How To Compare Concrete Quotes
Compare concrete quotes on eight lines, not the total: square footage, thickness, base material and depth, concrete strength and air entrainment, reinforcement, tear-out and disposal, permit and apron handling, and the guarantee. A quote missing any of them is not comparable. A fair deposit is 10 to 25 percent, never half, with the balance due when you are satisfied.
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- A quote that is one number on a card cannot be compared to anything. Ask for the eight lines in writing.
- The cheapest bid is usually missing base, air entrainment, an inch of thickness, or disposal.
- Deposit: 10 to 25 percent. Half up front is a warning sign. Cash-only is a bigger one.
- Ask for proof of insurance, the contractor registration for your city, and a written guarantee that says what happens if the slab pools.
Three quotes for the same driveway in Lake County can land at $6,000, $8,500, and $9,000, and the $6,000 one can be the worst deal by a wide margin. The total tells you almost nothing; the line items tell you everything. This guide is the checklist we would want if we were hiring a concrete contractor, and it is the format our own quotes use.
The Eight Lines
| Line | What to look for | What a thin bid does |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Square footage | Measured on site, written down, with the apron and any walk listed separately | Rounds down, or leaves it off so the final bill can grow |
| 2. Thickness | 5 inches for driveways, 6 for aprons, 4 for patios and walks | "Standard," which means 4 and pours at 3.5 |
| 3. Base | Material (#57 limestone) and depth (4 inches, 6 over clay), compacted | Not mentioned, because there is none. Pours on dirt |
| 4. Concrete | 4,000 psi, air-entrained 5–7 percent | "Ready mix," whatever the plant sends. No air means scaling in three winters |
| 5. Reinforcement | Fiber in the mix; rebar at apron and thresholds; mesh held at mid-depth if used | Mesh "included," laid on the ground and left there |
| 6. Tear-out and disposal | Included, hauled to a licensed recycler | Excluded, or "customer to arrange," or dumped somewhere it should not be |
| 7. Permit and apron | Contractor pulls the permit, fee listed at cost, apron poured to city spec and inspected | Skipped. You find out when the city does |
| 8. Guarantee | Term, what it covers, what it excludes, how to invoke it, in writing | "Lifetime warranty" with no terms, or nothing |
Add three more that are not about the concrete: proof of insurance with the quote, contractor registration with your city if it requires one (Mentor, Willoughby, Wickliffe, Willoughby Hills, and the county all do), and deposit terms.
The Questions That Expose A Thin Bid
Ask these on the phone or at the site visit. The answers matter less than whether there is an answer.
"How thick, and how do I check it?" A contractor who pours 5 inches will say five and tell you to measure the forms. One who pours 4 will say "standard" or "code."
"What goes under the slab, and how deep?" The answer is a material and a number: 4 inches of compacted limestone. "We grade it" means dirt.
"Is the mix air-entrained?" Yes or no. If the contractor does not know, the plant is sending whatever is cheapest.
"Where do the control joints go, and when do you cut them?" The answer is a spacing (10 to 12 feet) and "the same day." Joints cut the next week are decoration; the slab has already cracked where it wanted to.
"Who pulls the permit, and what does the city require for the apron?" A local contractor knows your city's apron thickness and whether a bond is required. One who says "you do not need a permit" for apron work in Mentor or Willoughby is guessing.
"What happens if it pools water?" This is the one. A contractor with a guarantee tells you the term and what it covers. One without changes the subject to how concrete always cracks.
"Can I see the certificate of insurance?" Any contractor who hesitates is uninsured. Ask for it to be sent from the insurer, not a photocopy.
Deposits And Payment
A deposit holds your date and covers materials ordered for your job. Ten to 25 percent is normal; ours is on the modest end and the quote says the exact amount. Fifty percent up front is a contractor using your job to pay for the last one. Cash-only, or a discount for cash, means no paper trail for the permit, the insurance, or the guarantee. Final payment should be due after the walk-through, when you have seen water leave the slab.
What "Included" Should Mean
Tear-out, haul-away, base, forms, concrete, reinforcement, finishing, joints, cleanup, and the permit fee at cost. What is legitimately extra: pumping when the truck cannot reach, extra base depth discovered at excavation (which should be a stated per-inch or per-yard price on the quote, not a surprise), tree root removal, and drainage tied into downspouts. A good quote lists those as possible extras with prices so there is no negotiation on pour day.
Reading Between The Numbers
Divide the total by the square footage. In Lake County in 2026, an installed driveway with tear-out lands between $11 and $16 per square foot from a contractor doing all eight lines. A number under $8 is not a better deal on the same driveway; it is a different driveway, and it is missing something from the table above. A number over $20 for a broom finish is either a very hard site or a very high margin, and the line items will tell you which.
The Worksheet
Put three quotes in the columns and fill in the rows. Any row you cannot fill in from the quote is a phone call, and a contractor who cannot answer in a sentence is a contractor to cross off.
| Quote A | Quote B | Quote C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square feet measured | |||
| Thickness (drive / apron) | |||
| Base material and depth | |||
| PSI and air entrainment | |||
| Reinforcement | |||
| Tear-out and disposal included? | |||
| Permit pulled by contractor? Apron spec? | |||
| Guarantee term and coverage | |||
| Insurance certificate provided? | |||
| City registration? | |||
| Deposit | |||
| Price per square foot | |||
| Start date and days on site |
Our Quote
Every True Grade quote is one page, itemized on the eight lines, with the permit at cost, the spec sheet attached, the insurance certificate attached, a modest deposit, and the one-year come-back guarantee printed on it. It arrives within 48 hours of the site visit and it is good for 30 days. If another contractor's quote beats ours on all eight lines, hire them, and tell us who they are.
Questions
What should a concrete quote include?
Square footage, slab thickness, base material and depth, concrete psi and air entrainment, reinforcement, tear-out and disposal, permit and apron handling, joint plan, cure timeline, price, deposit terms, and the guarantee in writing. Ours lists all of it on one page.
How much deposit is normal for a concrete job?
Ten to 25 percent to hold the date and cover materials ordered. Our deposit is modest and the balance is due after the walk-through. A contractor asking for 50 percent up front is financing the last job with your money.
Should I pick the middle quote?
Pick the quote you can read. If three bids are $6,000, $8,500, and $9,000 and only the last two list base and air entrainment, the $6,000 bid is not a bid for the same driveway.
Is a lifetime warranty on concrete real?
No. Concrete cracks, and a warranty that does not say what it covers covers nothing. Look for a term (ours is one year), a list of what is covered (grading, drainage, settling, surface defects) and what is not (hairline cracks), and how to invoke it.