Why it is 45 bags of 80 lb
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. QUIKRETE and SAKRETE state the yield of their standard concrete mixes on their data sheets, and for QUIKRETE it works out to 0.0075 cubic feet per pound of mix: 0.30 cu ft for 40 lb, 0.375 for 50 lb, 0.45 for 60 lb and 0.60 for 80 lb.[1][2]
80 lb: 27 ÷ 0.60 = 45 bags
SAKRETE states it directly: “it actually takes 45 bags of 80-pound mix to hit a cubic yard,” and it advises adding 10% to every estimate.[3]
| Bag | Yield | Bags per cu yd | With 10% extra | Dry weight per cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | 0.60 cu ft | 45 | 50 | 3,600 lb |
| 60 lb | 0.45 cu ft | 60 | 66 | 3,600 lb |
| 50 lb | 0.375 cu ft | 72 | 80 | 3,600 lb |
| 40 lb | 0.30 cu ft | 90 | 99 | 3,600 lb |
| 90 lb (QUIKRETE) | 0.675 cu ft | 40 | 44 | 3,600 lb |
| 90 lb (SAKRETE) | 0.66 cu ft | 41 | 45 | 3,690 lb |
The 90 lb bags differ by brand: QUIKRETE’s yields 0.675 cu ft (40.0 bags per yard) and SAKRETE High-Strength 0.66 cu ft (40.9, so 41 bags).[1][2] SAKRETE’s 5000 Plus lists 0.38 cu ft for 50 lb (0.375 rounded) and 0.47 cu ft for 60 lb, more than the 0.45 its 80 lb yield implies, which gives 72 and 58 bags per yard.[4] When your bag prints a different yield, divide 27 by that number.
What one bag covers
Area covered = yield ÷ (thickness in inches ÷ 12). These are square feet per bag with nothing added for waste.
| Bag | 2 in thick | 3 in thick | 4 in thick | 6 in thick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb (0.60 cu ft) | 3.60 sq ft | 2.40 sq ft | 1.80 sq ft | 1.20 sq ft |
| 60 lb (0.45 cu ft) | 2.70 sq ft | 1.80 sq ft | 1.35 sq ft | 0.90 sq ft |
| 50 lb (0.375 cu ft) | 2.25 sq ft | 1.50 sq ft | 1.13 sq ft | 0.75 sq ft |
| 40 lb (0.30 cu ft) | 1.80 sq ft | 1.20 sq ft | 0.90 sq ft | 0.60 sq ft |
QUIKRETE designs its Concrete Mix for pours 2 inches thick or more, so the 2 in column is the thinnest it should go.[1]
Example: a 4 × 8 ft slab, 4 inches thick
- Volume: 4 × 8 × 4 ÷ 12 = 10.67 cu ft (0.40 cu yd)
- With 10% extra: 11.73 cu ft
- 80 lb bags: 11.73 ÷ 0.60 = 19.6 → 20 bags
- 60 lb bags: 11.73 ÷ 0.45 = 26.1 → 27 bags
Lightweight mixes use fewer bags
Not every bag yields 0.0075 cu ft per pound. SAKRETE Maximizer, a lightweight mix, yields 0.46 cu ft per 40 lb bag and 0.92 cu ft per 80 lb bag and weighs 105–120 lb per cubic foot once placed.[5] Normal-weight concrete weighs 140–150 lb per cubic foot.[6]
- 80 lb Maximizer: 27 ÷ 0.92 = 29.3 → 30 bags per cubic yard (2,400 lb)
- 40 lb Maximizer: 27 ÷ 0.46 = 58.7 → 59 bags per cubic yard
If you apply the standard 0.60 cu ft yield to a Maximizer job, you buy 53% more bags than you need. Always check the yield printed on the bag you are buying.
The weight you will haul
At 0.0075 cu ft per pound, every cubic yard of standard mix is 3,600 lb of dry bags, whether you buy 40s or 80s. Ford lists 2,440 lb as the most payload any 2026 F-150 can carry, and only in the configuration built for maximum payload.[7] Payload includes the driver and passengers, so subtract them first. Even if all 2,440 lb went to cargo, that truck could take 30 bags of 80 lb (0.67 cu yd) per trip at most. With 2,000 lb left for cargo it is 25 bags (0.56 cu yd). Your truck’s payload is printed on the label inside the driver’s door.
A cubic yard of mixed concrete, with water, weighs about 3,780–4,050 lb.[6] Past a yard or so, compare the cost and effort with a ready-mix delivery (see bags vs ready-mix).
Questions people ask
How many 90 lb bags of concrete make a yard?
40 bags of QUIKRETE (0.675 cu ft each) or 41 bags of SAKRETE High-Strength (0.66 cu ft each), before extra for waste.
How much does a 40 lb bag of concrete cover?
A 40 lb bag yields 0.30 cubic feet: about 0.90 sq ft at 4 inches thick or 1.80 sq ft at 2 inches. A cubic yard takes 90 of them.
How many bags of concrete fit in a pickup truck?
Divide the cargo weight your truck can carry, after the driver and passengers, by the bag weight. With 2,000 lb for cargo that is 25 bags of 80 lb or 33 bags of 60 lb. The payload rating is on the label inside the driver’s door.
Related calculators and guides
Sources
- QUIKRETE, Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet (rev. Oct 2022). Bag yields: 40 lb 0.30, 50 lb 0.375, 60 lb 0.45, 80 lb 0.60 cu ft; water per bag. Checked 2026-09-26.
- SAKRETE, High-Strength Concrete Mix technical data sheet. Bag yields match QUIKRETE at 40, 60 and 80 lb. Checked 2026-09-26.
- SAKRETE, Pro Tip: Estimating Bagged Concrete Jobs. 45 bags of 80 lb per cubic yard; add 10%. Checked 2026-09-26.
- SAKRETE, 5000 Plus Concrete Mix technical data sheet. Bag yields 50 lb 0.38, 60 lb 0.47, 80 lb 0.6 cu ft. Checked 2026-09-26.
- SAKRETE, Maximizer Concrete Mix technical data sheet. Lightweight mix: 40 lb 0.46 cu ft, 80 lb 0.92 cu ft; 105–120 lb per cu ft. Checked 2026-09-26.
- National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, CIP 36: Structural Lightweight Concrete. Normal concrete 140–150 lb/cu ft. Checked 2026-09-26.
- Ford Motor Company, 2026 F-150 specifications. Maximum payload 2,440 lb in the best configuration. Checked 2026-09-26.