Field referenceDensity ACI 150 lb/ft³Reinforced 4,150 lb/yd³Broken 2,025 lb/yd³

Concrete weight

Concrete Weight Calculator: How Much Does Your Concrete Weigh?

Get weight in tons, pounds, and kilograms — for any shape, any known volume, or any bag count. Includes reinforced (rebar/mesh), broken/demolition weight with swell, and pallet + pickup-payload references.

Tons · Pounds · Kilograms3 input methods6 shapesReinforced + demolition + palletImperial + Metric

Here's the deal

Need to know what your pour weighs — or what your demo pile weighs going into a dumpster? Pick an input method, punch in numbers, and you'll walk away with delivered weight, in-place subgrade load, demolition mass + loose volume, and bag-pallet planning that respects your truck's payload. We've got this.

Weighing concrete for:

A slab pour?A demolition haul-off?A bag-buying trip?A subgrade load check?A dumpster size pick?

A 10 × 10 ft slab at 4 inches weighs about 5,500 lb — 2.75 US tons or 2,495 kg — delivered (the order volume with 10% waste). In-place, the slab the subgrade carries is about 5,000 lb / 2.50 tons. One cubic yard of plain concrete is about 4,050 lb; reinforced adds ~100 lb/yd³.

Weight is exact geometry × density — no live data needed. Plain normal-weight concrete is 150 lb/ft³ (4,050 lb/yd³), reinforced concrete is ~4,150 lb/yd³, and broken rubble is ~2,025 lb/yd³ — half the in-place density because of the air gaps between pieces. The body content layered in 13b goes deeper on each number and the demolition / pallet planning the calculator surfaces.

Input method

Units

Shape

Rectangular slab — length × width × thickness.

Length (ft)

= 3.05 m

Width (ft)

= 3.05 m

Thickness (inches)

= 10.2 cm

4,050 lb/yd³ — plain normal-weight concrete

DELIVERED WEIGHT

2.75 US tons5,500 lb2,495 kg

Order volume 1.36 yd³ × density — matches the weight line on the concrete calculator.

Breakdown

In-place (no waste — what the subgrade carries)2.50 US tons · 5,000 lb

Per sq ft @ 4″50 lb / sq ft

Demolition & disposal

Solid disposal mass (in-place)2.50 US tons · 5,000 lb

Loose volume after breaking (~2.00× swell)2.47 yd³

Fits a typical 10-yd dumpster (~4.9 solid yd³ at the 10-ton cap).

Buying & hauling

Bags needed (80 lb @ 0.60 ft³ each)62

Pallets (2 × ~3,360 lb)6,720 lb

A typical half-ton pickup payload is ~1,000–1,500 lb — a single full pallet exceeds that, so expect multiple trips, a heavier truck, or pallet delivery. Pallet counts are typical (vary by manufacturer).

Enter your measurements,
then hit Calculate

Your full breakdown — yards, tons, bags, loads and cost — appears here.

The number

How much does concrete weigh?

A cubic yard of concrete weighs about 4,050 pounds — roughly 2 US tons (1,840 kg). That is the single most-asked concrete-weight number, and the calculator above scales it to any slab, footing, column, volume, or bag count you enter.

4,050

LB / YD³

Plain normal-weight concrete

150

LB / FT³

ACI planning density

US TONS / YD³

"A yard ≈ 2 tons" — Cemex

145–155

LB / FT³ RANGE

Varies with aggregate & moisture

The figure comes from concrete's density: about 150 pounds per cubic foot (2,400 kg/m³) for standard normal-weight concrete. Real-world density runs 145–155 lb/ft³ depending on the aggregate and moisture, so treat 150 as the planning value, not a guarantee.

Fresh versus cured barely matters for planning — wet concrete is a touch heavier from its mix water and cured concrete loses a little to evaporation, but both stay inside that 145–155 band. Use 150 either way.

Reinforced concrete weighs a little more — about 4,150 lb/yd³once you add rebar or mesh, roughly 100 pounds per yard over plain. Toggle “with rebar” in the calculator above to include it. The calculator's headline shows the delivered weight (your order volume × density, including waste), while the tables below show the in-place weight (the geometric volume × density — the finished slab itself). Two honest numbers for two different questions; pick the one that matches what you are about to do.

