How Many Bags of Concrete Are on a Pallet?

How many bags of concrete are on a pallet?

A standard pallet of bagged concrete holds 42 bags of 80 lb, 56 bags of 60 lb or 80 bags of 40 lb. Quikrete and Sakrete use the same counts for the same bag size, so the totals in this guide apply to either brand’s regular concrete mix.

Pallet counts are from Quikrete’s product pages and Oldcastle APG’s Sakrete listings (Sakrete is an Oldcastle APG brand). Volumes multiply the count by each bag’s data-sheet yield: 0.60 ft³ per 80 lb bag, 0.45 per 60 lb and 0.30 per 40 lb, for both Quikrete Concrete Mix and Sakrete High-Strength. The Sakrete 40 lb row assumes the 0.30 ft³ yield from the High-Strength sheet, since its listing gives none. The fast-setting row has no volume because we have not verified that product’s yield. Weights are the bags only; the wooden pallet and wrap are extra.

A store may sell part pallets or stack its own count for delivery, so confirm the count on your order. The manufacturer’s figure is what a full factory pallet carries.

How much does a pallet of concrete weigh?

The mix on a full pallet of 80 lb or 60 lb bags weighs 3,360 lb (1.68 US tons, 1,524 kg); a 40 lb or 50 lb pallet carries 3,200 lb (1.6 US tons, 1,451 kg). It is simple arithmetic, bags × bag weight, and it is why the 80 and 60 lb pallets carry the same load.

Before you load a pallet’s worth into a pickup, check the payload on your vehicle’s door-jamb label, split the load into trips, or pay for delivery. The weight per volume of the hardened slab is a different question, covered by the concrete weight calculator.

How much concrete does a pallet make?

A full pallet of 80 lb or 60 lb bags makes 25.2 ft³ of placed concrete, 0.93 cubic yard or 0.71 m³. A pallet of 40 lb bags makes 24 ft³ (0.89 yd³, 0.68 m³). So one cubic yard always needs a little more than one pallet.

Bags per yard is 27 ÷ bag yield, using the Quikrete Concrete Mix and Sakrete High-Strength data sheets. The 80 lb and 60 lb pallets come out identical because both carry 3,360 lb of the same mix. The 40 lb pallet carries 160 lb less, which is why it makes 1.2 ft³ less. Per square foot, one 80 lb pallet covers about 75.6 ft² of slab at 4 in thick (25.2 × 3), before any waste allowance.

How many pallets of concrete do I need?

Work out the bags first, then divide by the pallet count and round to whole pallets plus loose bags. One cubic yard is 27 ft³, so it takes 45 bags of 80 lb at 0.60 ft³ each, one pallet of 42 plus 3 bags.

Bags = volume (ft³) × (1 + waste) ÷ bag yield (ft³), rounded up
Pallets = bags ÷ bags per pallet (42 for 80 lb, 56 for 60 lb, 80 for 40 lb)

The calculator at the top of this page turns any number of cubic yards into bags of each size; divide its result by the pallet count above.

Metric: a 3 × 3 m pad 100 mm thick is 0.9 m³, or 0.99 m³ (34.96 ft³) with 10% extra. That is 59 bags of 80 lb, 1.4 pallets, or about 2,141 kg of mix.

When is a full pallet worth it, and when is ready-mix better?

A pallet makes just under one cubic yard. Up to a pallet or two, bags are easy to buy and mix in batches; beyond that the bag count, mixing time and weight climb quickly. A 20 × 20 ft slab at 4 in is 245 bags of 80 lb, nearly 10 US tons of mix to lift twice: off the pallet and into the mixer.

At that size most people compare a bag order with a ready-mix delivery, which arrives as one placed volume. Bag strength is not the issue: Quikrete Concrete Mix and Sakrete High-Strength are both rated 4,000 psi at 28 days on their data sheets. See concrete psi for the code minimums by use.

Pallet counts for mortar and other bagged mixes

The same bag size usually means the same count. Quikrete’s Mortar Mix page lists 40 lb bags at 80 per pallet, 60 lb at 56 and 80 lb at 42, matching its Concrete Mix. Quikrete’s Fast-Setting Concrete Mix lists 64 bags of 50 lb per pallet.

Mortar bags cover a number of bricks or blocks, not a slab volume. For those quantities use the mortar calculator.

Common pallet-ordering mistakes

• Assuming a pallet is a cubic yard. It is 0.93 yd³ for 80 or 60 lb bags and 0.89 yd³ for 40 lb; a yard needs 45 bags of 80 lb, not 42.
• Forgetting waste. Add about 10% before dividing by the pallet count; spillage and an uneven base eat bags.
• Overloading the truck or garage floor. 3,360 lb of mix sits on one pallet footprint. Check the payload label and where the pallet will be set down.
• Mixing sizes on one job. 80 lb and 60 lb pallets make the same volume, but switching sizes mid-pour changes your batch water and count.
• Ordering a full pallet for a small job. Ten fence posts or a short step may need a dozen bags; count first with the concrete bag calculator.

Pallet counts can change with packaging; the manufacturer’s current product page or your store’s order confirmation is the final word.