Concrete Pallet Calculator

1. Enter the dimensions of the pour and a 5 to 10 percent waste allowance, as for any concrete job.
2. Pick the bag size; each size has its own pallet count, shown in the dropdown.
3. Read the result: the pallets needed, the total bags, how they split into full pallets and loose bags, and the weight to move.
4. Use the weight to plan a forklift, a liftgate delivery or help to unload.

Here is what each result line means:

A concrete pallet calculator works out how many pallets of bagged concrete a job needs, so you can order in pallet loads and plan how to move them. It is the step past counting bags: pallets are how bagged concrete is delivered, priced in bulk and lifted off a truck.

Each bag size comes a set number to a pallet. For QUIKRETE Concrete Mix that is 42 bags on an 80 pound pallet, 56 on a 60 pound pallet and 80 on a 40 pound pallet. The tool sizes the pour, converts it to bags, and divides by the pallet count to give whole pallets plus any loose bags, so you can order full loads and plan how to lift and move them.

First the tool finds the pour volume and the total bags, the same way a bag calculator does. Then it divides the bags by the number on a pallet for that bag size and rounds up.

1. Size the pour volume in cubic feet and add the waste allowance.
2. Divide by the bag yield and round up for the total bags.
3. Divide the bags by the pallet count (42, 56 or 80) and round up for the pallets.
4. The remainder over the last full pallet is the loose bags.

Suppose you are pouring a slab 10 feet by 10 feet at 4 inches, with 10 percent waste, using 80 pound bags.

Calculation: the slab needs about 62 eighty-pound bags. At 42 bags to a pallet that is 62 / 42 = 1.48, rounded up to 2 pallets: one full pallet of 42 plus 20 loose bags. The 62 bags weigh about 2.5 short tons, and a full 80 pound pallet alone is about 3,360 pounds.

The lesson: this job is one full pallet and a score of loose bags. Buying the second pallet whole may cost less per bag, but it leaves 22 spare bags to store or return.

Bag Size

Each size has its own pallet count, so switching bag size changes the pallets even for the same volume: 42 to an 80 pound pallet, 56 to a 60 pound, 80 to a 40 pound. Fewer, heavier bags mean fewer to handle but a heavier lift.

Pour Volume

Pallets rise in steps with the volume. A small pad is loose bags; a driveway is a pallet or more, which is where buying by the pallet starts to pay.

Loose Bags Over a Pallet

A job rarely lands on an exact pallet. The loose bags over the last full pallet decide whether you top up with singles or round up to another whole pallet.

Retailer Pallet Counts

Counts are the manufacturer standard but can vary by store and region. Confirm the pallet quantity and the SKU before you order a full load.

Whether to buy loose bags or full pallets comes down to how many you need and how you will move them. A pallet is cheaper per bag but heavy and awkward without a forklift.

If the choice is really bags versus a ready-mix delivery, size that first with the concrete mix calculator, weigh it against the concrete cost calculator, and set the mix water with the water cement ratio calculator.

Ordering a Large Bag Job

Before you buy, see how many pallets a pour needs so you can order full loads and get the pallet price.

Planning Delivery and Handling

The weight per pallet tells you whether you need a forklift, a liftgate truck or extra hands to unload.

Deciding Whole Pallets vs Singles

Use the loose-bag figure to choose between topping up with singles and rounding up to another whole pallet.

1. Using One Pallet Count for Every Bag Size

An 80 pound pallet holds 42 bags, a 40 pound pallet holds 80. Using the wrong count throws the pallet number off. The tool matches the count to the bag size.

2. Forgetting the Loose Bags

Rounding straight to whole pallets hides the dozen or so loose bags that decide whether to buy a second pallet. Check the full-plus-loose split.

3. Underestimating the Weight

A single 80 pound pallet is over 1.6 tons. Without a forklift or liftgate it cannot be unloaded, and a pickup bed may be over its rating.

4. Leaving Out Waste

Skipping the waste allowance under-counts bags and pallets, so you run short. Keep 5 to 10 percent.

5. Assuming Every Store Stacks the Same

Pallet counts vary by retailer. Confirm the count for your store before you rely on the pallet number for pricing or transport.

The arithmetic, the bag yields and the standard pallet counts are exact; the result depends on the dimensions and the waste allowance you enter, and on your store matching the standard counts.

For QUIKRETE Concrete Mix, an 80 pound pallet holds 42 bags, a 60 pound pallet holds 56, and a 40 pound pallet holds 80. Counts can vary by retailer, so confirm the pallet quantity and SKU with your store before ordering a full load.

A 10 by 10 foot slab at 4 inches needs about 62 eighty-pound bags, which is 2 pallets: one full pallet of 42 plus 20 loose bags. Enter your slab size and bag size above for the exact pallet count.

About 1.6 to 1.7 short tons. A full 80 pound pallet is 42 x 80 = 3,360 pounds, a 60 pound pallet is 56 x 60 = 3,360 pounds, and a 40 pound pallet is 80 x 40 = 3,200 pounds. You need a forklift or a liftgate to unload one.

Usually, per bag, a pallet is cheaper than loose bags because it is sold in bulk. The trade-off is the weight, the need for a forklift or liftgate, and any spare bags left over. For a small job, loose bags often work out simpler.

42, for QUIKRETE Concrete Mix. A 60 pound bag comes 56 to a pallet and a 40 pound bag 80 to a pallet. The heavier the bag, the fewer per pallet, but each pallet weighs about the same, around 1.6 to 1.7 tons.

Store them dry and off the ground for a future small job, or check the store return policy before you buy. The loose-bag figure here helps you decide whether to buy a whole extra pallet or just top up with singles.

Only if the pallet weight is within the truck rating and you can load it. A full pallet is over 1.6 tons, which exceeds most half-ton and many one-ton pickup payloads, so a delivery with a liftgate is usually safer.

No. The counts here are the manufacturer standard, but retailers and regions can differ, and odd counts turn up. Confirm the pallet quantity at your store so the pallet number and the price hold.

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.

• QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101, bags per pallet (QUIKRETE; 80 lb – 42 per pallet, 60 lb – 56, 40 lb – 80, with SKUs).
• QUIKRETE Concrete Mix 1101 data sheet (QUIKRETE; bag yields 0.60, 0.45 and 0.30 cu ft).
• National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA; ready-mixed concrete for larger pours).