Concrete bag yield chart: 40, 50, 60, 80 and 90 lb bags
Every concrete estimate ends with the same step: turning a volume into bags. This chart puts the yield of each common bag size next to the numbers you actually need at the store — bags per cubic yard, area per bag at common thicknesses, and how many come on a pallet.
Yield by bag size
The yield is the volume of finished concrete a bag makes once mixed with water. Manufacturers print it on the bag and on their data sheets. These are Quikrete’s figures for its standard Concrete Mix (No. 1101); its Quikrete 5000 and Crack Resistant mixes list the same yields for the sizes they come in, and Sakrete’s high-strength mix lists 0.30, 0.45 and 0.6 cu ft for its 40, 60 and 80 lb bags.
| Bag | Yield (cu ft) | Yield (litres) | Bags per cubic yard | Bags per m³ | Bags per pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb (18.1 kg) | 0.30 | 8.5 | 90 | 118 | 80 |
| 50 lb (22.6 kg) | 0.375 | 10.6 | 72 | 94 | — |
| 60 lb (27.2 kg) | 0.45 | 12.7 | 60 | 79 | 56 |
| 80 lb (36.2 kg) | 0.60 | 17 | 45 | 59 | 42 |
| 90 lb (40.8 kg) | 0.675 | 19.1 | 40 | 52 | — |
| 25 kg | 0.41 | 11.6 | 66 | 86 | — |
| 30 kg | 0.50 | 14.2 | 54 | 70 | — |
The famous number is 45 bags of 80 lb per cubic yard — worked through on how many 80 lb bags of concrete in a yard. The lighter size is on how many 60 lb bags of concrete in a yard, and buying by the pallet on how many bags of concrete on a pallet.
Area one bag covers
Slab work needs the number turned around: how many square feet does a bag cover at the thickness you are pouring? Divide the yield by the thickness in feet.
| Thickness | 40 lb | 50 lb | 60 lb | 80 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 1.8 sq ft | 2.25 sq ft | 2.7 sq ft | 3.6 sq ft |
| 3½ in (2×4 form) | 1.03 sq ft | 1.29 sq ft | 1.54 sq ft | 2.06 sq ft |
| 4 in | 0.9 sq ft | 1.13 sq ft | 1.35 sq ft | 1.8 sq ft |
| 5 in | 0.72 sq ft | 0.9 sq ft | 1.08 sq ft | 1.44 sq ft |
| 6 in | 0.6 sq ft | 0.75 sq ft | 0.9 sq ft | 1.2 sq ft |
So a 4 in slab takes about 5.6 bags of 80 lb for every 10 sq ft. The full worked page is how much does an 80 lb bag of concrete cover, and a small pad of 16 sq ft is on how many bags of concrete for a 4×4 slab.
Every bag size weighs the same per yard
Look across the first table and a pattern appears: 90 bags × 40 lb, 60 × 60 lb and 45 × 80 lb all come to about 3,600 lb of dry mix per cubic yard. Smaller bags don’t reduce the total weight you move; they only make each lift lighter and add bags to open. Pick the size you can carry safely — NIOSH uses 51 lb as the most nearly all healthy workers should lift even under ideal conditions, which puts both the 60 and 80 lb bags above it.
Common conversions
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet ≈ 0.765 m³.
- 1 m³ = 1,000 litres ≈ 1.31 cubic yards ≈ 35.3 cubic feet.
- 1 cubic yard covers 81 sq ft at 4 in — see how many square feet a yard of concrete covers.
- A 10 × 10 ft slab 4 in thick is 1.23 cubic yards, or about 56 bags of 80 lb before waste — see how much concrete for a 10×10 slab.
When the yield is different
- Sand/topping mix has no gravel, so it makes more volume per pound: Quikrete lists about 0.66 cu ft per 80 lb bag.
- Lightweight mixes make more again — Sakrete’s Maximizer lists far higher yields per bag because its aggregate is lighter.
- Portland cement is not concrete mix at all; it is only the binder. Quikrete says five to six 94 lb bags make a cubic yard when mixed with sand and gravel — see how many bags of cement in a yard of concrete.
- Mortar mix is sold by how many blocks or bricks a bag lays rather than by volume; see the mortar calculator.
Adding waste
The chart gives exact conversions. Real pours lose concrete to spillage, forms that bulge a little and a base that dips in places. NRMCA’s guide to ordering ready-mix suggests 4–10% over the calculated volume; for bags, 10% is a sensible default, more for dug holes. The concrete calculator and post hole calculator build the allowance in.
CalculatorConcrete Bags per Yard Calculator →Convert any volume to bags, or bags to volume and area.- 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) - 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.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a 90 lb bag of concrete make more than an 80 lb bag?
Yes — Quikrete lists about 0.675 cu ft for a 90 lb bag against 0.60 for an 80, so 40 bags make a yard. The 90 lb size is sold only in some regions and is heavy to handle.
Why do my bag counts come out higher than the chart?
The chart has no waste allowance. Add 5–10% for a formed slab, more for dug holes and uneven ground.
Sources
- Quikrete Concrete Mix (No. 1101) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields for 40, 50, 60, 80 and 90 lb bags; 2 in minimum thickness.
- Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix (No. 1004) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields for 50 and 60 lb and 25 and 30 kg bags.
- Quikrete Concrete Mix — product page with pallet quantities (opens in a new tab) — 80 per pallet (40 lb), 56 (60 lb), 42 (80 lb).
- Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix technical data sheet (opens in a new tab) — Yields for 40, 60, 80 and 90 lb and 25 and 30 kg bags.
- Quikrete Sand/Topping Mix (No. 1103) data sheet (opens in a new tab) — 80 lb ≈ 0.66 cu ft.
- NRMCA Concrete in Practice 31 — Ordering Ready Mixed Concrete (opens in a new tab) — Order 4–10% over the plan volume.
- NIOSH — Applications Manual for the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (opens in a new tab) — 51 lb load constant.