Miscalculations and inaccurate measurements cause several building mistakes. If you buy concrete by the pallet, for example, it’s possible to end up with far more than you need for the project. This is why it’s critical to double-check your figures, which begins with determining how much area a pallet of concrete will occupy.
A pallet of concrete typically yields 0.76 cubic meters (1 cubic yard) of completed concrete. You’ll know how many pallets you need to buy once you know how many cubic yards need to be filled.
We’ll go over the specifics of buying a concrete pallet in the rest of the post. We’ll also go over some of the math you can use to figure out how much concrete you’ll need for a job.
How to Work Out the Yardage From a Concrete Pallet
Due to the depth of concrete features, the area is measured in cubic feet or yards. You can figure out how many cubic yards a pallet of concrete will provide, but how do you go from point A to point B?
Follow these procedures to calculate how many yards you’ll receive from a pallet of concrete:
- Calculate the number of cubic feet covered per bag. This is typically roughly 0.6 cubic feet for 80 pounds (0.02 cubic meters per 36.29 kilograms bag).
- This value is multiplied by 27, the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard.
- Multiply the number of bags on the pallet by the result.
The number of cubic yards you’ll get out of the pallet is the result.
You can also multiply the cubic yards per bag by the number of bags if you know the cubic yards per bag. You can usually find out how much square footage a bag of concrete covers on the bag, and you can use that as a starting point.
On a standard pallet, how many concrete bags are there?
The quantity of concrete bags on a pallet is determined by the size of the bags. Concrete bags are typically 40, 50, 60, and 80 pounds (18.14, 22.58, 27.22, and 36.29 kg respectively), and they are normally broken down as follows:
- Per pallet, there are (80) 40-pound bags.
- Per pallet, there are (64) 50-pound bags.
- Per pallet, there are (56) 60-pound bags
- Per pallet, there are (42) 80-pound bags
As the bags get bigger, the number of bags decreases, but the total weight stays about the same. The weight of the pallet, regardless of bag size, will be about 3,200 to 3,400 lbs (1,451.5 to 1,542.21 kg), and you can compute cubic yards this way.
A cubic yard of dry concrete weighs approximately 4,000 lbs (1,814.37 kg), and you get 0.85 when you divide 3,400 by 4,000.
This means that a concrete pallet will cover around 0.85 cubic yards (0.65 cubic meters). With this information, you can precisely estimate how many concrete pallets you’ll need for your project.
When buying concrete, does the size of the bag matter?
If you’re buying concrete by the pallet, the size of the individual bags may not be an important consideration.
When buying concrete, bag size is important if you want to figure out how many bags you’ll need. You’ll need fewer bags of concrete for your job if the bag is heavier.
Whether it’s 80 forty-pound (18.14 kg) bags or 42 eighty-pound (36.29 kg) bags, a typical concrete pallet holds around 3,200 to 3,400 lbs (1,451.5 to 1,542.21 kg) of material.
How Much Does a Concrete Pallet Weigh?
The weight of a concrete pallet will be determined by the size of the bag and the number of bags on the pallet.
| Size of the Bag (lb) | No. of Bags on the Pallet | Total Weight of Pallet (lbs) |
| 80 | 42 | 3,360 |
| 60 | 56 | 3,360 |
| 50 | 64 | 3,200 |
| 40 | 80 | 3,200 |
Concrete Bags on Pallets
When you buy 80-pound bags, you usually get a little more weight, so if you’re seeking to get the most concrete for your money, this might be the better option.
Buying larger bags implies there will be fewer to lift and carry in the end.
Despite the fact that the bags are heavier, the average amount of work may be less. Buying larger bags can sometimes save you money in the long run, but this depends on where you buy them.
How to Calculate How Many Cubic Yards of Concrete You’ll Need
It’s critical to figure out how much concrete you’ll need for a specific project. While it’s usually a good idea to buy a little more than the work requires, you don’t want to overstock. You also don’t want to undervalue yourself, so make sure your estimates are as exact as possible.
Multiply the length, breadth, and depth of the area where you’ll be pouring concrete to figure out how much concrete you’ll need.
This will tell you how many cubic feet you have if you’re measuring in feet. You may calculate how many bags you’ll need by multiplying the total number of cubic feet by the number of cubic feet per bag of concrete.
If you have 60 cubic feet of the area and are using 80 pounds (36.29 kg) of concrete bags (which cover around 0.6 cubic feet or 0.02 cubic meters), divide 60 by 0.6.
This equals 100 bags of concrete, therefore you’ll need about 100 of them to fill this space.
In most cases, you’ll want to buy a little more concrete than your estimates suggest. This will presumably keep you from running out, and as long as you do the math correctly, you shouldn’t have too much surplus.
Calculating the Number of Concrete Pallets Required
Once you know how many cubic feet of space you have, you can calculate how many concrete pallets you’ll need. For example, pouring concrete over a 9′ x 12′ x 0.5′ (2.74 m x 0.61 m x 0.15 m) area will result in 54 cubic feet (1.53 cubic meters) of volume.
One cubic yard contains 27 cubic feet (0.76 cubic meters), therefore 54 divided by 27 equals 2 cubic yards (1.53 cubic meters) of concrete. According to these calculations, around 2 1/2 pallets of concrete would be required to completely cover the area.
To Determine Concrete Needs, Use an Online Calculator
There are a plethora of internet calculators available to assist you in determining your concrete requirements. Typically, these calculators only require measurements from the site that is being filled. Following that, it determines the quantity of concrete bags necessary for the project automatically.
You’ll be able to tell how many pallets of concrete you’ll need after you know how many bags you’ll need based on the calculation. If you’re going to calculate online, it’s a good idea to utilize many calculators to ensure that the results are consistent.
How Much Does a Concrete Pallet Cost?
The price of a single pallet of concrete can vary depending on where you go, and some dealers will give you a discount if you buy in bulk.
Heavier bags are usually more expensive, but because there are fewer of them on a pallet, the price levels out. If you purchase a different type of concrete, the price may also alter.
Conclusion
A pallet of concrete will cover around one cubic yard, so once you know how many cubic yards you need to cover, you can figure out how many pallets of concrete you’ll need.
It’s all too easy to make a mistake and end up with more or less concrete than you need, so make sure you double-check your figures. Even said, it’s occasionally a good idea to overestimate because it’s better to have too much than not enough.
The more precise your measurements, however, the more strategic your purchase will be.
Key Takeaways
A pallet of concrete typically yields 1 cubic yard (0.76 cubic meters) of completed concrete. The quantity of concrete bags on a pallet is determined by the size of the bags.
You can also multiply the cubic yards per bag by the number of bags to work out how much concrete you’ll need for a job. A typical concrete pallet holds around 3,200 to 3,400 lbs (1,451.5 to 1,542.21 kg). You’ll need fewer bags of concrete if the bag is heavier.
Buying larger bags can sometimes save you money in the long run. If you have 60 cubic feet of area and are using 80 pounds (36.29 kg) of concrete bags, divide 60 by 0.6. This equals 100 bags of concrete, therefore you’ll need about 100 of them to fill this space.
A pallet of concrete will cover around one cubic yard, so once you know how many cubic yards you need, you can figure out how many pallets of concrete you’ll need. It’s all too easy to make a mistake and end up with more or less concrete than you need.