Small Load Concrete Delivery Cost: $365 vs $620 Check

Small load concrete delivery is the awkward middle ground between buying a few bags and scheduling a full ready-mix truck. It often comes up for patios, shed bases, sidewalks, post pads, footing repairs, hot tub pads, curb repairs, and small slab sections that need more concrete than hand mixing feels comfortable but less than a supplier's preferred truck load.

Use the Concrete Cost Calculator to compare your small-load quote with minimum billable yards, delivery fees, access fees, and bagged concrete. If the decision is mainly truck delivery versus bags, run the same volume in the Ready-Mix vs Bags Calculator. For a sidewalk or walkway pour, estimate length, width, thickness, 40/60/80 lb bag count, and ready-mix cost in the Concrete Sidewalk Calculator Guide. If the small load also has poor truck access, compare the pump or buggy allowance in the Concrete Pump Cost Calculator Guide. For a smaller access problem where a pump may be too much, use the Concrete Buggy Rental Cost Guide.

Quick answer

Small load concrete delivery cost depends less on the concrete price per cubic yard and more on how the supplier handles partial loads. A small-load quote may use actual yards plus a short-load fee, a minimum billable yardage, a minimum invoice, a mini-mix truck, or volumetric / metered delivery.

Answer first: under the assumptions on this page, a 0.7 yd3 job screens at $620 delivered under a standard 3 yd3 ready-mix minimum, $365 delivered through a 1 yd3 mini-mix or volumetric minimum, or 32 common 80 lb bags at about $208 in bag material. The decision is not "price per yard." It is the delivered total after minimums, trip fees, bag handling, access, and wait time.

Use this planning formula:

small-load delivered total =
  max(actual yards after waste, minimum billable yards)
  x price per cubic yard
  + delivery, short-load, fuel, tax, wait-time, and access fees

If the supplier bills actual yards plus a fixed small-load fee:

small-load delivered total =
  actual yards after waste x price per cubic yard
  + delivery fee
  + short-load fee
  + access, fuel, tax, and wait-time fees

The number to compare is the delivered total for your address, mix, volume, and access plan. A low per-yard price can still lose if the quote has a 3 yd3 minimum, and a higher mini-mix or volumetric per-yard price can still win if it avoids that minimum.

For the exact fee model, also read the Concrete Short Load Fee Guide, Minimum Concrete Delivery Order Guide, Mini Mix Concrete Delivery Cost Guide, and Volumetric Concrete Delivery Cost Guide.

Small-load decision in one screen

Use this table before calling suppliers or buying bags. It keeps the decision focused on the buying path instead of only the concrete volume.

This is the gap most generic calculators miss: the same 0.7 yd3 form can look cheap as bags, expensive as a 3 yd3 minimum, and reasonable as a metered or mini-mix delivery if labor, speed, or access makes bags risky.

What counts as a small load?

There is no universal cutoff. In planning terms, a small load is any order that is below a supplier's preferred delivery size or normal truck efficiency point. That can mean less than 1 yd3, less than 3 yd3, less than 5 yd3, or a minimum invoice threshold depending on the local supplier.

These are planning ranges, not rules. The supplier's truck fleet, delivery distance, batching schedule, and local demand decide the real cutoff.

Small load vs short-load fee vs minimum order

Concrete suppliers often use similar terms for different billing rules. Before you compare prices, translate the quote into the right model.

If two suppliers describe the job differently, compare them by delivered total for the same actual yardage after waste. Do not compare one supplier's per-yard price with another supplier's all-in delivered quote.

Example: 0.7 yd3 small load

Assume a small pad or repair needs 0.7 yd3 after waste.

Standard ready-mix quote:

• $165 per yd3
• 3 yd3 minimum billable load
• $125 delivery fee

3.0 yd3 minimum x $165 = $495
$495 + $125 delivery = $620 delivered

Mini-mix or volumetric quote:

• $220 per yd3
• 1 yd3 minimum billable load
• $145 trip and delivery fees

1.0 yd3 minimum x $220 = $220
$220 + $145 fees = $365 delivered

Bagged comparison with 80 lb bags at 0.60 ft3 yield and $6.50 per bag:

0.7 yd3 x 27 / 0.60 = 31.5 bags
round up to 32 bags
32 x $6.50 = $208 material

Bags may be cheaper on material here, but mini-mix or volumetric delivery may still be worth quoting if the work needs faster placement, consistent mix, or less handling.

Example: 1.5 yd3 small load

Assume a patio, shed pad, or footing repair needs 1.5 yd3 after waste.

Actual-yards plus short-load fee:

1.5 yd3 x $165 = $247.50
$247.50 + $125 delivery + $100 short-load = $472.50

Same project with a 3 yd3 minimum:

3.0 yd3 x $165 = $495
$495 + $125 delivery = $620 delivered

Same project with 80 lb bags:

1.5 yd3 x 27 / 0.60 = 67.5 bags
round up to 68 bags
68 x $6.50 = $442 material

At this size, the spreadsheet may be close. The jobsite decision matters: mixing 68 bags is very different from placing one truck delivery.

