Concrete Curb & Gutter Calculator — ft, yd³

How to Calculate Concrete for Curb and Gutter

Combined curb-and-gutter is poured monolithically: the cross-section is a fixed profile extruded along the run. Pick the profile, enter run length and the four section dimensions, then add 5–10% waste for subgrade irregularity, form spillage and the over-pour at the gutter lip. The "Volume (net)" line is the theoretical neat-line quantity for take-off; order against "Volume (+waste)". For machine-extruded (slip-form) curb, waste runs lower (5%); for hand-formed work over rough subgrade use 10–15%.

How to use it

Choose barrier (6–8″ vertical face, parking lots and arterials), mountable/rollover (sloped face for driveway crossings) or straight (full-depth curb monolithic with the pan). Most municipal standard details specify a 6″ curb height, 6″ curb width and an 18–24″ gutter pan at 6″ thickness — adjust to your local DOT or city standard detail. Tap any dimension label on the cross-section to jump to that input. For long pours plan ready-mix delivery from the concrete volume calculator; for short repairs price it as bagged concrete.

Formulas

Barrier curb: A = (Curb H × Curb W) + (Gutter W × Gutter T).
Mountable: A ≈ (½ × Curb H × Curb W) + (Gutter W × Gutter T) — the sloped face is treated as a triangular curb section above the pan.
Straight: A = (Curb H + Gutter T) × Curb W + (Gutter W × Gutter T).
Volume = A × Length × (1 + Waste%), with A in in², converted at 1 yd³ = 46 656 in³. Concrete weight uses 150 lb/ft³ (≈4 050 lb/yd³).

Reinforcement

Longitudinal bars are a drawing-based quantity takeoff. Enter stock length, lap and end extensions from the municipal/DOT detail or project drawings. Joint type, spacing and dowels must follow the governing municipal/DOT standard detail and project documents. The same bar geometry feeds the concrete beam and column calculators if the curb is tied into a footing or grade beam.

On the jobsite

Installed curb & gutter in 2025 USA runs roughly $25–45/lf hand-formed and $15–28/lf slip-form (machine-extruded), ready-mix only ≈ $150–180/yd³ with a 4000 psi DOT mix at $5–15/yd³ over base. The single biggest take-off mistake is ordering net instead of plus-waste: a 100 ft barrier curb is only ~1.4 yd³, well under the typical 3 yd³ short-load minimum (+$80–150 fee), so plan to combine runs or price it as bagged concrete. The next is forgetting control joints every 10–15 ft (ACI 332 / 360) — sawcut within 4–12 hours of finishing or the curb cracks where it wants to, not where you want it to. Save runs to History and export the diagram as text, CSV, JPG or PDF.

FAQ

Should I order net or +waste volume? Order the +waste figure — short loads cost more than the small overage. Does this include the gutter pan? Yes, the pan (Gutter Width × Thickness) is added to every profile. What about returns and ADA ramps? Add those segments separately; this tool covers straight runs. For an adjacent retaining or curb wall or formed steps, use the dedicated calculators.