One yard of concrete at a glance
| Measure | One cubic yard of concrete |
|---|---|
| Volume | 27 cubic feet (0.76 cubic meters) |
| As a cube | 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft |
| Weight | about 3,900 to 4,050 lb (about 2 tons) |
| Covers at 4 in thick | 81 sq ft (for example 9 × 9 ft) |
| Covers at 6 in thick | 54 sq ft (for example 6 × 9 ft) |
| 80 lb bags | about 45 |
| 60 lb bags | about 60 |
| 40 lb bags | about 90 |
How much area one yard covers
square feet covered = 324 ÷ thickness (in)
| Thickness | Area | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 9 × 12 ft |
| 3.5 in | 92.6 sq ft | about 9 × 10.3 ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 9 × 9 ft |
| 5 in | 64.8 sq ft | about 8 × 8.1 ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | 6 × 9 ft |
| 8 in | 40.5 sq ft | 4.5 × 9 ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft | 3 × 9 ft |
So a yard of concrete is enough for a small patio or landing, a short run of sidewalk (a 4 ft wide walk 4 in thick runs about 20 ft per yard), or a dozen or more fence posts, depending on the hole size.
What a yard of concrete weighs
Normal-weight concrete is about 145 to 150 lb per cubic foot, so a cubic yard is about 27 × 150 = 4,050 lb, or a little over 2 US tons. Concrete with a lot of steel in it is heavier; lightweight concrete made with lighter aggregate is lighter. Fresh concrete also weighs a little more than cured concrete because some of the mixing water evaporates as it cures.
That weight matters for hauling. Some suppliers rent small tow-behind trailers made to carry about a yard, but a pickup bed usually is not up to it: two tons is well past the payload of most half-ton pickups.
Multiple yards of concrete
| Yards | Cubic feet | Covers at 4 in | 80 lb bags | Weight, about |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 81 sq ft | 45 | 2 tons |
| 2 | 54 | 162 sq ft | 90 | 4 tons |
| 3 | 81 | 243 sq ft | 135 | 6 tons |
| 4 | 108 | 324 sq ft | 180 | 8 tons |
| 5 | 135 | 405 sq ft | 225 | 10 tons |
| 10 | 270 | 810 sq ft | 450 | 20 tons |
Weights use about 4,050 lb per cubic yard. Bag counts use the typical 0.60 cubic feet per 80 lb bag.
A yard of concrete vs a yard of cement
“Cement” and “concrete” get used interchangeably, but they are different things:
- Cement (usually portland cement) is a fine powder. On its own it is sold by the bag and is one ingredient.
- Concrete is cement plus sand, gravel or crushed stone, and water. This is what arrives in the mixer truck and what bags of “concrete mix” make.
- Mortar is cement, sand and lime, used to lay brick and block. It has no coarse stone.
When someone asks for a yard of cement, they almost always mean a yard of concrete.
Is one yard enough?
Work it out rather than guessing: length × width × thickness in feet, divided by 27. The concrete calculator does this and adds a waste allowance. If the answer is a little over one yard, order the next increment up; a short load is the expensive mistake. If the answer is under about a yard, compare ready-mix with bags using the concrete bag calculator and concrete cost per yard.
Weights and bag yields here are typical values. Plants can tell you the unit weight of their mix, and the yield is printed on every bag of concrete mix.
Questions people ask
- How much is 1 yard of concrete in feet?
- 27 cubic feet: a block 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft high, or any other shape that works out to 27 cubic feet.
- How many square feet does a yard of concrete cover?
- 81 sq ft at 4 inches thick, 64.8 sq ft at 5 inches and 54 sq ft at 6 inches. Divide 324 by the thickness in inches.
- How much does a yard of concrete weigh?
- About 3,900 to 4,050 lb, roughly 2 tons, for normal-weight concrete. That is about 145 to 150 lb per cubic foot.
- How many bags of concrete are in a yard?
- About 45 bags of 80 lb, 60 bags of 60 lb or 90 bags of 40 lb.
- Is a yard of cement the same as a yard of concrete?
- People often say cement when they mean concrete. Cement is the powder that binds concrete together; concrete is cement mixed with sand, stone and water. A plant sells you yards of concrete.