How many bags of concrete are in a cubic yard?
45bags
80 lb bags in one cubic yard
It takes 45 eighty-pound bags to make one cubic yard of concrete. An 80 lb bag yields about 0.6 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 27 ÷ 0.6 = 45. Smaller bags need proportionally more.
bags = 27 ÷ bag yield in cubic feet
- 80 lb bags: 45 per cubic yard
- 60 lb bags: 60 per cubic yard
- 50 lb bags: 72 per cubic yard
- 40 lb bags: 90 per cubic yard
- One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet; add 5–10% for spillage and uneven ground
Bags per cubic yard by bag size
| Bag size | Yield per bag | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | 0.6 ft³ | 45 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 ft³ | 60 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 ft³ | 72 |
| 40 lb | 0.3 ft³ | 90 |
Bags for common slabs, before any waste allowance
| Slab | Cubic yards | 80 lb bags | 60 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft at 4 in | 1.23 | 56 | 75 |
| 10 × 10 ft at 6 in | 1.85 | 84 | 112 |
| 12 × 12 ft at 4 in | 1.78 | 80 | 107 |
| 20 × 20 ft at 4 in | 4.94 | 223 | 297 |
| 24 × 24 ft at 4 in | 7.11 | 320 | 427 |
Concrete calculator
Slabs, footings and columns — in cubic yards, bags and cost.
When bags stop making sense
Forty-five bags is roughly a ton and a half of mixing, and a slab has to be poured in one go to avoid cold joints. Most people switch to ready-mix at about a cubic yard, where delivery is usually cheaper than the bags and immeasurably faster.
Bag yield is mixed volume, not dry weight
The yield printed on a bag is the volume of finished concrete after water is added, which is why an 80 lb bag makes 0.6 cubic feet rather than the volume of the dry powder.
Frequently asked questions
How many 80 lb bags of concrete make a yard?
45 bags. Each yields about 0.6 cubic feet and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How many 60 lb bags are in a yard?
60 bags, since a 60 lb bag yields 0.45 cubic feet.
How many bags for a 10 × 10 ft slab at 4 inches?
That slab is 33.3 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards — about 56 eighty-pound bags before any waste allowance.
Is bagged concrete cheaper than ready-mix?
Only for small pours. Past about a cubic yard the bag count, the mixing time and the risk of a cold joint all favour ready-mix.
How many 60 lb bags of Quikrete are in a yard?
60 bags. A 60 lb bag of concrete mix yields about 0.45 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does 1 yard of concrete cover at 4 inches thick?
81 square feet. At 6 inches it covers 54 square feet, and at 3 inches, 108 square feet.
How many yards of concrete do I need for a 24 × 24 ft slab at 4 inches?
7.11 cubic yards before waste — 576 sq ft × 0.333 ft = 192 cubic feet. With 10% waste, order 8 cubic yards.