Reference

Concrete weight reference tables

These are in-place (finished) weights— the actual concrete in the slab, footing, or column. You'll ordera little more to cover waste; see the calculator's delivered figure for that.

Weight per square foot of slab, by thickness

Weight = 150 lb/ft³ × thickness (engine-computed in-place values).
Thickness	Weight per sq ft
4 inches	50 lb/sq ft
5 inches	62.5 lb/sq ft
6 inches	75 lb/sq ft
8 inches	100 lb/sq ft

Common slab weights (in place)

In-place weight = length × width × thickness × 150 lb/ft³. Order volume (delivered) adds waste — see the calculator.
Slab size	At 4″	At 6″
8 × 8 ft	1.60 tons (3,200 lb)	2.40 tons (4,800 lb)
10 × 10 ft	2.50 tons (5,000 lb)	3.75 tons (7,500 lb)
12 × 12 ft	3.60 tons (7,200 lb)	5.40 tons (10,800 lb)
16 × 20 ft	8.00 tons (16,000 lb)	12.00 tons (24,000 lb)
20 × 20 ft	10.00 tons (20,000 lb)	15.00 tons (30,000 lb)

Footing weight per linear foot

Per linear foot = width × depth × 1 ft × 150 lb/ft³.
Footing	Per linear foot
12″ × 12″	150 lb/ft
16″ × 8″	133 lb/ft
24″ × 12″	300 lb/ft

Column / Sonotube weight per foot of height

Per foot of height = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × 1 ft × 150 lb/ft³.
Diameter	Per foot of height
8 inches	52 lb/ft
10 inches	82 lb/ft
12 inches	118 lb/ft

The deep one

How much does broken concrete weigh? Demolition & disposal

Breaking up a slab is where weight gets counterintuitive — and where people order the wrong dumpster.

A loose cubic yard of broken concrete weighs about 2,025 pounds — roughly half the 4,050 of solid concrete, because rubble has air gaps between the pieces. But here is the catch: breaking it doesn't remove any mass. Your slab weighs the same in pieces as it did whole.

What changes is volume. The same mass at half the loose density takes up about twice the loose volume— so a slab that was 2 cubic yards solid becomes roughly 4 loose cubic yards of rubble. That is the swell factor that fills a dumpster faster than you'd expect.

Dumpsters for concrete are limited by weight, not volume. A 10-yard dumpster typically caps around 10 tons — and since solid concrete runs ~2 tons per yard, that is only about 5 solid cubic yards before you hit the limit. The dumpster looks half-empty but it is full by weight.

Overage fees run about $50–100 per ton, so it is cheaper to under-fill two dumpsters than to overload one. For big demolitions, plan multiple weight-limited loads rather than chasing volume.

What you carry

Bags, pallets & hauling

Mixed concrete weighs more than the dry bag — an 80-pound bag yields about 0.6 ft³, which is roughly 90 pounds once mixed. The extra ~10 pounds is the water you add on site. Across a 30-bag pour that is 2,400 lb of dry bags becoming about 2,700 lb of placed concrete — 300 pounds of added water.

90 lb

PLACED PER 80-LB BAG

+10 lb mix water on site

~3,360 lb

FULL PALLET

Typical 80-lb pallet · varies by mfr

~1,000–1,500 lb

HALF-TON PICKUP

Typical payload · vehicle-specific

A full pallet weighs about 3,200–3,400 pounds whatever the bag size, because the bag count adjusts to keep pallet weight roughly constant: 42 × 80 lb, 56 × 60 lb, 64 × 50 lb, or 80 × 40 lb (typical — counts vary by maker and store).

That is too heavy for most pickups.A typical half-ton pickup carries roughly 1,000–1,500 pounds, so one full pallet means several trips or a heavier truck — worth knowing before you load up at the store. Three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks handle a pallet better, but always confirm against your specific vehicle's payload spec (printed on a placard inside the driver door, or in the owner's manual) before loading.

The placed-vs-dry distinction is the practical one for ordering. A 30-bag pour weighing 2,400 dry will still produce a 2,700-pound finished slab, so subgrade load and joist sizing should reflect the placed weight, not the bag weight you paid for at the store. The calculator surfaces both numbers when you use the bag-count method.

Handy

Handy weight references

Three numbers worth keeping in your head. Each works backwards from the 150 lb/ft³ density the calculator and tables use, so they stay consistent with everything above.

