How Much Does a Yard of Concrete Weigh?

How much does a yard of concrete weigh? One cubic yard weighs about 4,050 pounds (2.025 US tons). That's the standard cured weight for ready-mix or bagged concrete at the typical residential mix (4,000 psi, standard aggregate).

The "yard of concrete" weight varies a bit with the mix:

• Standard ready-mix (4,000 psi): ~4,050 lb/yd³
• Lightweight concrete (with expanded shale or pumice): ~2,500–3,000 lb/yd³
• High-density concrete (for radiation shielding, with barite or magnetite): ~5,000+ lb/yd³

For 99% of homeowner projects, the standard 4,050 lb/yd³ number is the right one.

Wet vs cured weight

A cubic yard of wet concrete (just mixed) weighs about 3,900 lb. As it cures, water reacts with the cement and is bound into the matrix; the cured weight is slightly higher because the cement hydration products weigh more than the original water + cement. After full cure (28 days), the concrete reaches its design weight of 4,050 lb/yd³.

For practical purposes (hauling, structural load, truck capacity), the wet weight is what matters at pour time.

How much does a yard of broken concrete weigh?

A cubic yard of broken concrete (rubble from a demolition) weighs about 2,000–2,500 lb — less than a solid yard because of the air gaps between broken pieces. Hauling rubble is typically priced by the ton or by the truckload, not by the yard.

Reinforced concrete

Steel rebar adds weight: each cubic yard of standard rebar-reinforced concrete has about 50–100 lb of steel in it, depending on the spacing. #4 rebar on 12″ centers is about 50 lb/yd³; #5 rebar on 12″ centers is about 75 lb/yd³. For most residential slabs this is a small enough addition to ignore.

Bagged concrete equivalent

1 cubic yard of concrete = 45 × 80 lb bags, 60 × 60 lb bags, or 90 × 40 lb bags of concrete mix. The concrete bag calculator does the math for any slab size.

Truck capacity

A standard concrete truck holds 8 to 10 cubic yards — that's 32,000 to 40,000 lb of concrete. Truckers carry that much weight legally because of the special axle configuration. Partial loads (under 6–7 yd³) usually come with a $50–$150 short-load fee; the truck has to wash out the drum after every pour regardless of load size.

For 1–3 yard pours, you can rent a trailer-mounted concrete mixer or use a "short load" service that brings the concrete in a smaller truck. See the concrete truck capacity guide for more.