What are you pouring?

Add every part that takes concrete. Each one is worked out on its own and added up on the ticket.

Add a part

Waste allowance

Spillage, uneven subgrade, over-dig. Most crews order 5 to 10 percent over.

Ready-mix price

$per yd³

Mix Quote from your plant. The default is a placeholder. Confirm the required mix strength; metric labels show approximate unit conversions.

Short-load fee

Estimated per load below 4 yd³. Confirm the threshold and fee with your supplier.

Bag price

Quikrete or Sakrete style dry mix, priced per sack.

DELIVERY TICKET No. 0001

Today 4000 psi

0.00 cubic yards to order

Measured: 0.00 yd³
Waste at 10%: 0.00 yd³
Order: 0.00 yd³
In cubic metres: 0.00 m³

Truck loads 0

Estimate: full 10 yd³ loads, then the remainder. Supplier allocation and order increments may differ; volume is not rounded to an increment.

80 lb bags 0

Ready-mix $0 no load yet

Bags $0 0 sacks

Enter your dimensions to see which way is cheaper.

How the number is worked out

Volume is length times width times depth, converted to cubic yards. Depth is the one people get wrong: a 4 inch slab is 0.333 ft, not 4. Every part is calculated on its own and added up, then the waste allowance is applied to the total.

length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards

Twenty-seven is the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard, a cube three feet on a side. This estimate fills 10-yard trucks first, then puts the remainder on the final truck. It applies your short-load fee if that final load is below four yards. Suppliers may distribute loads differently or charge other fees. The volume is not rounded to a supplier's order increment; confirm the quantity and dispatch plan before ordering.

Slab or footing

length × width × thickness

Round column

π × radius² × height, times how many

Steps

width × rise × run × n(n+1) ÷ 2, plus the landing

What one bag actually yields

Bag	Yield	Bags per cubic yard	Bags per cubic metre
80 lb	0.60 ft³	45	59
60 lb	0.45 ft³	60	79
40 lb	0.30 ft³	90	118

An 80 lb sack of dry concrete mix — Yields are the figures printed on the sack. Mixing wetter than the instructions does not make more concrete. It makes weaker concrete.

Bags or a truck

Compare the quoted ready-mix price with the price and yield of the bags you plan to buy. For example, half a cubic yard needs 23 bags at 80 lb each, or 45 bags at 40 lb each, using the yields above.

The ticket compares the material estimates at your prices, including the entered short-load fee where the estimated dispatch plan requires it. Mixing labor, equipment, taxes and other supplier charges are excluded. Check those costs and your ability to mix and place the quantity before choosing.

A wheelbarrow of wet concrete with a shovel in it

Questions

How much waste should I allow?

Five percent on a formed slab over compacted gravel, ten if the subgrade is rough or hand-dug. Running short mid-pour costs far more than the extra quarter yard.

Does the calculator include rebar or mesh?

No. Steel displaces so little volume that it falls inside the waste allowance.

How do I measure steps?

Count the risers. Enter the rise (height of one step), the run (depth of one tread), the width, and the depth of the landing at the top if there is one. The calculator treats the steps as a solid block, which is how they are usually poured.

Why is my plant's price different?

Ready-mix is priced locally and moves with fuel and cement costs. Enter the number your plant quotes; the default is only a placeholder.

Can I send this to someone?

Yes. Copy link puts the whole calculation in the address, so the person who opens it sees the same parts, prices and ticket.

Other calculators

The same ticket, the same assumptions on screen, for whatever else the job needs.

Gravel driveways, bases and drainage stone Mulch beds and trees, by the yard or the bag Asphalt hot mix by the ton Topsoil beds, lawns and levelling Sand paver bedding, play sand and fill Cubic yards any volume, in every unit Rebar bars, sticks, laps and weight