Example: 2.5 yd3 small load

Assume a larger small slab or footing run needs 2.5 yd3 after waste.

Ready-mix with a 3 yd3 minimum:

3.0 yd3 x $165 = $495
$495 + $125 delivery = $620 delivered

Actual-yards mini-mix at a higher price:

2.5 yd3 x $220 = $550
$550 + $145 fees = $695 delivered

Bagged comparison with 80 lb bags:

2.5 yd3 x 27 / 0.60 = 112.5 bags
round up to 113 bags
113 x $6.50 = $734.50 material

Here the standard ready-mix minimum can become reasonable because the project is close to the minimum anyway. The higher mini-mix price may no longer win, and bags become heavy, slow, and risky for a continuous pour.

Cost comparison by small project size

The table below uses 4 inch slabs, 10% waste, standard ready-mix at $165 per yd3 with a 3 yd3 minimum and $125 delivery, mini-mix at $220 per yd3 with a 1 yd3 minimum and $145 fixed fees, and 80 lb bags at $6.50 each.

These are example assumptions, not national prices. The pattern is useful: small-load delivery often competes near the truck-minimum gap, while standard ready-mix becomes stronger when the project already clears the minimum.

For slab-specific bag counts, see Concrete Bags for a 6x6 Slab, Concrete Bags for an 8x8 Slab, Concrete Bags for a 10x10 Slab, Concrete Bags for a 12x12 Slab, and Concrete Bags for a 16x16 Slab.

When small-load delivery makes sense

Small-load delivery is worth quoting when:

• The job needs dozens of bags.
• The pour should happen continuously.
• A standard ready-mix supplier has a high minimum load or short-load fee.
• The site can accept a smaller truck more easily than a full-size mixer.
• The job needs a specific mix strength, slump, fiber, air entrainment, or additive.
• Contractor or helper labor costs more than the small-load premium.
• The supplier can provide a clear delivered total in writing.

Small-load delivery is especially worth checking for patios, shed bases, small sidewalks, hot tub pads, equipment pads, curb repairs, step landings, and footing repairs that sit between bagged concrete and standard ready-mix.

When bags may still be better

Bags can still be the better small-load answer when:

Do not decide from shelf price alone. Include store delivery, mixer rental, extra trips, handling time, cleanup, and the risk of slow placement. Use Ready-Mix vs Bags Cost when the bag count is high enough that labor and timing matter.

Small-load quote questions

Ask each supplier the same questions so the quotes can be compared fairly:

1. What is the delivered total for my address and estimated cubic yards?
2. Is this a standard ready-mix truck, mini-mix truck, or volumetric service?
3. What minimum billable yards or minimum invoice applies?
4. Is there a short-load fee, trip fee, fuel surcharge, tax, or environmental fee?
5. How much unloading or truck wait time is included?
6. Can the truck reach the pour by chute, or do I need a pump, buggy, wheelbarrow crew, or extra labor?
7. What PSI, slump, air entrainment, fiber, accelerator, retarder, or additives are included?
8. Can you send the quote in writing with all line items shown?

If a supplier only gives a price per yard, ask again for the delivered total. Small loads are where fixed fees and minimums change the answer.

How to enter a small-load quote in the calculator

Use the Concrete Cost Calculator as a quote audit:

If the supplier gives one all-in delivered total, enter assumptions that recreate that total. Then compare the same project volume against bags, standard ready-mix, mini-mix, and volumetric delivery.

Red flags in a small-load quote

Pause before scheduling when the quote has these gaps:

The cleanest comparison uses the same actual volume, waste factor, mix design, delivery window, access assumption, and all fixed fees.

Sources and checks

Use these references to verify the assumptions behind the estimate and to keep supplier calls consistent.

FAQ

How much does small load concrete delivery cost?

It depends on local price per yard, minimum billable yards, short-load fees, delivery distance, tax, access, and wait time. Ask for the delivered total for your exact address and order size before comparing it with bags.

Is small load concrete the same as short-load concrete?

Often, but not always. "Small load" is a general phrase. "Short-load fee" is a specific small-order charge. A small-load quote may also be priced through a minimum billable load, mini-mix truck, or volumetric service.

Can I order less than one yard of concrete?

Sometimes, but it may still be billed as one yard, a minimum invoice, or a small-load fee. For less than one yard, compare bags first and ask whether a mini-mix or volumetric supplier serves your area.

Are small-load trucks cheaper than standard ready-mix?

They can be cheaper when a standard truck has a high minimum billable load. Once the project is large enough to clear the standard minimum, regular ready-mix often becomes cheaper per delivered yard.

Are bags cheaper than small-load delivery?

For tiny repairs, usually yes. For 40, 60, or 100+ bags, delivery may be worth the premium because placement speed, handling weight, and finish quality matter. Compare both material cost and jobsite risk.

Does small-load delivery include labor?

Usually no. It is still a concrete delivery quote. Site prep, forms, reinforcement, placement labor, finishing, cleanup, permits, and contractor overhead are separate unless the quote says they are included.