How Many Bags of Concrete in a Cubic Yard?
One cubic yard of placed concrete takes 45 bags of 80 lb premix, 60 bags of 60 lb, 72 bags of 50 lb or 90 bags of 40 lb — before any waste allowance.
Why those numbers: a cubic yard is 27 ft³. Divide by each bag’s yield — 0.60 ft³ (80 lb), 0.45 ft³ (60 lb), 0.375 ft³ (50 lb), 0.30 ft³ (40 lb) — and every size divides exactly: 27 ÷ 0.60 = 45, 27 ÷ 0.45 = 60, 27 ÷ 0.375 = 72, 27 ÷ 0.30 = 90.
Bags per yard — full table
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | 80 lb bags | 60 lb bags | 50 lb bags | 40 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 yd³ | 6.75 ft³ | 12 | 15 | 18 | 23 |
| 0.50 yd³ | 13.50 ft³ | 23 | 30 | 36 | 45 |
| 0.75 yd³ | 20.25 ft³ | 34 | 45 | 54 | 68 |
| 1.00 yd³ | 27.00 ft³ | 45 | 60 | 72 | 90 |
| 1.50 yd³ | 40.50 ft³ | 68 | 90 | 108 | 135 |
| 2.00 yd³ | 54.00 ft³ | 90 | 120 | 144 | 180 |
| 2.50 yd³ | 67.50 ft³ | 113 | 150 | 180 | 225 |
| 3.00 yd³ | 81.00 ft³ | 135 | 180 | 216 | 270 |
| 4.00 yd³ | 108.00 ft³ | 180 | 240 | 288 | 360 |
| 5.00 yd³ | 135.00 ft³ | 225 | 300 | 360 | 450 |
| 10.00 yd³ | 270.00 ft³ | 450 | 600 | 720 | 900 |
Counts are the exact geometric requirement with no waste. For a real order, add your waste allowance first (10% is standard) — the bag calculator does that automatically. Per-yard weights, for the truck-or-trailer decision: 45 × 80 lb = 3,600 lb · 60 × 60 lb = 3,600 lb · 72 × 50 lb = 3,600 lb · 90 × 40 lb = 3,600 lb. Same concrete, same weight — smaller bags just mean more trips to the mixer.
Where the yields come from
The yield is printed on every premix bag: the volume of mixed concrete one bag makes. The figures used here — 0.60, 0.45, 0.375 and 0.30 ft³ — are the standard values major US manufacturers publish for their 80, 60, 50 and 40 lb bags. A few brands differ slightly, so treat the label on your actual bag as the final word on a large order. Note that yield is mixed volume: you can’t get it by dividing the bag’s weight by concrete’s density, because the dry mix bulks differently before water is added.
Frequently asked questions
How many 60 lb bags in a yard?
60 bags exactly, before waste: 27 ft³ ÷ 0.45 ft³ per bag = 60. With 10% waste, order 66.
How many bags do I need for half a yard?
Half a yard is 13.5 ft³: 23 bags of 80 lb (22.5 rounds up), 30 of 60 lb, 36 of 50 lb or 45 of 40 lb — before waste.
Is it cheaper to buy bags or order ready-mix?
Below about half a yard, bags usually win. At a full yard you’re buying and hauling roughly 3,600 lb of mix either way, and ready-mix per-yard pricing plus one delivery often beats 45 bags — compare both on the concrete cost page.
How many bags for a 10 × 10 slab?
At 4 inches thick the slab is 1.23 yd³: 56 bags of 80 lb exactly, 62 with 10% waste. Full size-by-size breakdown on the 10 × 10 slab page.