Look up concrete footing cost and you'll find numbers that don't seem to belong together: a few dollars per linear foot, a $750 national average, and $1,500 to $3,000 per footing for complex work. They're all real. They just measure different things. The concrete in a footing is cheap and easy to figure from its size. Most of what you pay is everything else: digging, steel, forms, delivery and pumping fees, and the labor to put it all together. Pouring a footing and stem wall together in a mono pour changes that labor mix.
Quick answers
- Per linear foot: Angi puts concrete footings at $5 to $18 per linear foot.
- Per footing, installed: HomeGuide puts standard footings at $700 to $1,500 each and complex ones at $1,500 to $3,000.
- The concrete: HomeGuide lists ready-mix at $119 to $147 per cubic yard, delivered within 20 miles.
- Labor: HomeGuide says installation is 40% to 60% of total footing cost.
Why footing prices don't match
The published numbers come in three forms. Per-linear-foot figures apply to continuous footings, the long strips under walls: Angi says "Expect to pay $5 to $18 per linear foot for concrete footings, depending on project size, type, and site conditions." Per-footing figures apply to individual pads and are usually complete jobs: HomeGuide puts them at $700 to $1,500 per footing. And some sources price footings per square foot of the building, such as Inch Calculator's $3 to $7 per square foot. For how a footing's size gets set in the first place, see our guide to concrete footing design.
These don't always say what they include. Inch Calculator, for example, gives footings at $1.50 to $24 per linear foot, with most around $7 to $9, and lists labor at $0.50 to $8 per linear foot separately. Treat per-foot ranges as rough, and do the concrete math yourself.
The concrete: volume times price
Concrete is sold by the cubic yard. For a continuous footing, the math is:
Cubic yards per foot = width (feet) × depth (feet) ÷ 27
Take a 16-inch-wide by 8-inch-deep footing, one of the example sizes Inch Calculator uses: 1.33 × 0.67 ÷ 27 ≈ 0.033 cubic yards per foot. A hundred feet of it takes about 3.3 cubic yards. The right size for your project comes from the plans and the soil, not from an example; our house foundation cost guide explains how the soils report drives foundation design.
HomeGuide prices ready-mix at $119 to $147 per cubic yard with delivery up to 20 miles, and notes that a full truck carries about 10 cubic yards. Smaller orders cost more: HomeGuide says a short load adds $53 per cubic yard.
Concrete strength changes the price, a little
Ready-mix is priced by strength, measured in pounds per square inch (psi). Stronger mixes use more cement, so they cost more per yard, but the difference is smaller than most people expect. HomeGuide lists these delivered prices per cubic yard:
| Mix | Price per cubic yard (HomeGuide) |
|---|---|
| 2,000 psi, 5.0 sack mix | $119 |
| 3,000 psi, 6.0 sack mix | $124 |
| 4,000 psi, 7.1 sack mix | $129 |
| 5,000 psi, 8.5 sack mix | $147 |
Another price guide shows the same pattern at lower absolute prices: "3000 psi concrete mix is $101.00 per yard" and "4000 psi concrete mix is $113.00 per yard." Suppliers and regions vary, so treat both as reference points. The strength itself is set by the plans and the engineer, not chosen to save money. On the 3.3-yard example below, stepping from 3,000 to 4,000 psi at HomeGuide's prices adds only about $16.
What gets added
- Labor. HomeGuide says installation is 40% to 60% of total footing costs, with contractors charging $50 to $150 per hour. Angi puts labor at $50 to $350 per footing.
- Digging. The trench or hole has to be dug and the soil hauled or spread. Our excavation cost calculator covers that math. Deeper footings, for expansive soil or a slope, mean more digging and concrete; see concrete footing depth for what sets the depth.
- Steel and forms. In our experience, most structural footings get rebar, and many need wooden forms to hold the concrete's shape.
- Pumping. If the truck can't reach, HomeGuide puts a trailer pump at $15 per cubic yard with a $125 minimum, and a boom pump at $140 to $190 per hour with a 4 to 5 hour minimum.
- Site access. HomeGuide notes that "Labor costs increase for installations in tight spaces requiring hand-mixing concrete or transporting materials via wheelbarrow instead of using concrete trucks."
