Concrete Price Calculator
Enter how many cubic yards you need and compare bagged concrete against ready-mix delivery so you buy the cheaper option for your job size.
What your result means
Ready-mix cost is your volume times the delivered price per cubic yard. Bagged cost is the number of 80 lb bags it takes (one bag makes about 0.6 cubic feet) times your bag price. Comparing the two tells you which way to buy — bags for small pours, a truck for anything bigger.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the cubic yards you need (use our slab calculator if you only have dimensions).
- Enter the delivered ready-mix price per cubic yard from your supplier.
- Enter the price of an 80 lb bag at your store.
- Compare the two totals and the bag count.
- Remember ready-mix may add delivery and short-load fees on small orders.
The formula
One 80 lb bag yields about 0.6 cubic feet, or 0.0222 cubic yards, so it takes roughly 45 bags to make a single cubic yard. That's why bagging is only economical for very small pours.
Worked example
For 5 cubic yards with ready-mix at $160 a yard and bags at $5.50 each: ready-mix is 5 times $160, or $800. Bagged would need about 226 bags (45 per yard), costing roughly $1,243 — plus a lot of mixing. Ready-mix wins easily at this size.
Bagged vs ready-mix: when each wins
| Job size | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under ~0.5 cu yd | Bagged | No delivery fee; mix as you go |
| ~0.5 - 1 cu yd | Toss-up | Compare bag count vs short-load fee |
| 1+ cu yd | Ready-mix | Cheaper per yard and far less labor |
| 80 lb bag yield | — | ~0.6 cu ft; ~45 bags per cubic yard |
| Short-load fee | — | Often added by truck under ~1 cu yd |
Tips & gotchas
- It takes about 45 of the 80 lb bags to equal one cubic yard — mixing that by hand is a serious job.
- Ready-mix trucks often charge a short-load fee under about 1 cubic yard.
- Bagged is handy for posts, small pads, and repairs where a truck isn't worth it.
- Factor your time: hand-mixing dozens of bags can take all day.
- Prices here are material only; delivery and pumping (if needed) are extra.
Frequently asked questions
Is bagged concrete cheaper than ready-mix?
Only for very small jobs. Per cubic yard, bagged concrete usually costs more than delivered ready-mix, and it's far more labor. Bags win under roughly half a cubic yard.
How many 80 lb bags make a cubic yard?
About 45 bags. Each 80 lb bag yields roughly 0.6 cubic feet, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
How much does a yard of concrete cost?
Delivered ready-mix commonly runs $140 to $200 per cubic yard, before delivery or short-load fees.
When should I use ready-mix?
Any pour of about a cubic yard or more. It's cheaper per yard and saves hours of mixing compared with bags.
Does this include delivery fees?
No. This compares material cost only. Ready-mix delivery, short-load fees, and pumping are extra — ask your supplier.
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Estimates only — see our full disclaimer.