Cubic yards and cubic metres — ordering concrete without waste
1 cubic yard = 0.7646 m³. A US 10-yard truck delivers 7.65 m³. Order by the wrong unit and you either short the pour or eat $300 of returned concrete.
Ready-mix concrete is one of the last industries where the US-metric split is a daily operational headache. Batch plants dispatch loads in whole yards or whole cubes, and drivers charge return fees if you send back more than a small overage.
The exact factors
1 yd³ = 0.764554857984 m³ (exact) > 1 m³ = 1.30795 yd³ > Standard US mixer truck: 8–11 yd³ (6.1–8.4 m³) > Standard EU mixer truck: 6–10 m³
Calculating a slab pour
For a slab: length × width × thickness, all in the same unit. Convert at the end. A 20 ft × 30 ft × 6 in slab = 20 × 30 × 0.5 = 300 ft³ = 11.11 yd³ = 8.50 m³. Always add 5–10% for over-excavation and waste — 11.11 yd³ becomes an 11.7 yd³ order, rounded up to 12 yd³ to fit the batch plant's whole-unit dispatch.
The 'short load' penalty
Most US ready-mix plants charge a short-load fee below 3–4 yd³ (2.3–3.1 m³) because a partial truckload still costs a full truck and driver to dispatch. Fees are typically $150–$300. For small pours, wheelbarrow bags (60 lb = 0.017 yd³ each) are often cheaper up to about 1 yd³.
Worked example — a foundation for a two-car garage
A monolithic slab 24 × 24 ft with a 12-inch thickened perimeter edge. Slab: 24 × 24 × 4/12 = 192 ft³ = 7.11 yd³. Edge (thickened by 8 in over an 18-in-wide footing, perimeter 96 ft): 96 × 1.5 × 8/12 = 96 ft³ = 3.56 yd³. Total: 10.67 yd³ + 10% waste = 11.74 yd³, order 12 yd³ (9.17 m³). Cost at $180/yd³: $2,160.
The five-second recap
Multiply yd³ by 0.7646 for m³. Multiply m³ by 1.308 for yd³. Add 5–10% waste. Round up to the next whole unit the batch plant dispatches.
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FAQ
How many 60-lb concrete bags in a cubic yard?+
About 60 bags (60 lb yields 0.45 ft³; 27 ft³/yd³ ÷ 0.45 ≈ 60).
What is a 'yard' in concrete slang?+
One cubic yard — 27 ft³ = 0.7646 m³ = about 2 tons of mixed concrete.
Do European trucks deliver in half-cubes?+
Yes — most EU plants dispatch in 0.5 m³ increments, with a minimum of 3–4 m³ before short-load fees apply.
This article was written by The Turbo Unit Converter engineering desk (Construction & civil engineering) and last reviewed on 2026-06-28 against NIST SP 811 and the BIPM SI Brochure. Read our full editorial policy.