Concrete Yardage Calculator

On This Page

• How To Use The Calculator
• What Yardage Means
• The Yardage Formula
• How To Do A Takeoff
• Odd Shapes
• How Far A Yard Goes
• Yardage By Slab Size
• Worked Examples
• Walls, Footings And Columns
• Waste And Rounding
• Yards To Cubic Metres
• Yards Per Truck
• Bags Per Yard
• Weight Per Yard
• Ordering In Australia
• Cost Per Yard
• American Mix Terms
• Pour Days
• Common Mistakes
• Frequently Asked Questions

How To Use The Concrete Yardage Calculator

A real job is rarely one slab. It is a slab, some footings, a few piers and a step or two. This concrete yardage calculator lets you list every piece as a takeoff, then gives you the yardage of each line and the total. It also shows the same number in cubic metres, because that is how you will order in Australia.

1. Pick the job. Use Takeoff List for several items. Use Slab Or Pad, Poured Wall or Round Column for one item. Use Coverage From Yards to see how far a set amount will go, and Known Volume to convert a number.
2. Choose your units. Feet And Inches is selected first. Switch to Metres And Millimetres at any time, and your entries convert.
3. Fill in your lines. In the takeoff, choose an item and quantity, then enter length, width and depth. Spare lines can stay blank.
4. Set the waste and bag. Waste starts at 10%. The bag size counts how many bags the job would take.
5. Press Calculate. You get the total yardage, a table of your lines, your order in m³, truck loads and bag counts. Change any entry afterwards and it updates.

If you only want a single cubic foot figure, the Concrete Cubic Foot Calculator is simpler. For a straight unit conversion, try the cubic yards to cubic metres converter. If your plans are metric, the Concrete Volume Calculator will suit you best.

What Does Concrete Yardage Mean?

Yardage is a United States term for volume. When an American concreter says a job needs 12 yards, they mean 12 cubic yards. A cubic yard is a cube that measures 3 ft on each side, so it holds 27 cubic feet.

Australia does not use this unit any more. Metrication in Australia began with the Metric Conversion Act of 1970, and the building industry finished its change by January 1976. Today, a concreter here will say a job needs 12 metres, which means 12 cubic metres. It is the same kind of shorthand, but it is not the same amount, and a yard is smaller than a metre.

You will still meet yardage on Australian jobs. Here are the usual places.

• American videos, articles and online calculators.
• Plans and kit buildings from the US.
• Old records or quotes from before metrication.
• Tradespeople who trained overseas.
• Landscaping and gravel talk, where a yard still gets mentioned.

Whenever a number arrives in yards, the safe move is to convert it to m³ before you order. Don't guess, because treating yards as metres would over-order by about 31%.

The Concrete Yardage Formula

A concrete yardage calculator uses simple maths, and it is easy once everything is in feet.

Thickness is usually in inches, so divide it by 12 first. If you would rather skip a step, there is a shortcut for slabs.

The 324 comes from 27 × 12. Take a 20 ft by 20 ft slab, 4 inches thick. That is 20 × 20 × 4 ÷ 324, or 4.94 cubic yards. In metric, the same slab is 3.776 m³.

All the conversions on this page come from one exact figure. The NIST Guide to the SI gives 1 ft as 0.3048 m. So 3 ft is 0.9144 m, and a cubic yard is 0.9144 × 0.9144 × 0.9144, which is 0.7646 m³ to four decimal places.

How To Do A Concrete Takeoff

A takeoff is a list of every bit of concrete on a job, and it is the heart of this concrete yardage calculator. Estimators use one so that nothing gets missed. One simple guide sets out the basics: sketch the area, measure it, convert inches to feet, work out the volume, divide by 27, then add about 10% for waste. A takeoff does that for each piece, then adds them up.

1. List every pour. Walk through the plans and write down each slab, footing, wall, pad, beam and column.
2. Group the repeats. Twelve identical pads make one line with a quantity of 12.
3. Measure each line. Use the same units throughout. Measure on site if you can.
4. Enter each line. In this calculator, feet go in as decimals, so 12 ft 6 in is 12.5. Depth goes in as inches.
5. Check the shares. The results show what each line adds. If a small item shows a big share, recheck your entry.
6. Split by pour day. Anything poured on a different day needs its own order, so total those lines separately.

