How Many Bags of Concrete in a Yard? 40, 60, 80 lb
How many bags of concrete in a yard? A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Using Quikrete's published yields for its standard Concrete Mix, that is about 45 bags of 80-pound mix, 60 bags of 60-pound mix or 90 bags of 40-pound mix. Add a little extra for waste, and remember that a yard of bagged concrete means lifting around 3,600 pounds of dry mix.
Concrete calculator →Bag yields
Quikrete's Concrete Mix data sheet lists approximate yields of 0.30 cubic feet for a 40-pound bag, 0.375 for 50 pounds, 0.45 for 60 pounds, 0.60 for 80 pounds and 0.675 for a 90-pound bag (Quikrete data sheet). Divide 27 by the yield to get bags per yard.
| Bag size | Yield per bag | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | ~0.30 ft³ | 90 |
| 50 lb | ~0.375 ft³ | 72 |
| 60 lb | ~0.45 ft³ | 60 |
| 80 lb | ~0.60 ft³ | 45 |
| 90 lb | ~0.675 ft³ | 40 |
Other brands and specialty products, like high-strength or fast-setting mixes, can yield a bit differently. The yield is printed on the bag.
Bags for partial yards
| Cubic yards | 80 lb bags | 60 lb bags | 40 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ yd | 12 | 15 | 23 |
| ½ yd | 23 | 30 | 45 |
| ¾ yd | 34 | 45 | 68 |
| 1 yd | 45 | 60 | 90 |
| 1½ yd | 68 | 90 | 135 |
| 2 yd | 90 | 120 | 180 |
Counts are rounded up and do not include waste. Add about 5 to 10 percent.
How heavy is a yard of bagged concrete?
Forty-five 80-pound bags is 3,600 pounds of dry mix before water. That matters for the truck or trailer you use to bring it home, and for your back. Check your vehicle's payload rating, and see how much weight a driveway can hold if a loaded trailer will sit on asphalt. Mixed concrete is commonly figured at about 145 to 150 pounds per cubic foot, so a placed cubic yard weighs roughly 3,900 to 4,050 pounds.
When ready-mix makes more sense
Bags are great for post holes, small pads, steps and repairs. Once a job reaches about a yard, the mixing time, the number of helpers and the risk of cold joints between batches add up. Many people switch to a ready-mix truck or a rental mixing trailer around that point. Ready-mix suppliers often have minimum orders and short-load fees, so call for a quote and compare it with the bag total, including any delivery charge for the bags.
Figure the yards first
Length × width × thickness (inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27 gives cubic yards for a slab. The concrete calculator does slabs, footings, post holes and steps and shows bag counts for all three common sizes. For examples, see a 10x10 slab and concrete steps.
Questions people ask
How many 80 lb bags of concrete make a yard?
About 45 bags, based on Quikrete's yield of roughly 0.60 cubic feet per 80-pound bag. Add a few percent for waste.
How many 60 lb bags are in a yard of concrete?
About 60 bags, using a yield of roughly 0.45 cubic feet per 60-pound bag.
How many 40 lb bags of concrete in a yard?
About 90 bags at roughly 0.30 cubic feet per 40-pound bag.
Is it cheaper to buy bags or a yard of ready-mix?
It depends on local prices and short-load fees. Bags often win for small jobs; ready-mix usually wins on time and labor once you reach about a yard or more.
Related guides
- Concrete calculator
- How much concrete for a 10x10 slab
- How many bags of concrete per fence post
- Concrete truck on an asphalt driveway
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