Calculate cubic yards, bags needed, and Colorado-accurate ready-mix costs for any Lakewood concrete project — driveways, patios, foundations, garage slabs, footings & more.
Enter your project dimensions to calculate volume, bags needed, and estimated Lakewood CO material cost.
Residential driveway: 5 in. min, 4,000 PSI with 5–7% air entrainment. Frost depth is 36 in. in Jefferson County — all footings must extend below this depth.
Driveway 5 in · Garage 5–6 in · Patio 4 in · Foundation 6–8 in
Lakewood is Colorado's fifth-largest city, home to approximately 160,000 residents in Jefferson County on the western edge of the Denver metro area. Its location at the base of the Rocky Mountain foothills gives it a semi-arid, high-altitude climate with over 300 days of sunshine per year, dramatic temperature swings of 40–60°F in a single day, very low relative humidity, and a frost depth of 36 inches. These conditions create a set of concrete challenges distinct from either the Pacific Northwest or the Deep South: rapid surface evaporation causes plastic shrinkage cracking, intense UV radiation accelerates slab degradation, and expansive bentonite clay soils that expand when wet and shrink when dry can literally heave and crack slabs from below. Contractors in Colorado must be licensed through DORA — always confirm at colorado.gov/dora.
All Exterior Flatwork (driveways, patios, sidewalks): 4,000 PSI with 5–7% air entrainment — mandatory for Jefferson County freeze-thaw durability · Garage Floors: 4,000 PSI, 5–6 in. thick, vapor barrier recommended · Foundation Slabs: 4,000 PSI, 6–8 in., footings at 36 in. minimum depth · W/C Ratio: Maximum 0.45 for all exterior concrete · Curing: Wet-cure or apply curing compound immediately — Lakewood's low humidity and high altitude evaporate bleed water very rapidly · High-altitude note: At 5,400 ft, air entrainment targets differ slightly from sea-level mixes — confirm target air content with your ready-mix supplier · Expansive soils: A geotechnical report is strongly advisable before any foundation work in Jefferson County. Always confirm with City of Lakewood Building Division before any pour.
A standard 20×20 ft Lakewood driveway at 5 inches requires ~6.2 cubic yards of 4,000 PSI air-entrained concrete. Colorado's intense UV radiation makes surface sealers and proper curing even more important than in other states — an unsealed driveway will show surface scaling and color fading significantly faster at altitude. Control joints every 8–10 ft manage cracking from the large daily temperature swings. Basic broom-finish driveways run $9–$15/sq ft installed in the Jefferson County market, with stamped and decorative work reaching $20–$35/sq ft.
A standard two-car garage (20×22 ft) at 5 inches needs ~6.7 cubic yards of 4,000 PSI concrete. Lakewood winters bring road salt from driveways and streets into garages on tires — use a W/C ratio of 0.45 or lower and apply a quality penetrating sealer after the slab reaches full cure (28 days) to protect against chloride penetration. A vapor barrier under garage slabs is recommended even in Colorado's dry climate — Jefferson County soils can deliver moisture upward during wet spring seasons. Epoxy coatings are extremely popular in the Denver metro due to the dry climate that promotes good adhesion.
The single greatest concrete risk in Lakewood is expansive bentonite clay soil, which is widespread across the Denver-Front Range area including Jefferson County. These soils can expand up to 10% in volume when saturated — generating uplift pressures capable of cracking foundation slabs, breaking footings, and buckling basement walls. A geotechnical report from a licensed CO geotechnical engineer is not optional for any significant foundation in Lakewood — it is essential. Mitigation options include moisture-conditioned subgrade, structural slabs on piers, and void-form systems that allow soil expansion without transferring force to the slab.
Measure your project's length and width in feet and thickness in inches. Multiply length × width × (thickness ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Always add at least a 10% waste factor — Lakewood's low humidity and wind can cause concrete to stiffen faster than expected in warm months, making mid-pour delays more costly. For any project where subgrade soil has been disturbed, ensure it is fully re-compacted before ordering concrete. For foundations, always confirm your geotechnical report's recommendations before finalizing thickness and reinforcement.