The share column is a quick way to catch mistakes. In the example below, the slab is 52% of the job and the footing is 39%. If a footing line came out larger than the slab on a simple job, you would know to check the units. Keep your takeoff with your plans, and the PDF gives you a copy.

For a round column, enter its height in the Length box and its diameter in the Width box, both in feet. Depth is switched off for that line. A column 12 inches across is 1 ft.

Measuring Odd Shapes For A Takeoff

Most slabs are not perfect rectangles, but you rarely need fancy maths. Split the shape into pieces that you can measure, and put each piece on its own line.

• L-shaped slabs. Treat them as two rectangles, and make sure the corner is only counted once.
• Slabs with a thickened edge. Enter the slab on one line. Then enter the edge as a Beam line, with the depth set to the extra depth below the slab.
• Triangles. Work out the rectangle around the triangle, then enter half its width.
• Curves. Draw a few straight sections through the curve, or take the widest rectangle and accept a little extra.
• Sloping sites. Use the average depth. Take several readings along a footing rather than one.
• Repeated items. Use the quantity box, so that one size error does not need fixing six times.

The Takeoff List has six lines. If your job has more items, group similar ones, or run a second list and add the totals together. Note down your measurements on paper as well, so you can check them against the plans later. The clearer the takeoff is, the easier it is for a supplier or a concreter to spot a mistake.

Average Depth On Rough Ground

Depth has a big effect on yardage. On a 20 ft by 20 ft slab, each extra half inch adds about 0.62 yards, which is close to a quarter of a 2 m³ order. So if the base is uneven, take a string line across the forms and measure down in at least five spots. Add the readings, divide by the number of readings, and use that as your depth.

How Far Does A Yard Of Concrete Go?

People often ask this the other way around: if I have this much concrete, how much slab do I get? The rule is easy to remember.

These figures have no waste. The Coverage From Yards job takes your waste allowance out first, so 5 yards at 4 inches with 10% waste covers about 368 square feet, or 34.2 m². Use it when you have left-over concrete booked, or when you want to know what a truck load will do. For a metric rule of thumb, 1 m³ at 100 mm covers 10 m². The Concrete Floor Calculator works in those units.

Concrete Yardage By Slab Size

This table shows some common slabs, with a 10% waste allowance. The Order column is rounded up to the next 0.1 m³.

These sizes are examples, and any slab's thickness must come from your plans. American plans can use thicknesses that do not suit Australian soils or rules. For local guidance, see the Concrete Slab Thickness Guide, and for a full materials list use the Concrete Slab Calculator.

Worked Concrete Yardage Examples

Each example uses a 10% waste allowance and rounds the order up to the next 0.1 m³.

A Small Workshop Takeoff

This job has four lines.

That is 10.9 m³. With waste, it comes to 15.68 yards, or 11.99 m³, so the order is 12 m³. If the footings go in a week before the slab, split it into two orders instead.

A 20 ft × 20 ft Slab

At 4 inches thick, this is 4.94 yards, or 3.776 m³. With waste, it is 5.43 yards, so the order is 4.2 m³. Quarter-yard rounding would make it 5.5 yards.

A Poured Wall

A wall 40 ft long, 8 ft high and 8 inches thick is 7.9 yards, or 6.04 m³. With waste, that is 8.69 yards, so the order is 6.7 m³.

Eight Round Holes

Eight holes, each 12 inches across and 3 ft deep, take 0.7 yards. With waste, it is 0.77 yards, or 65 of the 20 kg bags. Any post would take up some of that space, and the Concrete Post Hole Calculator allows for it.

Converting A 10-Yard Truck

Enter 10 under Known Volume, with no waste. That is 270 cubic feet and 7.65 m³, so the metric order would be 7.7 m³.

Yardage For Walls, Footings And Columns

The formula stays the same, but the sizes that matter change.

In each case, all sizes are in feet. Footings deserve some care. A trench dug by machine is rarely as neat as a form, and it may come out wider than the bucket. So a footing line often uses more than its drawn size. The Concrete Footing Calculator works in Australian sizes.

Walls are the other trap. If the wall is formed, its volume is fairly exact, but the forms must be strong enough for the pressure of the concrete. Have an engineer design any poured wall, and take openings off your volume before you order. Add a line for any steps, or use the Concrete Steps Calculator.

