compacted or laid over organic soil settles, and the slab cracks above it. Water makes it worse: a pad that slopes toward the house, or sits below grade, keeps the soil wet and the movement going.

A good pad build is simple and boring: excavate to stable soil, place and compact about 4 inches of crushed stone, form the edges, add reinforcement, pour and finish with a slope away from the structure. Ask the contractor how they compact the base, because that is the step most often skipped.

Access, short loads and the fees on a small pad

Small pads are where fees dominate. A 10 by 10 pad at 4 inches is about 1.3 cubic yards of concrete, which is below most plant minimums, so a short-load fee applies. The truck may not be able to reach a back garden, so a wheelbarrow crew or a small pump adds cost. And a small job may be scheduled around larger pours, which affects the price.

Ask for the delivery, short-load and access lines before comparing totals. A $830 pad and a $1,400 pad can be the same concrete with different fees and finishes.

Pads for hot tubs, AC units and generators

Each of these has a manufacturer specification, and the pad should match it. Hot tub pads usually need to be flat, level and strong enough for the filled weight; some makers require a reinforced slab, others accept a pre-cast pad. AC condenser pads need to be level and above grade, with clearance for airflow and service. Generator pads need to carry the unit weight and often a fuel or electrical plan.

Keep the manufacturer page with your quote. If the pad fails and the equipment is damaged, the specification is the first thing an installer or warranty claim will ask for.

A worked example: a 10 by 10 shed pad

Take a 10 by 10 pad at 4 inches with mesh on a 4 inch stone base. The volume is 100 sq ft × 4 in ÷ 12 = 33.3 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards, about 1.3 with waste. Ready-mix at $165 to $225 for that volume, a short-load or delivery line of $50 to $620, stone base around $65 to $110, mesh about $24, forming $15 to $30, crew labour $370 to $1,050 and overhead of 20 to 40 percent produce the installed total of $830 to $2,880, typical $1,410.

Notice that material is a small share. The labour and the fees dominate a pad this size, which is why two quotes for the same 10 by 10 pad can differ by hundreds of dollars without either being dishonest.

Common pad mistakes that cost more later

Pads are small enough that mistakes look harmless until the structure above them moves.

• Pouring on loose fill or topsoil instead of compacted stone.
• Skipping reinforcement because the pad is small.
• Sloping the pad toward the house or leaving it below grade.
• Forgetting the manufacturer specification for a hot tub or generator.
• Not protecting the pad from traffic during curing.

Each of these is cheap to fix before the pour and expensive afterwards. The base and slope are the two to check in person before concrete arrives.

Permits, frost depth and drainage by climate

In cold climates, the pad and its footing need to sit below frost depth where the structure requires it, and the concrete should be air entrained. In hot climates, curing care matters more than frost depth. In wet climates, drainage away from the pad is the difference between a stable base and a settling one.

Some cities require a permit for a slab above a certain size, and some require an inspection of the base before the pour. Ask before the forms go up, and keep the inspection record with the manufacturer documents.

Pad vs pre-cast vs gravel: when the cheaper option is right

A poured pad is not always the right answer. Pre-cast concrete pads are sold in standard sizes for AC condensers and small equipment, and plastic pads are cheaper again. Gravel pads work for some sheds and bins. The choice depends on load, levelness and how long the structure needs to sit there.

For a hot tub or a heavy shed, poured concrete is usually the safe default because the load is spread over a designed slab. For a heat pump or a small generator, a pre-cast pad can be enough and costs less. Ask the equipment manufacturer what they require before choosing the cheap option.

Long-term care and sealing for pads

A pad needs very little maintenance: keep water away from it, keep the joints clean and avoid de-icing salt in the first winter. Sealing is optional for pads but helps where the surface is exposed to salt, oil or freeze-thaw.

Watch the edges: a pad that loses base support at the corner will crack from the corner inward. Fixing the drainage and base early is cheaper than replacing the pad later.

What to ask before the pour

• What is the pad thickness, and why that thickness for this load?
• How deep is the base, and how will it be compacted?
• Mesh or rebar, and what spacing?
• How will water drain away from the structure?
• Who pulls the permit, if one is needed?
• What is the short-load or minimum delivery charge?

Six answers turn a pad quote into a specification. Without them, the quote is a price for an unknown build.

Pad sizes: what actually fits

Match the pad to what sits on it, not to a round number. A hot tub manufacturer may require a specific footprint; a shed may need a pad slightly larger than its base; an AC condenser needs clearance for airflow and service.