5-gallon bucket ≈ 100 lb

Useful for moving small amounts by hand. About 0.67 ft³ × 150 lb/ft³.

A cubic yard ≈ 2 US tons

The single number to remember. Roughly 4,050 lb of plain concrete; 4,150 lb reinforced.

4-inch slab ≈ 50 lb/sq ft

Quick mental math for floors and subgrade load. Each extra inch adds 12.5 lb/sq ft.

The bucket figure is useful when you are moving small repair amounts by hand; the yard figure is what you say when a delivery driver asks how heavy your job is; the per-sq-ft figure is the one engineers and inspectors quote for floor and subgrade loading.

Worked examples

Three weight questions, computed

Each example uses the same 150 lb/ft³ density that drives the calculator above and the reference tables. The slab example is in-place (matches the tables); the calculator's headline of 2.75 tons for the same slab is delivered — same dimensions, two honest numbers for two different questions.

Slab weigh10 × 10 ft slab at 4 inches

10 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 33.33 ft³ × 150 lb/ft³

5,000 lb / 2.50 US tons in place

The finished slab weighs about 2.50 US tons (5,000 lb) in place. You would order roughly 2.75 tons of concrete to pour it (matching the calculator headline) — the extra is waste allowance, not slab.

Demolition20 × 20 ft driveway at 5 inches

20 × 20 × (5 ÷ 12) = 166.67 ft³ × 150 lb/ft³ = 25,000 lb

12.5 US tons solid → exceeds one 10-yd dumpster

That slab weighs about 12.5 US tons to dispose of, which exceeds a single 10-yard dumpster's ~10-ton limit. Plan two weight-limited dumpsters or a heavier hauling option, and budget for overage if you guess high. The loose volume after breaking is roughly 12.3 yd³ (mass ÷ 2,025 lb/yd³) — note how the second dumpster needs the same weight cap, not the same volume.

Bag haul30 × 80-lb bags

30 × 80 = 2,400 lb dry · 30 × 0.60 ft³ × 150 lb/ft³ = 2,700 lb placed

2,400 lb dry · 2,700 lb placed · 300 lb water added

You will carry 2,400 pounds of dry bags (a full pallet is 42 bags / ~3,360 lb, so this is most of a pallet) and place about 2,700 pounds of concrete. At a half-ton pickup's payload, that is two or three trips.

Questions

Concrete weight FAQ

How much does a yard of concrete weigh?

About 4,050 pounds — roughly 2 US tons or 1,840 kg. That is standard normal-weight concrete at 150 lb/ft³; reinforced concrete runs about 4,150 lb/yd³.

How much does a 10 × 10 concrete slab weigh?

About 2.50 US tons (5,000 lb) in place at 4 inches thick, or about 3.75 tons at 6 inches. You would order a bit more to cover waste when pouring it.

How much does broken concrete weigh?

About 2,025 pounds per loose cubic yard, versus 4,050 for solid — the air gaps between pieces lower the loose density. The total mass does not change when you break it; it just takes up about twice the loose volume.

How much does concrete weigh per square foot?

About 50 pounds per square foot at 4 inches thick, and 75 pounds at 6 inches. The rule is 150 lb/ft³ times the thickness in feet.

Does reinforced concrete weigh more than plain?

Yes — about 4,150 lb/yd³ versus 4,050, roughly 100 pounds more per yard from the rebar or mesh. Toggle "with rebar" in the calculator to include it.

How much does a bag of concrete weigh when mixed?

An 80-pound bag weighs about 90 pounds once mixed — it gains roughly 10 pounds from the water you add. So a 30-bag pour means 2,400 pounds of dry bags become about 2,700 pounds of placed concrete.

How much does a pallet of concrete weigh?

About 3,200 to 3,400 pounds — typically 42 × 80-lb bags (3,360 lb), 56 × 60-lb, 64 × 50-lb, or 80 × 40-lb. The count varies by manufacturer and store.

What size dumpster do I need for concrete?

Concrete dumpsters are limited by weight, not volume — a 10-yard dumpster holds about 10 tons, which is only ~5 solid cubic yards, so it looks half-full when it is actually full. Overage fees run about $50–100 per ton.

Can my pickup truck carry a pallet of concrete?

