How Much Does It Cost to Pour a Concrete Basement Floor?

Nothing beats a brand new concrete basement floor in your home—it’s a blank slate, creating a space with almost endless possibilities. 

But putting down a new concrete floor is a major project, so it's one you should consider carefully. If you do it right, your floor could serve you for decades to come and even raise the value of your home.

This guide breaks down the typical costs for pouring a concrete foundation for your basement, what factors affect the price tag, and anything else you need to know.

How Much Does It Cost to Pour Concrete Basement Flooring per Square Foot?

It costs between $10 and $25 per square foot to pour a concrete basement floor. That means if you have a 2,500-square-foot home, it would cost you $25,000 on the low end and $62,500 on the high end to get the job done.

Of course, these prices are for an unfinished basement. If you want a finished basement, the price increases to $30 to $100 per square foot. So for a 2,500-square-foot home, it would cost $75,000 on the low end and $250,000 on the high end to complete the project.

The cost to remodel your basement or refurbish the concrete floor you already have will be much lower. Generally, that costs between $6,500 and $18,500.

How Much Basement Flooring Can I Get on My Budget?

Chances are, you already know how much you're going to be able to spend on your basement. Here's how much concrete flooring you can get for your budget.

$10,000

For those with limited budgets of around $10,000, your best bet is to simply refurbish the basement floor you already have. However, it’s still possible to pour a new basement if your house is small enough. Because the low-end cost is $10 per square foot, you could conceivably get a new basement floor for a 1,000-square-foot home at this price.

$30,000

This is also on the low end, but it's a more realistic budget for a new basement floor. This budget would get a home of about 2,000 square feet done at a mid-range price of around $15 per square foot.

$40,000

This is the average price tag for a new basement floor, so most homeowners can expect to pay around $40,000 to do the job.

$75,000

For those with large homes or those who have a smaller home but want a finished basement, this budget should get you what you want.

$250,000

Homeowners who want a beautiful, finished basement and have a larger home should expect to budget at least $250,000.

Basement Concrete Flooring Cost Breakdown

When it comes to the cost of installing a new concrete floor, the main considerations break down into three categories: materials, labor, and square footage. It’s important to understand all three to determine where your money is going, and therefore identify opportunities to save money.

Square Footage

Square footage is a major cost driver with a project like this. The larger the area you need to cover, the more expensive it will get. The easiest way to save money is to simply cover a smaller area. That may not be an option if you’re dealing with a set square footage, but it’s important to know how big of an impact this has on your price tag so you can consider alternatives.

Materials Costs

About 40% to 60% of the cost of your project will go toward materials. For an average $40,000 project, $16,000 to $24,000 will go toward materials.

Here's a breakdown of some of the typical materials you'd need to purchase, and the range of prices you'd expect to pay:

• Concrete: $3,250–$13,500

• Form and finishing: $1,000–$5,000

• Reinforcement: $150–$750

• Sealing: $600–$6,000

Labor Costs

With 40% to 60% of your budget going to materials, expect labor to make up the other 40% to 60% of the cost of your basement. This can be a time-intensive and challenging job, and you need it to be done correctly, which is why labor makes up such a significant chunk of the overall project cost.

So, if you're spending the average amount of pouring a new basement ($40,000), about $16,000 to $24,000 of that would go to labor.

Cost to Pour Concrete Flooring Yourself

It will cost you about $20,000 on average to pour a concrete basement yourself, with a typical range of between $16,000 and $24,000.

If you're doing a smaller basement of about 1,000 square feet and spending on the low end for materials prices, it may only cost you $4,000 to $6,000 to get the job done yourself.

DIY vs. Hiring a Concrete Contractor

While it's tempting to try to save money by doing this project on your own, it's not a good idea if you aren't experienced with this type of work. Generally, the more expensive a project is, the more you should err toward hiring a contractor.

That's because an expensive project like this tends to require experience, involve back-breaking labor that could tie you up for months, and create the risk of the work not being done right and therefore needing to be re-done — exploding your budget in the process.

Instead, look for a concrete flooring professional near you. Get a consultation and a quote, and then think it over. It may not cost as much as you think, and it could save you a lot of work and headaches.

FAQs

Can I save money pouring concrete myself?

You can save as much as 60% of the cost of the entire project by doing it yourself, but it's an extremely difficult and time-consuming job that if not done right could end up costing you even more money in the long run, so it's best to leave it to a professional.

What are the risks of trying to DIY my basement flooring?

The main risk of doing the job yourself is not pouring and setting the concrete correctly, requiring you to hire a professional to dig up the concrete and put down new flooring, dramatically increasing the project’s cost beyond what you would have paid originally.

How much extra will I have to pay for a finished basement?

It will cost you between $30 to $100 per square foot to get a finished basement, which is significantly more than the $10 to $25 per square foot to pour concrete.