Curing and the first month

New concrete needs moisture to reach strength. In hot, dry or windy weather, the crew should cure the pad with a compound, plastic or water. Foot traffic after about 24 to 48 hours, vehicles and heavy loads after about seven days, full cure near 28 days.

Keep water away from the pad for the first weeks, and avoid de-icing salt in the first winter. A pad that dries too fast develops surface cracks that look like a bad pour but are a curing failure.

DIY vs a contractor for a small pad

Bag-mixed concrete is an option for pads under about 50 to 100 square feet if access is easy and the base is prepared. The trade-off is labour: dozens of bags to mix and place, and a finish that is harder to control than a truck pour.

For anything larger, or where the pad carries a hot tub or a structure, a contractor is usually the safer and often not much more expensive choice once bags, tools, time and mistakes are counted.

Regional costs and access

Pad prices move with local labour and delivery distance, and with access. A pad in a back garden, behind a fence or up a slope may need a wheelbarrow crew or a small pump, which can add more than the concrete itself.

Get two local quotes for the same specification and compare the fee lines: base, delivery, short load, access and finish. The concrete is usually the smallest difference between them.

How to brief a contractor for a pad

A good brief is short and specific: what sits on the pad, the dimensions, the load, the required finish and the access. Add the manufacturer requirement if there is one.

Then ask the contractor to confirm thickness, base depth, reinforcement and drainage in writing. A pad quote that answers those four lines is a specification; one that does not is a guess.

Seasonal timing and weather

Concrete pads are easier to pour in mild, dry weather. In cold weather the mix may need an accelerator and protection; in hot, dry weather it needs curing care. Rain on the day of the pour can ruin the finish.

Schedule the pad when the site is dry and the forecast is stable, and ask how the contractor handles a marginal day. A rescheduled pour costs less than a re-poured pad.

Warranty, workmanship and what to keep

Ask for the workmanship warranty in writing and what voids it. A common exclusion is damage from a structure the pad was never designed for, which is why the manufacturer specification matters.

Keep the mix design, thickness, base depth and photos of the base before the pour. Those documents are what decide a warranty claim or an insurance conversation later.

A complete pad plan, from first measurement to final cure

Step 1: define the load. Write down what sits on the pad and its filled or operating weight. A shed, an AC condenser, a hot tub and a generator each have different requirements, and manufacturers often publish a pad specification. Match the pad to that document rather than to a neighbour's pad.

Step 2: measure and mark. Measure the footprint and add any clearance the equipment needs for service and airflow. Mark the pad outline with stakes and string, check it is square by measuring the diagonals, and confirm the finished height above grade so water drains away from the structure.

Step 3: plan the base. Decide where the pad sits relative to the soil and how much excavation is needed. A 4 inch compacted stone base is the default; soft or wet ground may need more or may need to be dug out and replaced. Compact in layers, not one pass.

Step 4: choose thickness and reinforcement. Four inches with mesh is the common shed and equipment pad. Five to six inches with a rebar grid is used where the load is heavier or the manufacturer says so. The thickness decision should be written into the quote.

Step 5: form, pour and finish. Forms define the edge, reinforcement goes in on chairs or supports, the concrete is placed and screeded, and the finish is chosen for grip and appearance. A light broom is the practical default; decorative finishes cost more and need sealing.

Step 6: cure and inspect. Keep traffic off for about 24 to 48 hours and heavy loads for about seven days. Keep the surface moist in hot weather and protected in cold. Photograph the base before the pour and the finished pad after, and file the quote and manufacturer documents together.

That plan is the difference between a pad that supports its structure for decades and one that cracks within a season. It also gives you a specification to compare quotes against: every contractor should be pricing the same six steps.

How to compare concrete pad quotes

Compare thickness, base depth, compaction, reinforcement, finish, access and disposal. A pad quote that does not name the thickness or the base is a placeholder. Ask how they handle the short load and who pays the dump fee if old concrete is removed.

Then use the size table above as a filter: a 10 by 10 pad inside $830 to $2,880 is plausible, and anything far outside it needs an explanation before you sign.

What this guide does not cover

Some jobs depend on things a national range cannot see. These are the ones where you need a local quote or an engineer.

• Engineering for pads carrying structural or unusual loads.
• Excavation and haul-off of unsuitable soil.
• Retaining walls or drainage systems around the pad.
• Permits and inspections where required.
• Removal of an existing slab, which is priced separately.

Concrete pads prices and contractors by state

Ranges here are national with a checked month. Local prices move with labour rates, climate and permit rules, so check your state before comparing bids.

Run the full calculator for your own dimensions: open the calculator →

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