Bag Yields at a Glance
Bagged concrete lists its yield on the package, and the industry-standard figures are remarkably consistent across brands. The table below is what this calculator uses — the volume of mixed, placed concrete each bag produces, not the dry volume in the sack.
| Bag size | Yield (ft³) | Bags per ft³ | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 lb | 0.30 | 3.33 | 90 |
| 50 lb | 0.375 | 2.67 | 72 |
| 60 lb | 0.45 | 2.22 | 60 |
| 80 lb | 0.60 | 1.67 | 45 |
Two practical notes. First, bigger bags are almost always cheaper per cubic foot — an 80 lb bag typically costs only 25–30% more than a 60 lb bag but yields 33% more concrete. Second, mixing is real labor: 45 bags of 80 lb mix (one cubic yard) means moving over 3,600 pounds of material twice. Past roughly 1.5 yards, get a ready-mix quote — compare with the cost estimator.
Tip: Buy one or two bags more than the calculator says and keep the receipts — most stores take back unopened bags, and an extra bag on hand beats a second trip mid-pour.