How many 60 lb bags of concrete in a yard?
One cubic yard takes 60 bags of 60 lb concrete mix. Each 60 lb bag yields about 0.45 cubic feet, and 27 ÷ 0.45 = 60. The bags weigh 3,600 pounds in total, the same as 45 bags of 80 lb.
How to work it out
- One 60 lb bag makes 0.45 cu ft, so 27 cu ft per cu yd ÷ 0.45 cu ft = 60 bags per cubic yard
- 27 cu ft ÷ 0.45 cu ft = 60 → 60 bags
- Spread 4 in thick: 27 cu ft ÷ 0.333 ft = 81 sq ft
The 60 lb bag is the compromise size: noticeably easier to carry than an 80, without doubling the bag count the way 40 lb bags do. Quikrete and Sakrete both list it at 0.45 cubic feet.
Adjust for your project
More options: Thick · Extra
- Bags of this size per cubic yard
- 60 bags
- Yield of one bag
- ≈ 0.45 cu ft (12.7 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 56 + 4 bags
60 lb bags for common volumes
| Concrete volume | Bags of mix | Weight of the bags | Area covered at the thickness above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 cu yd | 15 bags | 900 lb | 20.3 sq ft |
| 0.5 cu yd | 30 bags | 1,800 lb | 40.5 sq ft |
| 1 cu yd | 60 bags | 3,600 lb | 81 sq ft |
| 1.5 cu yd | 90 bags | 5,400 lb | 122 sq ft |
| 2 cu yd | 120 bags | 7,200 lb | 162 sq ft |
| 3 cu yd | 180 bags | 10,800 lb | 243 sq ft |
Sixty bags vs forty-five
Per yard you lift the same 3,600 lb either way, so the choice is about each lift. Sixty pounds is still above the 51 lb load constant in NIOSH’s lifting equation — the figure it treats as the most nearly anyone should lift even in ideal conditions — so carry them close to your body, lift with your legs, and share heavy carries. Fifteen extra bags also means fifteen more to cut open and dump, which adds a little time per batch.
A Quikrete pallet of 60 lb bags holds 56, so a yard is one pallet and four bags. For a real pour, add 10%: 66 bags.
Where 60 lb bags make sense
They suit anyone working alone, carrying bags a long way from the car, or mixing in a small tub where an 80 lb bag is awkward to tip in. They also tend to be the size kept in stock for fast-setting post mix in some stores. For the heavier bag, see how many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard; to see how far one bag spreads, see how much does an 80 lb bag of concrete cover.
Different size? Use the full Concrete Bags per Yard Calculator.
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) - Nitrile-coated work glovesBudget price
Wet concrete and mortar are caustic. Keep the cement off your skin with waterproof gloves, and wash off any that gets in.
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Frequently asked questions
How many 60 lb bags of concrete for 2 yards?
120 bags for two cubic yards, before waste.
How many 40 lb bags of concrete in a yard?
90 bags of 40 lb at 0.30 cubic feet each, still 3,600 pounds in all.
How many 50 lb bags of concrete in a yard?
72 bags of 50 lb at 0.375 cubic feet each.
Other common sizes
- How many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard — 45 bags of 80 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
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.