Waste And Rounding

No job uses exactly its measured yardage. The ground dips, forms bow and a little is left in the barrow or pump. The takeoff guide above suggests adding 10%, which is where the calculator starts. Holcim also says to base estimates on site measurements and to allow for wastage.

Round in this order: measure, add waste, then round up. Rounding up first and adding waste after it just inflates the number.

The results show two rounded figures. The m³ figure rounds to the step you choose, starting at 0.1 m³, and it is the one to use in Australia. The yardage figure rounds up to the next quarter yard, which suits American short-load services. HomeGuide says those services can deliver in quarter-yard steps.

Don't over-order by much, though. Returned concrete can be costly, and Boral NSW Metro lists a waste concrete disposal fee of $400 per m³ or part thereof. The bar in your results shows how much of your order is measured concrete, waste and rounding.

Cubic Yards To Cubic Metres

Use Known Volume for any number, or take it from this table.

For a rough check in your head, take three-quarters of the yards to get cubic metres. So 8 yards is about 6 m³, and the exact figure is 6.12 m³. That shortcut comes in a little low, so never use it for the final order. Going the other way, add about a third to metres to get yards.

How Many Yards Per Truck?

American guides often talk about a 10-yard truck. HomeGuide says a concrete truck holds about 10 cubic yards. Australian trucks are usually described in cubic metres. iSeekPlant's agitator guide lists these sizes.

So a typical Australian standard agitator is close to an American truck, but not always the same. The truck table in your results shows how many loads your order takes on each size. It is a simple split, full trucks first. For real planning, with minimum loads, unloading time and fees, use the Concrete Supply Calculator.

A US article may also say that loads under a full truck pay a short-load fee. HomeGuide gives $53 per yard for loads under 10 yards. Those are American prices and American rules. Here, Boral NSW Metro applies its short-load fee under 3 m³, which is about 3.9 yards.

Bags Per Yard Of Concrete

Bags are handy for small jobs, but a yard takes a lot of them.

These counts have no waste, and they round up to whole bags. An American guide's "45 bags per yard" refers to 80 lb bags, so don't apply it to 20 kg bags from an Australian store. At 84 bags, one yard of 20 kg premix is about 1,680 kg of dry bags to lift, and that is a big job by hand. Try the Concrete Bag Calculator for other sizes. For anything over about half a cubic metre, ready-mix is often the easier choice.

How Much Does A Yard Of Concrete Weigh?

At 2,400 kg per m³, a planning figure for normal concrete, a cubic yard weighs about 1,835 kg, or 4,045 lb. That is close to the 4,000 lb figure often quoted in American guides.

A single yard is too much for most utes and box trailers, so check the payload and tow limits before you collect any wet concrete. Trailer-mix services should tell you what your vehicle can take. A full 10-yard load is more than 18 tonnes of concrete alone, so access matters too. Ground, driveways and pipes must be able to carry the truck.

Ordering Concrete In Australia

When you ring a supplier, give them cubic metres. Australian prices and fees are set in m³, so saying yards invites confusion. Use the Ready-Mix Order figure from the concrete yardage calculator, along with these details.

• Strength grade, such as N20, N25 or N32, from your plans.
• Slump, and whether you are pumping or using the chute.
• The delivery address, date, time and access.
• Your supply rate, so trucks do not bunch up.

American plans may quote strength in psi, and slump in inches. Those need converting too. Concrete Grades Explained covers Australian grades, and the Concrete Order Calculator helps you round your order. Holcim suggests ordering at least 7 days before delivery, and confirming the details ahead of the day. If your takeoff spans several pour days, book each pour on its own.

Concrete Cost Per Yard

Prices in Australia are per m³, so here is how they look per yard.

The per m³ figures are from Yellow Pages' guide, updated in April 2026, and other guides list lower prices, so get a quote for your grade and postcode. Be careful with American figures. HomeGuide lists $119 to $147 per cubic yard in US dollars. That is a different currency in a different market, and it isn't a price you can compare with an Australian quote.

