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Calcimator

Integral Color Calculator

Calculate iron-oxide pigment weight for integrally colored concrete based on volume, mix design, and color intensity.

Inputs

%

Results

Pigment needed (lbs)

146.2

Dosage rate (%)4
Pigment per bag of cement (lbs)3.8
Concrete volume (cu yd)6.48
Total cement (lbs)3,656
Pigment cost ($)$292.44
Base concrete cost ($)$972.22
Total cost ($)$1,264.67
Cost per sq ft ($)$2.53
DIY pigment savings ($)-$130.41
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the slab area in sq ft and the thickness in inches to determine concrete volume.
  2. Select color intensity: 1=light tint (1.5% of cement weight), 2=medium (4%), 3=deep/saturated (7%).
  3. Enter the cement bags per cubic yard for your mix design (standard is 6 bags/yd³).
  4. Read Pigment Needed (lbs) and Pigment per Bag of Cement for accurate site batching.
  5. Use DIY Pigment Savings to evaluate whether buying pigment separately saves money versus the ready-mix color upcharge.
  6. Check Total Cost and Cost per Sq Ft to complete your project budget.

How the result changes with Slab area (sq ft)

Slab area (sq ft)Pigment needed (lbs)
5,0011,462.5
17,5015,118.1
32,5009,504.4
45,00013,160

What each input means

Slab area (sq ft)
Total concrete slab area in square feet.
Thickness (inches)
Slab thickness. Standard flatwork is 4 inches.
Color intensity (1-3)
1 = light tint (1.5%), 2 = medium (4%), 3 = deep/saturated (7% of cement weight).
Cement bags per cu yd
Bags of cement per cubic yard. 5 = lean mix, 6 = standard, 7+ = rich mix.
Waste factor (%)
Extra for overages and spillage.

What each result means

Pigment needed (lbs)
Total iron-oxide pigment weight for the entire pour.
Dosage rate (%)
Pigment as a percentage of cement weight.
Pigment per bag of cement (lbs)
Pigment to add per 94-lb bag (for site batching).
Concrete volume (cu yd)
Total concrete needed including waste factor.
Total cement (lbs)
Total portland cement in the mix.
Pigment cost ($)
Cost of pigment if purchased separately.
Base concrete cost ($)
Ready-mix concrete cost without color.
Total cost ($)
Concrete plus pigment cost.
Cost per sq ft ($)
Total cost per square foot of colored slab.
DIY pigment savings ($)
Savings from buying pigment separately vs. ready-mix color upcharge.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Slab area (sq ft) = 500, Thickness (inches) = 4, Color intensity (1-3) = 2, Cement bags per cu yd = 6 = 5 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Pigment needed
    Pigment needed = totalCementLbs * (pigmentPct / 100)
    146.2 = 146.2
  3. Calculate Dosage rate
    4 = 4
  4. Calculate Pigment per bag of cement
    Pigment per bag of cement = (94 * pigmentPct) / 100
    3.8 = 3.8

Engine last updated . Checked against 3 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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