How Many Bags of Concrete in a Yard: 40, 50, 60 and 80 lb
A cubic yard of concrete takes 45 bags of 80 lb mix, 60 bags of 60 lb Quikrete, 72 bags of 50 lb or 90 bags of 40 lb, before extra for waste.
Advanced options: waste, prices
NRMCA advises ordering 4 to 10 percent over the estimate.
Concrete needed (with 10% extra)
1.10 yd³
0.84 m³ · 27 ft³ before extra
Known volume: 1 yd³. Over about 1 yd³: order ready-mix.
Premix bags
- 80 lb50
- 60 lb66
- 50 lb80
- 40 lb99
- Ready-mix cost
- $176
- Weight
- 4,050 lb
Full breakdown
| Volume before extra | 1 yd³ · 0.76 m³ |
|---|---|
| With 10% extra | 1.10 yd³ |
| Weight (150 lb/ft³) | 4,050 lb · 2.03 tons |
| Pallets of 40 lb (80 bags each) | 2 |
| Pallets of 60 lb (56 bags each) | 2 |
| Pallets of 80 lb (42 bags each) | 2 |
| 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
- 45 × 80 lb, 60 × 60 lb, 72 × 50 lb or 90 × 40 lb bags make a cubic yard.
- Add 10% extra: 50 × 80 lb per yard.
- One Quikrete pallet of 80 lb (42 bags) makes 25.2 ft³.
- Above 1 yd³, ready-mix is usually better (site rule).
Bags of Concrete per Yard by Bag Size
Bags per cubic yard equal 27 ft³ divided by the bag's yield.
| Bag | Yield (ft³) | Bags per yd³ | With 10% extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | 0.6 | 45 | 50 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 | 60 | 66 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 | 72 | 80 |
| 40 lb | 0.3 | 90 | 99 |
Bags of Concrete for 1 to 10 Yards
Bag counts for ½ to 10 cubic yards include 10% extra.
| Cubic yards | 80 lb | 60 lb | 50 lb | 40 lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 yd³ | 25 | 33 | 40 | 50 |
| 1 yd³ | 50 | 66 | 80 | 99 |
| 1.5 yd³ | 75 | 99 | 119 | 149 |
| 2 yd³ | 99 | 132 | 159 | 198 |
| 3 yd³ | 149 | 198 | 238 | 297 |
| 4 yd³ | 198 | 264 | 317 | 396 |
| 5 yd³ | 248 | 330 | 396 | 495 |
| 10 yd³ | 495 | 660 | 792 | 990 |
Past about 1 yd³, ready-mix is usually the better buy (this calculator's own rule).
Bags of Cement vs Bags of Concrete per Yard
Bags of concrete mix and bags of Portland cement are different products: concrete mix already holds cement, sand and gravel, while a 94 lb bag of cement is only one ingredient. A yard of 1:2:3 concrete needs about 7 bags of 94 lb cement plus sand and gravel; see the cement calculator.
How to Work Out Bags per Yard
Divide 27 cubic feet by the bag's yield.
Bags per yd³ = 27 ÷ yield (ft³)
80 lb: 27 ÷ 0.6 = 45 60 lb: 27 ÷ 0.45 = 60 50 lb: 27 ÷ 0.375 = 72 40 lb: 27 ÷ 0.3 = 90Worked Examples: Bags for Part Yards
Half a yard (13.5 ft³). With 10% extra, 25 bags of 80 lb or 33 of 60 lb.
A yard and a half (40.5 ft³). With 10% extra, 75 bags of 80 lb.
A 10×10 slab at 4 in (1.23 yd³). With 10% extra, 62 bags of 80 lb.
Pallets per Yard
| Bag | Bags per yd³ | Bags per pallet (Quikrete) | Pallets per yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | 45 | 42 | 1.07 |
| 60 lb | 60 | 56 | 1.07 |
| 40 lb | 90 | 80 | 1.13 |
Bags per Yard by Brand
Brand does not change the count for standard mixes: Quikrete Concrete Mix and Sakrete High-Strength both yield 0.6 ft³ per 80 lb bag, so both take 45 bags per cubic yard (50 with 10% extra). Fast-setting and lightweight products have different yields, so read the bag label.
How Many Bags of Concrete in a Yard FAQ
How many 60 lb bags of Quikrete are in a yard?
A cubic yard takes 60 bags of 60 lb Quikrete before extra, or 66 with 10%.
How many bags of concrete do I need for a 4×8 slab?
A 4×8 ft slab at 4 in needs 20 bags of 80 lb concrete with 10% extra.
How many bags of concrete for 2 yards?
Two cubic yards take 90 bags of 80 lb concrete before extra, or 99 with 10%.
How many bags of concrete for 5 yards?
Five cubic yards take 225 bags of 80 lb before extra; order ready-mix instead.
Is it cheaper to buy bags of concrete or mix your own?
For small jobs premix bags are simplest; mixing your own from cement, sand and gravel needs about 7 bags of 94 lb cement plus aggregate per yard, and above about 1 yd³ ready-mix is usually cheapest. See bagged concrete vs ready-mix.
Next step
Convert your project to yards with the concrete calculator, then decide between bags and a truck on ready-mix vs bagged concrete.
Official sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-05. Numbers come from our tested engine; see how we calculate and our sources.