Enter your rate per m³ under Prices, and the calculator shows the cost of your order and the rate per yard. Add a bag price to compare. At one listed price of $14.44 for a 20 kg bag, 83 bags come to about $1,190 per yard, so bags cost far more than ready-mix for the same amount. They do avoid delivery fees on very small jobs. For a full budget, use the Concrete Cost Calculator.

Reading American Mix Terms

American yardage talk often comes with mix terms that sound odd in Australia. The main one is sacks per yard. A US sack of cement traditionally weighs 94 lb, so a 5-sack mix has 5 × 94 lb of cement in each cubic yard. Here is what that means in the kilograms per cubic metre used on Australian mix sheets.

That conversion is only arithmetic. It does not tell you the strength of the mix, because strength also depends on water, stone and admixtures. In Australia, you normally order by strength grade rather than by cement content, so ask for N25 or N32, not for a 6-sack mix. The Concrete Mixture Proportion Calculator works out site mixes in metric.

Other Terms You May See

• Short load. A load smaller than the truck's normal capacity, usually with an extra fee.
• Yard and a half. 1.5 cubic yards, or about 1.15 m³.
• Flatwork. Slabs, paths and driveways, as opposed to walls and footings.
• Rebar. Reinforcing bar, called reo in Australia.
• Sonotube. A cardboard tube used to form a round column. Use the Round Column line for these.
• Cement truck. An everyday name for what Australians call an agitator or a concrete truck.
• Psi. Pounds per square inch, used for strength. Divide by 145 for a rough MPa figure.

If a US plan or a video gives a mix or a strength, treat it as a guide only. Your own engineer and supplier will know what suits your site, your soil and Australian rules.

Turning A Takeoff Into Pour Days

A takeoff total is not one delivery. Most jobs pour in stages, and each stage is its own order, with its own truck and its own minimum load. Footings are usually poured first and inspected, then the slab comes later. Here is how to use your takeoff.

1. Sort your lines by stage. Group what can be poured at the same time.
2. Add waste to each stage. Run each group through the calculator on its own.
3. Check each stage against the minimum load. In Australia, that is often 3 to 4 m³, which is about 3.9 to 5.2 yards.
4. Combine small stages if you can. Pads and small footings poured together can avoid a short-load fee.
5. Book a pump or barrows. A site with poor access may need a pump, and the Concrete Pumping Cost Guide covers the cost.

Take the workshop example above. If the footings, pads and columns are poured together, that stage is 6.85 yards, or 5.2 m³, before waste. The slab is then 7.41 yards, or 5.66 m³. Each one clears a 3 m³ minimum, so neither should attract a short-load fee. If the pads and columns were poured alone, at 1.29 yards or just under 1 m³, they would fall well under it. So the order of the pours can change what you pay, even though the total yardage stays the same.

The Concrete Supply Calculator takes each stage from there, with truck spacing, unloading time and fees.

Concrete Yardage Mistakes To Avoid

• Reading yards as metres. Ten yards is 7.65 m³, not 10 m³.
• Reading yards as length. Yardage always means cubic yards here.
• Forgetting to divide by 27. Dividing by 3 gives you nonsense, since a yard is 3 ft each way.
• Leaving depth in inches. Divide by 12, or use the 324 shortcut.
• Using radius for diameter. A round column could come out four times too big.
• Leaving items off the takeoff. Steps, pads and thickened edges are easy to forget.
• Adding all pours into one order. Split them by pour day.
• Copying American prices. They are in US dollars.
• Rounding before adding waste. Add waste first, then round up.

Once your takeoff is done, download the PDF from this concrete yardage calculator and keep it with your plans. It shows your total in yards and in cubic metres, so everyone can read the same numbers.

Concrete Yardage Calculator FAQs

Keep Planning Your Pour

• Concrete Cubic Foot Calculator
• Cubic Yards To Cubic Metres
• Concrete Volume Calculator
• Concrete Supply Calculator
• Concrete Truck Calculator
• Concrete Order Calculator
• Concrete Grades Explained
• How We Calculate Concrete

Figures reviewed November 2026. Sources: NIST, Wikipedia, eHow, HomeGuide, iSeekPlant, Cement Australia, Bunnings, Quikrete, Yellow Pages, Boral and Holcim, linked in the sections above. Results are planning estimates, so confirm your final quantity, specification and price with your supplier, engineer and the people responsible for your project. See our Disclaimer and Calculator Methodology.