re: Cost of pouring concrete for patio

Crowley Cajun
Right now, I think concrete is about $116 a cubic yard.

$116/yd your getting screwed big time

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either trowel in or saw cut a contraction joint every 10 feet about 3/4" to 1" deep to prevent cracking.

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ACI recommends 13' so 12.5' should be good enough.

I wouldn't pour anything less than 6" if you want it to last. If you want to slap some #3's or #4's in there it couldn't hurt. Some wwm T and B would probably suffice. Anything less than 6" thick you're looking at the slab moving or cracking especially in south LA

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Houses also have footings and grade beams dumbarse...

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I know. I would venture to say I have built more of them than you.

It would be cheaper and better to pour a shallow footing on the patio than to pour a 6" slab.

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Yeah but we put em every 10' unless it's an odd sized slab, but you are correct 12.5' should be plenty.

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I've gotten in the habit of using 12.5' because it works well for construction and expansion joints using increments of 25'. Still, it just depends on the situation.

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Also, I don't see how a deeper slab helps. Cracking is a tensile problem and only reinforcing will solve it.

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Correct and spend that money on a shallow footing to help prevent washout instead of wasting it on adding 2" of unneeded concrete.

Not to mention that a footing will do more to prevent the settling he mentions than an extra 2" will do.

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gotten in the habit of using 12.5' because it works well for construction and expansion joints using increments of 25'. Still, it just depends on the situation.

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Yeah we do mostly large industrial stuff and it's never a square or rectangle so we tend to cut em closer just to be on the safe side.

I would agree with that. A 6" grade beam along the perimeter combined with a 4" slab would probably work just fine. Just be prepared to reinforce the GB's with at least 2ea #4's all the way around.

FWIW I'm an industrial guy. Don't have much experience with smaller at home projects. I do agree with the guy who mentioned the Home Depot employees tho. As long as you can supervise and know what you're doing.

600sqft at 4" with a 8" deep by 6" wide will get you to need about 9 cuyd's which roughly will cost $900 give or take.

figure $100 for formwork
figure $250 for rebar
figure $700 for labor
figure $160 for tax

looks like $2100 plus or minus a couple hundred
this is assuming you set set the forms and rebar
if not add another $300
also, put a little bit of expansion pad if butting up to other existing concrete.
and have the place and finish guys sawcut a couple of control joints every 8x12 (or any variation but not to exceed 13' an any way) area to control cracking