How Much Concrete Do You Need For a Garage Floor?

Preparing to resurface a concrete garage floor can be tough. Unless you have years of experience with garage floors, buying the right amount of concrete for a garage renovation job may be harder than you think. Trying to eyeball it can cause you to undercharge for materials or overbid and lose the job. 

Redoing a concrete garage floor requires careful measurement before you start the job. If you're trying to scope a job or provide a quote, there are a few crucial steps to take before you begin. If you're trying to decide how much concrete you need for a renovation, check out these helpful tips to help you scope your project quickly and easily. 

Look at the Space For An Accurate Estimate

Before you begin thinking about how much concrete you need, you'll need to see the current state of the garage you're planning to work on. While the material price of concrete may be a major part of your proposal, there are other considerations to think about when laying a concrete slab for garage flooring. 

A client may know the dimensions of their garage, but you don't want to quote a job before inspecting the floor beforehand. Does the current floor need to be restored, or does it need to be completely torn up and repoured? Is there an epoxy garage floor covering that needs to be removed before work can start?

Your client may also want to extend the current footprint of their garage floor or build a new garage, which can increase the amount of concrete needed. There is a substantial difference between the amount needed for an overlay compared to a brand new floor. 

Getting an Initial Measurement for a Customer's Garage

Taking a look at the customer's garage can give you an idea of how much concrete you will need. You can take a tape measure and measure each section of the garage needing new concrete to help you determine how much concrete you need for an overlay. If your customer's garage has small cracks, an overlay may be all they need.

If you're repouring the whole garage, you might not know how deep the current slab is, so it's best to overprepare for a 6 inch floor and be pleasantly surprised if you find a 4 inch floor. 

A client may not have a preference for how deep the concrete is. However, depending on the quality and level of the land underneath, you may need to go deeper depending on the subfloor. Your options are more varied if you are laying concrete for a garage from scratch. 

If you quote higher for materials and assume the worst in your proposal, you can surprise and delight your customers if they discover that fewer materials were needed for the job. Showing your expertise and offering valuable recommendations can help customers see the benefit of hiring you instead of trying to install it themselves.

Measure Before You Start Buying Materials

There's no need to buy concrete the moment you win the bid. First, go to the client's home and begin laying out the slab to measure your client's new garage floor renovation. 

To see the full scope of work, you may need to tear up the existing concrete, depending on its condition. That will help you determine how deep the concrete needs to go and what the condition of the subfloor is. Once the floor is torn up, you'll want to stake and designate your workspace to get proper measurements. 

When you designate a slab, make sure it is a square. If the space you're looking to renovate isn't a perfect square, break the garage into sections comprised of smaller squares to get an accurate measurement. 

Once your measuring stakes are in place, you can use string lines to define the perimeter of each section you intend to resurface. Measuring the strings is an easy way to determine how much concrete you need. Ready-mixed concrete is measured in cubic yards, so that's considered the standard for the industry. 

How Much Concrete For a Garage Should I Buy?

Laying down a new concrete slab for a garage depends on the size of the space. You may also need to prepare for the job with other materials, like base rock. The best way to determine how much you need is to measure your scoped out space in cubic yards.

Measuring Your Base Rock First

Buying your base rock first can help you get a more accurate measurement of how much concrete you need. If your space doesn't have an underlayment, you'll likely want to lay 1 to 2 inches of base rock to tamp down and create a uniform grade surface. Measure the length and width of your space and determine if you're laying base rock on a generally level surface. 

Once you have your measurements in hand, a base rock calculator can help you see how much base rock you need for your project. As you lay the base rock, you can establish a more accurate estimate of how much concrete you need.

Measuring Concrete Needs

Once the base rock is down, you'll want to determine the depth you need for your new concrete pour. An overlay may be only one inch, while a new concrete garage floor may be four to six inches. To measure in cubic yards, you'll want to measure the length, width, and depth of the space.

If you're measuring in feet, you can use a cubic yards calculator to convert your measurements. Once you have the cubic yard estimate for your concrete, you'll want to tell the concrete supplier that amount. Typically, they will account for an extra 5 to 10% more concrete to cover any spillage or uneven spots in your subfloor. 

Now you're well on your way to creating a beautiful garage floor!

Prepare for Garage Flooring Jobs The Right Way

Using the right tools can make a huge difference when you're measuring concrete for a garage. Measuring twice and buying once is a contractor's motto for a reason, so make sure you don't end up with way more concrete than you need. These helpful tips will help you scope your next project right and ensure you have enough concrete to get the job done. 

As you continue renovating garage floors, it's crucial to have everything you need for the job. We've got you covered! Check out our professional garage restoration tools to find just the right thing for your next project. 

Not sure what tools are best for you? Contact us today to find tools to make restoring concrete floors easier than ever.