How many bags of concrete are in a yard?
A cubic yard takes about 45 bags of 80 lb, 60 bags of 60 lb, or 90 bags of 40 lb mix — plus a little extra for waste.
Bags per yard calculator
The math behind the number
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Bag yield is printed on the bag as cubic feet, so the conversion is a single division: bags = 27 ÷ yield per bag.
| Bag | Yield | Bags per yd³ | Bags per ½ yd³ | Bags per ¼ yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 0.30 cu ft | 90 | 45 | 23 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 cu ft | 72 | 36 | 18 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 cu ft | 60 | 30 | 15 |
| 80 lb | 0.60 cu ft | 45 | 23 | 12 |
Counts are rounded up to whole bags. Yields vary slightly by manufacturer and mix; check your bag.
How much does a yard of concrete cost in bags?
At $6.50 per 80 lb bag, one cubic yard costs about $292 in materials — 45 bags. Ready-mix is typically $125–$175 per yard plus delivery, which is why bags only make sense for small pours.
| Volume | 80 lb bags | Bag cost at $6.50 | Ready-mix cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ yd³ | 12 | $78 | Usually not delivered |
| ½ yd³ | 23 | $150 | $90–$150 incl. short load |
| 1 yd³ | 45 | $292 | $125–$190 delivered |
| 2 yd³ | 90 | $585 | $250–$350 delivered |
Mixing and placing tips
- Mix in batches you can place in 20 minutes. Concrete starts to set; a half-finished wheelbarrow is wasted material.
- Measure water, don't eyeball it. An 80 lb bag wants about 3 quarts. Extra water costs strength.
- Have a second person. 45 bags is 3,600 lb of material — two people minimum for a one-yard pour.
- Vibrate or tamp. Air pockets weaken a slab more than a slightly dry mix.
Why the answer moves between 41 and 60
The 45-bag figure comes from one specific product: an 80 lb bag of general-purpose concrete mix yielding 0.60 cubic feet. Change the product and the count changes with it.
- High-strength blends yield around 0.66 cubic feet at 80 lb, which puts a yard at 41 bags.
- Sand mix, topping mix, and mortar are not concrete. An 80 lb sand mix bag yields about 0.5 cubic feet and contains no coarse aggregate to carry load.
- Smaller bags of the same mix yield proportionally less, so a yard still costs roughly the same in material — you just carry more bags.
Read the yield line on the bag you are actually buying before you order 45 of anything. The spread between 41 and 45 bags is 320 lb of material and about $26 at $6.50 a bag — not fatal, but enough to matter on a pallet.
The waste allowance is not a fixed 10%
Waste scales with how complicated the pour is, not with a rule of thumb applied to every job.
| Pour type | Allowance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Flat slab inside forms | 5% | The forms hold the thickness; losses are spillage only |
| Slab with steps, thick edges, or penetrations | 10% | Several small placements, each with its own leftovers |
| Post holes and tubes poured against soil | 15–20% | The hole is never the diameter you drilled |
Post holes are the outlier and worth understanding: an auger leaves a ragged, enlarged cavity, and a 10-inch hole can easily take the volume of a 12-inch one. That is a 44% overrun before any spillage, which is why nobody estimates fence posts from the drill size alone.
What a yard in bags costs you in hours
One yard is 45 bags, or 3,600 lb of material. With two people and a drum mixer:
- Mixing: a drum mixer handles two bags per batch comfortably — about 1.2 cubic feet — so 23 batches at roughly three minutes each. That is over an hour of mixing before anything reaches the forms.
- Hauling: a wheelbarrow carries about 2 cubic feet, so 14 trips.
- Placing and striking: 45 minutes for one yard, if the forms and base are ready before you start.
- Finishing: another 45 minutes, and it cannot wait until you feel like it.
Four to five hours for two experienced people, and most of a day the first time. That time, not the price per bag, is why bags stop making sense above a yard.
Order to the bag count, not to the pallet
Pallet pricing looks cheaper per bag until you own eight bags you cannot use. Most suppliers accept unopened bags within 30 days with a receipt; opened bags are yours permanently. Buy the count the pour needs plus the allowance, and keep the receipt.
Frequently asked questions
How many 80 lb bags are in a cubic yard?
About 45. With a 10% waste allowance, buy 50.
How many 60 lb bags make a yard?
About 60 bags, because each yields 0.45 cubic feet.
Bags or ready-mix — which is cheaper?
Above one cubic yard, ready-mix almost always wins once you count delivery and your time. Below half a yard, bags are simpler.
How much water does an 80 lb bag need?
Roughly 3 quarts. Follow the bag: too much water lowers compressive strength and causes shrinkage cracks.
How many bags of concrete for a 10 x 10 slab at 4 inches?
About 56 bags of 80 lb mix, or 62 with a 10% allowance. The slab is 1.23 cubic yards, which is 33.3 cubic feet at 0.60 cubic feet per bag.
How long does it take to mix 45 bags?
Roughly an hour of mixing alone with a drum mixer at two bags per batch, and four to five hours total for two people including placing and finishing.
Is it cheaper to mix my own concrete?
Under about half a yard, yes on material. Above a yard the saving is real but small, and it is paid for in hours and in the risk of a cold joint between batches.
Can I mix a whole yard in a wheelbarrow?
No. A wheelbarrow batch is one bag at most, so a yard is 45 separate mixes. The first concrete would be setting before the last batch was placed.
Note: Quantities and prices are estimates for planning. Confirm against the bag yield or quote you are actually buying from.
Citing this page? FigureMill, “How many bags of concrete are in a yard?” (last reviewed October 30, 2026). Bag yield for 40, 50, 60, and 80 lb mixes at slab thicknesses from 2 to 12 inches, and the volume at which ready-mix delivery starts beating bagged concrete on price. https://figuremill.com/materials/how-many-bags-of-concrete-in-a-yard
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