FootingCalc

Free calculator · Transparent math

Footing Cost Calculator

Concrete material + labor per linear foot + pads. Enter your local prices and rates — the calculator shows every line, so you can defend the number.

Job inputs

Cost estimate

$0
Concrete volume0 yd³
Concrete material$0.00
Labor ($3.00/LF)$0.00
Pads$0.00

Excludes excavation, gravel, permits, and pumping if needed. Ready-mix and labor rates vary by market — enter yours.

Doing whole plans, not single runs?

FootingTakeoff reads a footing plan and returns total linear feet, pad count, and an invoice at your rates — automatically.

See FootingTakeoff

What's in the number

material = ((width÷12) × (depth÷12) × LF ÷ 27) × (1 + waste%) × $/yd³
labor = LF × $/LF   ·   pads = count × $/pad

Homeowner-facing "cost per linear foot" figures you see online bundle all of this — material, labor, excavation, margin — which is why they run many times higher than a sub's labor-only rate. When comparing quotes, always ask what the per-foot number includes. The full breakdown is in the guide on footing cost per linear foot.

Need the segment-by-segment length first? Start with the linear feet calculator.

FAQ

Footing cost questions, answered.

How much do concrete footings cost?
Total installed cost depends on three parts: concrete material (footing volume times local ready-mix price), labor (often quoted per linear foot by footing subs), and site work like excavation. A 300 linear foot house footing at 20 by 6 inches needs roughly 9-10 cubic yards of concrete; material alone at $150-180 per cubic yard is about $1,400-1,800, before labor and excavation.
What drives footing cost the most?
Linear footage first — labor and forming scale with length. Then footing cross-section (width x depth drives concrete volume), rebar if required, access and soil conditions, and local ready-mix pricing, which varies significantly by region and load size.
Is rebar in footings expensive?
The steel itself is a modest add — two continuous bars along a footing adds material cost per foot plus placement time. Labor-only footing subs commonly handle it as a small per-linear-foot rate bump rather than itemizing steel.
How accurate is this calculator?
The volume math is exact for the dimensions you enter. Costs are estimates driven by the unit prices you supply — use your local ready-mix quote and your own labor rates for a number you can actually bid with, and confirm quantities against your approved plans.