Cubic Yards of Concrete Calculator: Feet to Yards, Bags and Trucks
One cubic yard of concrete is 27 cubic feet (0.765 m³), fills a 9×9 ft slab 4 in thick and equals 45 bags of 80 lb mix.
Advanced options: waste, prices
NRMCA advises ordering 4 to 10 percent over the estimate.
Concrete needed (with 10% extra)
1.96 yd³
1.50 m³ · 48 ft³ before extra
Slab: 12 ft × 12 ft × 4 in. Over about 1 yd³: order ready-mix.
Premix bags
- 80 lb88
- 60 lb118
- 50 lb141
- 40 lb176
- Ready-mix cost
- $313
- Weight
- 7,200 lb
Full breakdown
| Volume before extra | 1.78 yd³ · 1.36 m³ |
|---|---|
| With 10% extra | 1.96 yd³ |
| Weight (150 lb/ft³) | 7,200 lb · 3.60 tons |
| Pallets of 40 lb (80 bags each) | 3 |
| Pallets of 60 lb (56 bags each) | 3 |
| Pallets of 80 lb (42 bags each) | 3 |
| Truckloads at 12 yd³ | 1 |
| Truckloads at 8 yd³ | 1 |
Bag counts round up, as Quikrete's own calculator does. Cost uses your prices; delivery and short-load fees are extra.
Key takeaways
- 1 cubic yard = 27 ft³ = 0.7646 m³ (NIST).
- 1 yd³ covers 81 sq ft at 4 in.
- 1 yd³ = 45 bags of 80 lb mix.
- A ready-mix truck holds 8–12 yd³ (NRMCA).
What Is a Cubic Yard of Concrete?
A cubic yard of concrete is a volume 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft high, which is 27 cubic feet or 0.7646 cubic meters (NIST SP 811). Ready-mix suppliers sell concrete by the cubic yard, so every estimate ends in this unit.
How to Calculate Cubic Yards of Concrete
Cubic yards of concrete equal length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27.
- Measure length and width in feet.
- Convert the thickness from inches to feet by dividing by 12.
- Multiply length × width × thickness to get cubic feet.
- Divide the cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
- Add 10% for waste, this calculator's own rule inside NRMCA's 4 to 10 percent.
yd³ = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × (Thickness (in) ÷ 12) ÷ 27How Many Cubic Yards of Concrete Do I Need?
Cubic yards for common slab sizes at 4 in are listed below, before and after 10% extra.
| Slab | yd³ | yd³ with 10% | Trucks at 12 yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10×10 ft, 4 in | 1.23 | 1.36 | 1 |
| 12×12 ft, 4 in | 1.78 | 1.96 | 1 |
| 16×20 ft, 4 in | 3.95 | 4.35 | 1 |
| 20×20 ft, 4 in | 4.94 | 5.43 | 1 |
| 24×24 ft, 4 in | 7.11 | 7.82 | 1 |
| 30×40 ft, 4 in | 14.81 | 16.30 | 2 |
Cubic Yards of Concrete From Square Feet
One cubic yard of concrete covers 81 sq ft at 4 in thick. The coverage changes with thickness.
| Thickness | Sq ft per cubic yard | Sq m per cubic meter |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5 in | 92.6 | 11.3 |
| 4 in | 81 | 9.8 |
| 5 in | 64.8 | 7.9 |
| 6 in | 54 | 6.6 |
How Many Bags of Concrete in a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard of concrete takes 45 bags of 80 lb mix, 60 bags of 60 lb, 72 bags of 50 lb or 90 bags of 40 lb, before extra. Three cubic yards therefore take 135 bags of 80 lb mix, or 149 with 10% extra. The full table is on bags of concrete per yard.
How Many Cubic Yards of Concrete in a Truck?
A ready-mix truck carries 8 to 12 cubic yards (5 to 9 m³), according to NRMCA. This calculator counts trucks at 12 and 8 yd³, which is this calculator's own rule.
