I get this question a lot: should I buy bags or call a truck? The honest answer depends on one number — how many cubic yards your project needs. Everything else (convenience, truck access, schedule) is secondary to that math.
What you’re actually choosing between
Bagged concrete mix is dry aggregate and cement in a bag — you add water and mix it yourself. An 80 lb bag yields 0.60 cubic feet of mixed concrete, which means you need 45 of them to make one cubic yard. At around $5-7 per bag at Home Depot or Lowe’s (I’ve been seeing $5.80-6.50 for standard Quikrete 80 lb in mid-2026), one cubic yard of bagged material costs you roughly $260-290 just in product, before any mixer rental or labor.
Ready-mix concrete arrives in a drum truck, already mixed to the spec you ordered (typically 3,000 or 4,000 PSI for residential work). The plant batches it, the truck delivers it, and you have a limited window — usually 90 minutes from the batch time — to place and finish it. Current delivered prices in most US metros run $140-180 per cubic yard for a standard mix, with short-load fees of $40-60 per yard added if your order is under a full truckload (typically 10 yards). A 1-yard order might land at $185-250 all-in depending on your supplier and distance from the plant.
The breakeven math
At $6 per bag and 45 bags per yard, your material cost for bagged concrete is about $270 per cubic yard. Ready-mix delivered to a single-yard job costs roughly $185-250 with short-load fees. That means for a 1-yard job, bagged concrete can actually be cheaper on materials — but you’re the one doing 90 minutes of mixing or renting a mixer for $60-80.
Past about 1.5 yards, the math flips. Two yards of bagged concrete is $540 in product plus labor. Two yards of ready-mix runs $280-360 delivered. The bigger the pour, the worse bags look by comparison — and the more you’ll regret having mixed them yourself.
I put the full breakdown in the chart below. The crossover where ready-mix wins on total cost (materials plus a realistic labor estimate) is somewhere around 1 to 1.5 cubic yards for most projects.
Worked comparison: a 10×10 shed pad at 4 inches
Say you’re pouring a 10 x 10 foot slab at 4 inches thick for a small shed. Here’s the volume:
10 ft x 10 ft x (4/12) ft = 33.3 cubic feet, which is 33.3 / 27 = 1.23 cubic yards. Add 10% waste and you’re planning for about 1.35 yards.
Bagged route: 1.35 yd3 x 45 bags = 61 bags. At $6 each that’s $366 in product. You’ll also want a rented electric mixer (not optional at this volume — hand-mixing 60 bags destroys you), which typically runs $60-80 for a half-day. Call it $430-450 total, and a full day of hard labor.
Ready-mix route: Order 1.5 yards (round up to give yourself a buffer). At $160/yd with a 1.5-yard short-load fee, a realistic quote is $240-280 delivered. You’ll have the truck for 90 minutes; finish the pour yourself or hire one finisher for the day.
At this size, ready-mix is genuinely competitive on cost and saves you a miserable afternoon. I’d call a couple of local batch plants for quotes before buying a bag. You might be surprised — some plants will deliver a yard or two without a brutal short-load penalty if you’re within a few miles.
Use my concrete calculator to get the exact cubic yards for your project before you start pricing either option.
When to choose bagged concrete
Bags make sense in three situations:
Small volume, under about 0.5 yards. Fence posts, a single step, a mailbox footing — anything where you need fewer than 20-25 bags. A ready-mix truck won’t come for less than a yard, and the short-load fees make the math ugly anyway.
No truck access. If the pour is in a tight backyard, up a hill, or otherwise somewhere a drum truck can’t reach, bags are your only option. You can wheelbarrow bags anywhere. A ready-mix truck needs a fairly firm, clear path within about 3 feet of the form.
Flexible schedule. With bags you mix when you’re ready and stop when you need to. Ready-mix has a hard 90-minute clock. If you’re working solo or you’ve never poured concrete before, that time pressure can lead to mistakes — bags let you work at a pace that doesn’t stress you out.
When to choose ready-mix
Volume over 1.5 yards. The labor savings alone justify the cost difference. Mixing 70+ bags by hand or renting a mixer for a full day approaches the price of a ready-mix delivery, and the pour quality is better — a batch plant maintains a controlled water-to-cement ratio that’s hard to replicate by hand.
Slabs where finish matters. If you’re pouring a garage floor, a patio you’ll actually use, or anything that needs to look good, ready-mix produces a more consistent product. Bagged concrete mixed at slightly different water ratios batch to batch can lead to color variation and surface inconsistency.
Footings under anything structural. For concrete footings supporting a deck, a wall, or a structure of any kind, I’d strongly prefer ready-mix — the spec is tight and the mix is verified. The estimates here are for planning; anything structural should be reviewed by a pro.
If you’re also planning gravel base work under the slab, the gravel calculator can help you figure out how much base material you need before the concrete goes in.
Practical tips if you go the bag route
Rent a mixer. Seriously. An electric drum mixer costs $60-80 for a half-day and makes the whole project survivable. Hand-mixing with a hoe in a wheelbarrow is fine for 3-4 bags; past that it’s punishing and the mix quality suffers because you get tired and start adding too much water.
Don’t add extra water to make it easier to pour. This is the most common mistake I see. The “sloppier” the mix the weaker the finished concrete — more water = more shrinkage cracks = weaker slab. Follow the bag instructions for water ratio and use a plasticizer additive if you need it more workable.
Buy more bags than you think you need. Running short mid-pour is a disaster because you can’t leave fresh concrete to harden in sections — you get cold joints that become cracks. Add 10% to your calculated count and return the unopened bags for a refund. Hardware stores take back undamaged concrete bags without a fight.
Stage your bags near the pour before you start. Opening bags and moving them around mid-pour while wet concrete is waiting is a good way to have a bad day. Have everything within arm’s reach before you mix the first batch.
FAQ
How many 80 lb bags of concrete do I need for a cubic yard?
Exactly 45 bags of 80 lb mix make one cubic yard (27 cubic feet / 0.60 cubic feet per bag = 45). Add 10% for waste and you’re buying about 50 bags per yard. The concrete calculator does this automatically once you enter your slab dimensions.
What is the minimum order for ready-mix concrete?
Most batch plants will deliver a minimum of 1 cubic yard, but expect a short-load fee of $40-60 per yard if your order is under the truck’s capacity (typically 8-10 yards). Some regional suppliers have a 2-yard minimum. Call two or three local plants for quotes — pricing and minimums vary quite a bit by market.
Is it cheaper to mix your own concrete or order ready-mix?
For small pours under about 1 cubic yard, bagged concrete is usually cheaper on materials. Past 1.5 yards, ready-mix typically wins on total cost once you factor in mixer rental and labor. The exact crossover depends on local ready-mix pricing and short-load fees in your area.
Can I mix bags a day ahead and pour them the next morning?
No. Once you add water to bagged concrete it begins to set and you have a limited working window — typically 30-45 minutes depending on temperature. Mixed concrete that sits overnight is waste. Only mix what you can place and finish in one session.
What PSI concrete should I use for a shed slab or patio?
For residential slabs, patios, and shed pads, 3,000 PSI is standard and adequate. If you’re in a freeze-thaw climate, use 4,000 PSI or a specifically air-entrained mix rated for exterior exposure. Quikrete 5000 and Sakrete High Strength both hit the 5,000 PSI mark at 28 days — good choice for anything that sees winter weather.
Built and maintained by Sam Walsh. Last updated July 2026. These are planning estimates — for structural applications, check with a licensed contractor or engineer.