Concrete bags per yard calculator
Turn a volume into bags of concrete mix, or a stack of bags into the volume and area they will pour.
Enter your measurements
More options: Thick · Extra
- Bags of this size per cubic yard
- 45 bags
- Yield of one bag
- ≈ 0.6 cu ft (17 L)
- Area covered at the thickness above
- 81 sq ft
- Weight of the bags
- 3,600 lb (2 tons)
- Full pallets (Quikrete pallet size)
- 1 pallet of 42 + 3 bags
One 80 lb bag makes 0.6 cu ft, so 27 cu ft per cu yd ÷ 0.6 cu ft = 45 bags per cubic yard
27 cu ft ÷ 0.6 cu ft = 45 → 45 bags
Spread 4 in thick: 27 cu ft ÷ 0.333 ft = 81 sq ft
Quick answers for common sizes
| Example | Answer |
|---|---|
| How many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard | 45 bags of 80 lb per cubic yard |
| How many 60 lb bags of concrete in a yard | 60 bags of 60 lb per cubic yard |
| How much does an 80 lb bag of concrete cover | 0.6 cu ft: 1.8 sq ft at 4 in thick |
| How many bags of concrete on a pallet | 42 bags of 80 lb (56 of 60 lb, 80 of 40 lb), Quikrete |
The same volume in every bag size
| Bag size | Bags of mix | Weight of the bags |
|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 90 bags | 3,600 lb |
| 50 lb | 72 bags | 3,600 lb |
| 60 lb | 60 bags | 3,600 lb |
| 80 lb | 45 bags | 3,600 lb |
| 90 lb | 40 bags | 3,600 lb |
Bagged concrete is sold by weight but poured by volume, so the number that matters is the yield printed on the bag. Quikrete’s Concrete Mix data sheet gives an 80 lb bag about 0.60 cu ft, which is why a cubic yard — 27 cu ft — takes 45 bags of 80 lb. Sakrete’s high-strength mix lists the same 0.6 cu ft per 80 lb bag.
Bags per cubic yard, by bag size
| Bag | Yield (cu ft) | Yield (L) | Bags per cu yd | Bags per m³ | Per pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 0.30 | 8.5 | 90 | 118 | 80 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 | 10.6 | 72 | 94 | — |
| 60 lb | 0.45 | 12.7 | 60 | 79 | 56 |
| 80 lb | 0.60 | 17 | 45 | 59 | 42 |
| 90 lb | 0.675 | 19.1 | 40 | 52 | — |
| 25 kg | 0.41 | 11.6 | 66 | 86 | — |
| 30 kg | 0.50 | 14.2 | 54 | 70 | — |
Notice that every bag size works out to roughly the same weight per yard — about 3,600 lb of dry mix. Smaller bags don’t save any lifting overall; they make each lift lighter and give you more bags to open. The concrete bag yield chart has the full table with areas covered at common thicknesses.
The formula
bags = cubic yards × 27 ÷ bag yield (cu ft) cubic feet from bags = bags × bag yield area covered (sq ft) = cubic feet ÷ (thickness in inches ÷ 12)
Worked examples
- How many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard — 45, and what that looks like on the ground.
- How many 60 lb bags of concrete in a yard — 60, and when the lighter bag is worth it.
- How much does an 80 lb bag of concrete cover — square feet at 2, 4 and 6 inches.
- How many bags of concrete on a pallet — 42, 56 or 80 depending on size, and what a pallet pours.
Mistakes that throw the count off
- Buying by weight instead of yield. Different products make different volumes per pound. Sand/topping mix, for example, yields about 0.66 cu ft per 80 lb bag because it has no gravel; lightweight mixes yield more.
- Forgetting the waste allowance. A straight conversion has no spare. For a real pour, add 5–10% (NRMCA suggests 4–10% for ready-mix orders) or use the concrete calculator, which builds it in.
- Rounding the per-hole count down. If you mix each post hole or tube separately, round up per hole — the post hole calculator shows both totals.
What you’ll need
- Mortar and concrete mixing tubBudget price
A wide, shallow tub for one or two bags at a time — easier to clean and to pull a hoe through than a wheelbarrow.
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) - 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) - Contractor wheelbarrowMid-range price
A 6 cu ft steel or poly tray with a pneumatic tire moves concrete from the mixer to the forms. Never load it to the brim with wet concrete.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many 40 lb bags of concrete make a yard?
Ninety. A 40 lb bag yields about 0.30 cu ft, and a yard is 27 cu ft. That is the same 3,600 lb of mix as 45 bags of 80 lb, just twice as many bags.
How many 50 lb bags of concrete are in a cubic yard?
About 72, at 0.375 cu ft per bag (Quikrete’s figure for its 50 lb Concrete Mix and Fast-Setting bags).
How many bags of concrete in a cubic metre?
About 59 of 80 lb (17 L each), 86 of 25 kg (11.6 L) or 70 of 30 kg (14.2 L, Sakrete’s yield), before waste. Metric bag yields vary more between brands, so read the bag.
Is Quikrete 5000 the same yield as regular concrete mix?
Yes for the common sizes: Quikrete’s data sheet gives 0.45 cu ft per 60 lb and 0.60 cu ft per 80 lb bag of Quikrete 5000, the same as its standard Concrete Mix. The difference is strength, not volume.
How many bags of cement in a yard of concrete?
If you mean bags of portland cement mixed with your own sand and gravel, Quikrete puts it at five to six 94 lb bags per cubic yard. See the cement calculator.
Related guides
Sources
- 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.
- Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix (No. 1004) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — 50 lb ≈ 0.375 cu ft, 60 lb ≈ 0.45 cu ft, 25 kg ≈ 11.6 L, 30 kg ≈ 14 L; sets in 20–40 minutes; post holes 3× the post width and ⅓ of the post length deep; wait 4 hours before loading a post.
- Quikrete 5000 Concrete Mix (No. 1007) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — 60 lb ≈ 0.45, 80 lb ≈ 0.60 cu ft; ≈ 140 lb/cu ft; 1,500 psi at 1 day, 2,500 at 3, 3,500 at 7 and 5,000 at 28 days; 2 in minimum thickness.
- Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields: 40 lb 0.30, 60 lb 0.45, 80 lb 0.6, 90 lb 0.66 cu ft; 25 kg 0.41, 30 kg 0.50 cu ft.
- Quikrete Concrete Mix (No. 1101) — product page with pallet quantities (opens in a new tab) — 40 lb bags 80 per pallet; 60 lb bags 56 per pallet; 80 lb bags 42 per pallet.
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C — General Tables of Units of Measurement (opens in a new tab) — 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet; 1 cubic foot = 1,728 cubic inches.