Concrete planning guide

Concrete Yards Chart

Use this table for a quick cubic-yard estimate for common rectangular slabs. Values below are net concrete volume before adding extra material for uneven subgrade, spillage or ordering margin.

Cubic yards by slab size

Slab size4 in thick5 in thick6 in thick
4 × 4 ft0.20 yd³0.25 yd³0.30 yd³
5 × 5 ft0.31 yd³0.39 yd³0.46 yd³
6 × 6 ft0.44 yd³0.56 yd³0.67 yd³
8 × 8 ft0.79 yd³0.99 yd³1.19 yd³
10 × 10 ft1.23 yd³1.54 yd³1.85 yd³
10 × 12 ft1.48 yd³1.85 yd³2.22 yd³
12 × 12 ft1.78 yd³2.22 yd³2.67 yd³
12 × 16 ft2.37 yd³2.96 yd³3.56 yd³
16 × 16 ft3.16 yd³3.95 yd³4.74 yd³
20 × 20 ft4.94 yd³6.17 yd³7.41 yd³
20 × 24 ft5.93 yd³7.41 yd³8.89 yd³
24 × 24 ft7.11 yd³8.89 yd³10.67 yd³

These are geometric volumes only. Many projects should include an additional material allowance before ordering.

Concrete cubic yard formula

Multiply length × width × thickness to find cubic feet, making sure thickness is converted from inches to feet. Then divide cubic feet by 27 because one cubic yard contains 27 cubic feet.

Example: 10 × 10 slab at 4 inches

A 10 × 10 ft slab at 4 inches thick contains about 1.23 cubic yards of net concrete. With a 10% extra-material allowance, the planning quantity becomes about 1.36 cubic yards. The BuildGauge Concrete Calculator also rounds that to a practical ready-mix ordering quantity.

Calculate your exact concrete quantity

Enter any length, width, thickness and waste allowance to compare cubic yards, cubic feet, ready-mix order quantity and bag counts.

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Common slab thicknesses

Thickness should come from the project design and intended use, not from a generic chart. A thicker slab increases concrete volume directly, so even a 1-inch change can materially affect the order on a larger project.

For bag counts, patios, driveways, footings and post holes, browse the Concrete Planning Hub.