Cubic Meters of Concrete
One cubic meter of concrete is 35.31 ft³ or 1.31 yd³ (NIST). It takes 59 bags of 80 lb mix before extra, and a truck mixer carries 5 to 9 m³ (NRMCA). Switch the calculator to Metric to enter meters and centimeters.
Is 9 Cubic Feet a Yard?
No, 9 cubic feet is one third of a cubic yard; a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet (3 × 3 × 3 ft). Nine square feet make a square yard, which is where the mix-up comes from.
How Much Is a Cubic Yard of Concrete?
A cubic yard of ready-mix concrete costs $160 to $195, according to Concrete Network's national range. Mix strength, order size and delivery distance move the price; see the concrete price calculator.
Why Divide by 27 for Cubic Yards?
You divide by 27 because one cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet.
Is a Yard of Concrete the Same as a Cubic Yard?
Yes, a "yard of concrete" always means one cubic yard, 27 cubic feet, not a linear or square yard.
How Big of a Slab Will 1 Yard of Concrete Pour?
One cubic yard of concrete pours 81 sq ft at 4 in thick, such as a 9×9 ft slab, or 54 sq ft at 6 in.
How Much Does a Cubic Yard of Concrete Weigh?
A cubic yard of concrete weighs about 4,050 lb at this calculator's design density of 150 lb/ft³; at FHWA's typical 145 lb/ft³, it weighs 3,915 lb. See the concrete weight calculator.
Worked Examples: Feet to Cubic Yards
Slab 24×24 ft at 4 in. 192 ft³ ÷ 27 = 7.11 yd³; with extra, 7.82 yd³.
Footing 60 ft × 16 in × 8 in. 60 × 1.333 × 0.667 = 53.3 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.98 yd³; with extra, 2.17 yd³.
Three 12 in sonotubes 4 ft deep. 3 × 3.14 = 9.42 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.35 yd³; with extra, 18 bags of 80 lb mix.
Cubic Meters of Concrete
To work in metric, convert cubic yards to cubic meters: 1 cubic yard is 0.7646 m³ and 1 m³ is 1.308 cubic yards (NIST SP 811 conversion factors).
| Cubic yards | Cubic meters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.76 |
| 2 | 1.53 |
| 5 | 3.82 |
| 10 | 7.65 |
For a metric slab, multiply length × width × thickness in meters for m³; a 4 m × 3 m slab 10 cm thick is 1.2 m³, about 1.57 yd³.
Cubic Yards of Concrete Calculator FAQ
How many cubic yards of concrete for a 20×20 slab?
A 20×20 ft slab at 4 in needs 4.94 cubic yards of concrete, or 5.43 yd³ with 10% extra.
How many bags of concrete for 10 yards?
Ten cubic yards take 450 bags of 80 lb concrete before extra; at that size, order 1 ready-mix truck instead.
How many 80 lb bags of concrete do I need for 3 yards?
Three cubic yards take 135 bags of 80 lb concrete before extra, or 149 with 10%, which is why ready-mix is the usual choice.
How many yards of concrete for a 24×24 slab at 4 inches?
A 24×24 ft slab at 4 in needs 7.11 cubic yards, or 7.82 yd³ with 10% extra.
How many bags of cement per cubic meter of concrete?
About 10 bags of 94 lb Portland cement per cubic meter of 1:2:3 concrete (estimate from the 1.54 dry-volume rule).
How much is a truck load of concrete delivered?
A 10 yd³ load costs about $1,600–1,950 at $160–195 per yard (Concrete Network), plus delivery fees; a 20×20 slab at 4 in (5.43 yd³) costs $869–$1,059.
How many cubic yards are in a cubic meter?
About 1.308 cubic yards (NIST SP 811 conversion).
Next step
Price the yards with the concrete cost calculator and check how many trucks you need on the concrete truck calculator.
Official sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Numbers come from our tested engine; see how we calculate and our sources.