Not a full one — a pallet runs about 3,300 pounds while a typical half-ton pickup carries only 1,000 to 1,500. Expect multiple trips or a heavier truck for a full pallet.

Receipts

Sources & methodology

Pinned sources

ACI normal-weight / Cemex — Density 150 lb/ft³ and "a yard ≈ 2 tons" · standard
150 lb/ft³ planning value; 4,050 lb/yd³ ≈ 2.025 US tons. Range 145–155 lb/ft³ with aggregate and moisture.
Budget Dumpster / Dumpsters.com / AdvWaste (consensus) — Broken-rubble loose density — disposal planning · 2026
~2,025 lb/yd³ (75 lb/ft³). Prime Dumpster reports 2,040; we use the consensus 2,025. ~2× swell over solid; dumpsters weight-limited for concrete.
concretecalculate — Reinforced concrete density & dumpster overage · 2026
~4,150 lb/yd³ reinforced (typical rebar/mesh). Dumpster overage ~$50–100/ton.
QUIKRETE product guide / Home Depot — Bag pallet counts (typical, vary by mfr/store) · everything-about-concrete · 2026
80→42, 60→56, 50→64, 40→80 bags per pallet. Pallet weights cluster at ~3,200–3,360 lb.

Tool-specific choices behind these numbers

Weight = volume × density

Everything on this page traces to 150 lb/ft³ (4,050 lb/yd³, the ACI normal-weight planning value confirmed by Cemex). Tables and worked examples are engine-computed at build time, not copied from a competitor; if 150 changed, every cell would update.

In-place vs delivered (two honest numbers)

The slab's real weight is its geometric volume × density — that is what the reference tables and "how much does X weigh" answers report. Delivered weight adds your waste allowance (10% by default), which is what you order and haul; the calculator headline shows that. Same dimensions, two honest numbers for two different questions. The 10×10 slab at 4″ in the tables reads 2.50 tons in place; in the calculator above the same slab reads 2.75 tons delivered. Both numbers are correct — they answer different questions ("what does my slab weigh" vs "what should I order"). The tables, FAQ, and worked examples use in-place throughout for consistency.

Density is a range, not a point

Real-world concrete runs 145–155 lb/ft³ depending on aggregate gradation and moisture content; we plan at 150. Fresh and cured both sit inside that band, so the wet-vs-dry difference is a couple of percent — meaningful for structural engineering, negligible for planning. We do not quote a precise fresh-vs-cured delta because none of the sources we trust quote one either.

Reinforced is an estimate

~4,150 lb/yd³ reflects typical rebar/mesh densities (concretecalculate, 2026), about +100 lb/yd³ over plain. A heavy structural steel schedule may run higher; a light slab mesh may run lower. The toggle is a planning estimate, not a structural specification — engineers spec their own bar schedules and we do not substitute for that work. The reinforced premium also flows through the demolition figure, since steel is part of what you are hauling away when you tear up a reinforced slab.

Broken concrete: mass conserved, volume swells

Loose rubble at ~2,025 lb/yd³ is a disposal-planning density — it reflects air gaps between broken pieces, not a property of the concrete itself. The dumpster math follows from weight, not volume: a 10-ton dumpster fills with about 5 solid yd³ regardless of how loose the rubble looks. We use the multi-source consensus 2,025 lb/yd³ (Budget Dumpster / Dumpsters.com / AdvWaste); Prime Dumpster reports 2,040 — close enough that the planning answer doesn't change.

Pallet and payload figures are typical

Pallet counts come from QUIKRETE's product guide via Home Depot — 42 / 56 / 64 / 80 bags for 80 / 60 / 50 / 40 lb. They vary by manufacturer and store, so the calculator labels them typical rather than freezing one number. Pallet weights cluster at ~3,200–3,400 lb across sizes because the count adjusts to keep pallet weight roughly constant. Half-ton pickup payload is the same kind of figure: a range (~1,000–1,500 lb), vehicle-specific, presented as a general note rather than a per-truck calc. Owner's manuals list the payload for any given truck, and that number is the one to trust over our range.

For the shared principles — the “real ≠ right” rule, the primary-source standard, and the publish-our-receipts stance behind every figure on the site — see the methodology page.

Spot a number that looks off? Email info@constructioncalc.org with the page URL and what you saw — we publish a fix as soon as the underlying source can be confirmed.