How hard is it to pour a small concrete pad for a shed in NB?

Pouring a small concrete pad for a shed is one of the best beginner DIY concrete projects in New Brunswick -- manageable in a weekend with the right preparation and realistic expectations about physical effort.

A standard shed pad of 8x10 feet (80 square feet) at 4 inches thick requires roughly 1 cubic yard of concrete. That is within the range of hand-mixing with bagged concrete (Quikrete 30 kg bags -- you'd need about 50 bags) or ordering a small ready-mix delivery. For most NB homeowners, ordering ready-mix makes more sense financially once you calculate the cost of 50 bags at $6-$8 each ($300-$400 in bags alone), plus your time mixing and hauling. A small ready-mix order for 1-1.5 yards costs $220-$350 including delivery, though you may pay a short-load surcharge of $75-$150 for orders under 3-4 cubic yards.

The physical effort is real. Screed, float, and edge the concrete within about 30-60 minutes of placement before it stiffens. On a warm NB summer day you have less time; on a cool October morning, a bit more. For a first-timer, having an extra set of hands is genuinely important.

For a shed pad, a building permit is typically not required in most NB municipalities if the shed itself is under 108 square feet. Even without a permit, follow the NB Building Code approach: excavate 6-8 inches, lay a 4-inch compacted gravel base, then pour 4 inches of concrete. The gravel base is critical in NB -- it provides drainage under the slab and allows frost to move without heaving the pad as dramatically.

Use air-entrained concrete mix for any outdoor NB concrete, including shed pads. NB's 150+ annual freeze-thaw cycles will attack non-air-entrained concrete within a few years, causing surface scaling and deterioration. If you are ordering ready-mix, specify air-entrained 25 MPa. If using bagged concrete, look for exterior-rated mixes.

The basic process: stake out the area, excavate, compact gravel base, build 2x4 forms, check level, pour, screed with a 2x4 across the tops of the forms, float and edge, cut control joints if the pad is over 6 feet in any direction, and cover with plastic sheeting for 7 days to cure properly. Total material cost for an 80 square foot pad runs $400-$700 including ready-mix, gravel, form lumber, and a bag of sealer.

If the shed is large, the ground is uneven or sloped, or you want a particularly level, professional result, hiring a concrete crew for a small pad typically costs $800-$1,500 fully installed -- often worth it for the peace of mind and finished quality.