At 5,400 feet elevation, Lakewood's low humidity (often 15–30%), frequent afternoon winds, and intense sun create extremely high evaporation rates from fresh concrete surfaces. When the evaporation rate exceeds the bleed water rate — which happens very quickly in Lakewood's climate — plastic shrinkage cracks form across the surface within the first hour of placement, before any finishing is complete. To prevent this: schedule pours for early morning when temperatures are lower and humidity is higher; use evaporation retarder (Confilm or equivalent) immediately after screeding; erect windbreaks on windy days; begin curing with wet burlap or curing compound as soon as the surface can bear it. The evaporation rate nomograph in ACI 305 should be consulted for any hot-weather or windy-day pour in Lakewood. Never let the surface dry or "check" before final finishing is complete.
The table below reflects typical volumes and current Jefferson County ready-mix pricing for the most common project types. Installed costs include forming, standard labor, broom finish, and control joints — they exclude excavation, permits, geotechnical reports, vapor barriers, and specialty admixtures for expansive soils. Denver metro labor costs are moderate. Always collect at least three bids from DORA-licensed Lakewood concrete contractors before committing to any project.
| Project Type | Typical Size | Thickness | Cu Yards | Material Cost | Installed Estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway (Standard) | 20 × 20 ft | 5 in. | ~6.2 yd | $1,004 | $2,300 – $3,600 | 4,000 PSI + Air |
| Garage Floor (2-car) | 20 × 22 ft | 5 in. | ~6.7 yd | $1,085 | $2,500 – $3,900 | 4,000 PSI + Air |
| Patio / Backyard Slab | 16 × 20 ft | 4 in. | ~4.7 yd | $761 | $1,650 – $2,600 | 4,000 PSI + Air |
| Foundation Slab | 1,500 sq ft | 6 in. | ~18.5 yd | $2,997 | $9,500 – $16,000 | 4,000+ PSI · Geotech |
| Sidewalk / Walkway | 4 × 40 ft | 4 in. | ~2.0 yd | $324 | $800 – $1,500 | 4,000 PSI + Air |
| Commercial / Warehouse | 40 × 60 ft | 6 in. | ~44.4 yd | $7,193 | $19,000 – $32,000 | 4,000–5,000 PSI |
Jefferson County sits on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain uplift zone, where bentonite-rich clay soils and claystone bedrock are extremely common — especially in the lower-elevation residential areas of Lakewood. These soils are classified as highly expansive with swell potential often exceeding 5–10% when moisture content changes. The damage pattern is characteristic: wet spring seasons cause soils to expand and push slabs upward; dry summers cause the same soils to shrink and create voids under the slab, which then cracks when loaded. Mitigation is far less expensive than repair — always invest in a geotechnical investigation before any foundation, retaining wall, or large flatwork project in Lakewood.
Lakewood's high elevation means UV intensity is roughly 25% higher than at sea level — concrete surfaces cure faster and are more susceptible to surface cracking without proper curing. Apply a curing compound or begin wet curing within 20–30 minutes of finishing — far sooner than you would at sea level. Avoid pouring in direct afternoon sun during summer when concrete surface temperatures can reach 90–100°F before finishing is complete. On windy days, use windbreaks to reduce evaporation. Do not add water to the mix at the job site to make it more workable — this destroys strength and increases cracking. If slump is too low on hot days, ask your ready-mix supplier for a mid-range water reducer admixture rather than adding water.
Confirm permit requirements, geotechnical conditions, and frost depth before any Lakewood pour.
Check permit requirements, inspection schedules, and IBC/IRC concrete specifications for residential and commercial projects in Lakewood. The Building Division handles flatwork, foundation, and structural concrete permits and can advise on Jefferson County expansive soil requirements and IBC-adopted Colorado amendments applicable to your project.
Visit City of LakewoodVerify licenses and complaint history for any concrete or construction contractor working in Lakewood. Colorado's DORA maintains a public license lookup for all registered contractors and electricians — always confirm your contractor's status before signing a contract. Also confirm the contractor carries current liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage for work in Jefferson County.
Search DORAACI 305 Hot Weather Concreting is essential reading for all Lakewood summer concrete work. It covers evaporation rate calculations, evaporation retarder use, windbreak requirements, and mix design modifications for hot, dry, high-altitude conditions. The evaporation nomograph in ACI 305 should be consulted before every warm-season pour in Lakewood to determine if special precautions are needed.
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