- Drainage. On wet sites, HomeGuide says "An exterior French drain costs $10 to $35+ per linear foot with installation." Getting the ground to slope away first is covered in our guide to what grading is in construction.
- Inspection and permits. In our experience, footings for a structure are usually inspected before the pour. Permit and engineering costs are covered in the foundation cost guide.
Isolated pads and deck-post footings
A single pad under a post or column is priced per footing. HomeGuide's range is $700 to $1,500 per footing for standard projects and $1,500 to $3,000 for complex work, and Angi puts professional installation at $500 to $2,175. In our experience, small pads cost far more per yard of concrete than long footings, because a crew, a delivery, and an inspection cost about the same whether the job uses one yard or ten.
Worked example: 100 feet of continuous footing
This covers materials only, to show how small the concrete line is. At the 16-by-8-inch example size, 100 feet takes about 3.3 cubic yards. At $119 to $147 per yard, that's roughly $390 to $485. As a short load, adding $53 per yard, it's about $565 to $660. Labor, digging, rebar, forms, any pumping, and inspection all come on top, which is why a full bid lands well above the concrete cost.
Worked example: eight isolated pads
Isolated pads show the per-footing effect clearly. Say a patio cover needs eight post pads. At HomeGuide's $700 to $1,500 per footing for standard projects, pricing each pad as its own job would come to $5,600 to $12,000. In our experience, doing all eight in one mobilization, with one dig, one concrete order, and one inspection, usually lands well under that, because the crew, the truck, and the inspection are paid for once rather than eight times. Ask whether a per-footing quote assumes the pads are done together or separately.
Ways to keep footing costs down
- Combine pours. A short load adds $53 per cubic yard, according to HomeGuide. Pouring footings for several parts of a project at once can get you closer to a full truck.
- Make the site reachable. Clearing a path for the truck chute can avoid hand-carrying concrete or paying for a pump. HomeGuide's pump prices start at $15 per cubic yard with a $125 minimum.
- Get the design settled first. In our experience, a failed inspection or a change in footing size after digging costs more than any savings on concrete, so the dimensions should be final before the trench is dug.
- Don't cut the steel or the size. The footing is the one part of a structure you can't easily fix later. Savings should come from logistics, not from the footing itself.
Getting a footing quote
Ask for the footing dimensions, the cubic yards, and whether rebar, forms, digging, pumping, and haul-off are included. With those, you can check the concrete line yourself and see where the rest of the price goes. Medici Construction Group is one licensed option for footings and foundation work, holding California A, B and C-10 licenses under CSLB #1114433. For slabs, see our 30x40 concrete slab guide, and for chimneys, our chimney footing guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a concrete footing cost per linear foot?
Angi puts concrete footings at $5 to $18 per linear foot, depending on project size, type, and site conditions. Inch Calculator's range is wider, $1.50 to $24, with most around $7 to $9.
How much concrete do I need for a footing?
Multiply the width by the depth in feet and divide by 27 to get cubic yards per foot, then multiply by the length. A 16-by-8-inch footing takes about 0.033 cubic yards per foot, or about 3.3 cubic yards for 100 feet.
What is a short-load fee for concrete?
It's an extra charge for ordering less than a full truck. HomeGuide says a full truck carries about 10 cubic yards and that short loads add about $53 per cubic yard.
What is the labor cost for concrete footings?
HomeGuide says installation makes up 40% to 60% of total footing cost, with contractors charging $50 to $150 per hour. Angi puts labor at $50 to $350 per footing.
Why are footing quotes higher than online prices?
Many online prices cover mostly the concrete. A full quote also includes digging, rebar, forms, delivery or pumping fees, inspection, and labor, which usually make up most of the cost.
Does stronger concrete cost much more for footings?
Not much. HomeGuide lists 3,000 psi ready-mix at $124 per cubic yard and 4,000 psi at $129, so on a small footing job the difference is often tens of dollars. The strength itself should come from the plans.
Is it cheaper to pour several footings at once?
Usually. Doing several footings in one visit spreads the crew, delivery, and inspection costs across all of them and can avoid short-load fees, which HomeGuide puts at about $53 per cubic yard for orders under a full truck.
How much do post footings for a patio cover cost?
HomeGuide puts standard footings at $700 to $1,500 each when priced individually, so eight would be $5,600 to $12,000 at that rate. Doing them together in one mobilization typically costs less per footing.
