Concrete Volume Calculator
Combine slabs, footings, columns, walls, stairs, and post holes into one project estimate. Cubic yards, truck loads, and bag counts with adjustable waste factors.
Combine slabs, footings, columns, walls, stairs, and post holes into one project estimate. Cubic yards, truck loads, and bag counts with adjustable waste factors.
Concrete waste comes from over-excavation, uneven subgrade, form deflection, and spillage. Industry standard: 5% for flat slabs on prepared grade, 10% for footings and columns with form work, 15% for stairs and irregular pours. Under-ordering means a second truck at full delivery cost — always round up.
Ready-mix trucks typically carry 9 CY and charge per yard with a short load fee for orders under 5 CY. For small jobs (under 1 CY), bagged concrete (60lb or 80lb bags) from the building supply is often more economical. An 80lb bag yields about 0.6 cubic feet of mixed concrete — that is 45 bags per cubic yard.
Batch plants sell concrete in 0.25 CY increments. This calculator rounds your adjusted total up to the nearest quarter yard so the number you give the dispatcher is the number they can actually batch. Rounding down risks a shortage; the short load fee for a follow-up truck is far more expensive than an extra quarter yard.
Common residential mixes: 3,000 PSI for sidewalks and patios, 3,500 PSI for driveways, 4,000 PSI for garage slabs and footings, 4,500-5,000 PSI for structural and commercial. PSI does not change the volume — this calculator covers the takeoff. Specify strength when ordering from your batch plant.
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