How many bags of cement in a yard of concrete?
A cubic yard of concrete takes five to six 94 lb bags of portland cement, mixed with sand and gravel; buy 6 bags to be safe. If you mean premixed concrete bags instead, it is 45 bags of 80 lb.
How to work it out
- 1 cu yd × 5.5 bags of 94 lb per cubic yard = 517 lb of cement
- ÷ 94 lb per bag = 6 bags
- Mix: 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 3 parts gravel (Quikrete Portland Cement data sheet)
This question gets asked two ways, because “cement” is used for both. If you are buying portland cement to mix with your own sand and gravel, the answer is five or six bags. If you are buying bags of ready-to-use concrete mix, it is 45 of the 80 lb size.
Adjust for your project
- Weight of cement
- 517 lb
- Mix by volume
- 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 3 parts gravel
- Or premixed 80 lb concrete bags
- 45 bags
- Buy clean concrete sand and gravel meeting ASTM C33 (Quikrete’s spec for this mix) — the yard may sell them in bulk or in bags. Measure each part with the same bucket, and use the least water that gives a workable mix: extra water weakens concrete.
Bags of 94 lb cement by volume (5½ per yard)
| Concrete to make | Cement bags | Weight of cement | Or premixed 80 lb concrete bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 cu yd | 2 bags | 129 lb | 12 bags |
| 0.5 cu yd | 3 bags | 259 lb | 23 bags |
| 1 cu yd | 6 bags | 517 lb | 45 bags |
| 2 cu yd | 11 bags | 1,034 lb | 90 bags |
| 3 cu yd | 17 bags | 1,551 lb | 135 bags |
Portland cement: five to six bags
Quikrete’s Portland Cement data sheet says five to six 94 lb bags are typically used, with the right amounts of sand and gravel, to make a cubic yard. The range reflects the application: a stronger or more workable mix carries more cement. Five and a half bags is about 517 lb of cement. In 47 lb bags it is 11 or 12.
Quikrete pairs that with a 1 : 2 : 3 mix by volume — one part cement, two parts sand, three parts gravel — using sand and gravel that meet ASTM C33.
Premixed: 45 bags
Bags labelled concrete mix already contain the cement, sand and gravel. At 0.6 cu ft per 80 lb bag, a yard is 45 bags and about 3,600 lb. They cost more per yard than raw materials but need no measuring. Compare: how many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard. For anything over a yard, a ready-mix truck usually beats both — see how much concrete does a truck hold.
Different size? Use the full Cement Calculator (Mix Your Own).
What you’ll need
- Portable electric concrete mixerPremium price
A small drum mixer turns a long day of hand-mixing into batches of two or three 80 lb bags. Check the drum size against the bag count you need.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Mortar hoeBudget price
The holes in the blade pull water through dry mix, so bagged concrete and mortar mix evenly without dry pockets.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Half-face respirator with P100 filtersMid-range price
For dusty work such as dumping dry mix. It doesn’t replace wet cutting or a vacuum-equipped saw when you cut concrete or block.
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Frequently asked questions
How many 47 lb bags of cement in a yard of concrete?
11 bags of 47 lb, about 517 pounds of cement, at five and a half 94 lb bags per yard.
How many bags of cement for half a yard of concrete?
3 bags of 94 lb (two and a half to three), mixed 1:2:3 with sand and gravel.
Other common sizes
- What is the concrete mix ratio — 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 3 parts gravel, by volume
Sources
- Quikrete Portland Cement data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Concrete mix 1 part cement : 2 parts sand : 3 parts gravel by volume; five to six 94 lb bags of cement per cubic yard of concrete; Type S and Type N mortar and ASTM C926 stucco blends.
- Quikrete Concrete Mix (No. 1101) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields: 40 lb ≈ 0.30, 50 lb ≈ 0.375, 60 lb ≈ 0.45, 80 lb ≈ 0.60, 90 lb ≈ 0.675 cu ft; unit weight ≈ 140 lb/cu ft; for pours 2 in thick or more; 6–9 pints of water per 80 lb bag; control joints every 6–8 ft; cure 5 days at 70 °F or above, 7 days at 50–70 °F; protect from freezing for 48 hours.
- OSHA 3351 — Preventing Skin Problems from Working with Portland Cement (opens in a new tab) — Wet portland cement can cause caustic burns that may not hurt at first and in severe cases reach the bone.