Is it cheaper to mix your own concrete or buy ready-mix?

For small jobs under about one cubic yard, bagged concrete you mix yourself is usually cheaper because a ready-mix truck carries delivery minimums and short-load fees. For larger pours, ready-mix is both cheaper per cubic yard and far less work, so the truck wins once you pass roughly one to two cubic yards.

How many bags of concrete are in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes about 90 bags of 40 lb mix (0.30 cu ft each), 60 bags of 60 lb (0.45 cu ft), or 45 bags of 80 lb (0.60 cu ft). That's a lot of mixing by hand, which is why big pours favor a ready-mix truck.

At what point should I order a concrete truck?

A good rule of thumb is to order ready-mix once your pour exceeds about one cubic yard — roughly 45 bags of 80 lb mix. Beyond that, mixing by hand becomes impractical and risks cold joints, and the per-yard price of ready-mix drops below the cost and effort of bags.

How much does a yard of concrete cost?

Ready-mix concrete typically costs about $140 to $200 per cubic yard delivered, before short-load or small-order fees. The same yard in 80 lb bags is about $225 to $360 in materials alone (around 45 bags), plus your labor — so bags only win when the job is small enough to avoid delivery fees.

What is a short-load fee?

It's an extra charge ready-mix suppliers add when you order less than a full truckload (a full load is around 9 to 10 cubic yards). Short-load fees commonly run $60 to $150 or more, and there's often a minimum order, which is exactly why very small pours are cheaper to do with bags.

Can you mix bagged and ready-mix concrete in one pour?

It's best avoided for a single structural pour. Concrete should go in continuously so each batch bonds to the last; long delays create 'cold joints' that are weak points. For anything you want to act as one slab, use a single source — a truck for big pours, or mix bags fast and continuously for small ones.

Bags vs. ready-mix concrete

By Ralph · Updated June 18, 2026

Should you mix bagged concrete by hand or order a ready-mix truck? It comes down to volume. For small jobs — post holes, a small pad, a few footings — bags win because there's no delivery minimum. Once a pour passes about one cubic yard (~45 bags of 80 lb mix), a ready-mix truck is cheaper per yard and far less work.

The quick rule

Under ~1 cubic yard → bags. No delivery fee or minimum; mix only what you need, when you need it.
1–2 cubic yards → it's a toss-up; weigh the short-load fee against a day of heavy mixing.
Over ~2 cubic yards → ready-mix. Cheaper per yard, one continuous pour, and a fraction of the labor.

How many bags make a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Divide by each bag's yield to see why big pours get impractical fast:

Bag size	Yields	Bags per cubic yard
40 lb	0.30 cu ft	~90 bags
60 lb	0.45 cu ft	~60 bags
80 lb	0.60 cu ft	~45 bags

Cost compared

Per cubic yard, ready-mix is cheaper for the concrete itself — but small orders carry fees that flip the math:

	Bagged (mix yourself)	Ready-mix (delivered)
Material per cu yd	~$225–$360 (≈45 × 80 lb bags)	~$140–$200
Extra fees	None	Short-load fee $60–$150+, order minimum
Labor	Heavy — you mix every batch	Minimal — truck delivers ready to place
Best for	Small jobs (< 1 cu yd)	Larger pours (> 1–2 cu yd)

So for a tiny pour, ready-mix fees can cost more than the concrete, and bags win easily. For a driveway or large slab, those fees are spread across many yards and the truck is the clear winner — on price and effort.

Find your cubic yards (and bag count) first

The concrete calculator turns your slab or footing dimensions into cubic yards and the number of 40/60/80 lb bags — so you'll know instantly which side of the crossover you're on.

Open the Concrete Calculator

When bags win

Small volume. Setting a few fence or mailbox posts, a small landing, or repair work.
Spread-out work. Pours you can do one at a time, on your own schedule, with no truck waiting.
Tight access. Backyard or remote spots a mixer truck or chute can't reach.
No waste. You open only the bags you need and keep the rest dry for next time.

When ready-mix wins

Large slabs & driveways. Mixing dozens of bags by hand is exhausting and slow.
One continuous pour. A truck fills the form in one go, avoiding the weak cold joints that form when hand-mixed batches set at different times.
Consistent mix. Batched to spec, so strength and water content are uniform throughout.
Lower per-yard cost once you're past the delivery minimum.

A note on quality and labor

Beyond cost, the hidden risk with bags on a big pour is the cold joint: if one section starts to set before you mix and place the next, the two don't fully bond, leaving a weak seam. For anything meant to act as a single structural slab, a continuous pour matters — which is why a truck is worth it once volumes climb. For how we build these figures and yields, see our methodology.

Frequently asked questions

Cheaper to mix your own or buy ready-mix?

Bags for small jobs (under ~1 cu yd) since there's no delivery fee; ready-mix for larger pours, where it's cheaper per yard and far less work.

How many bags in a yard?

About 90 bags of 40 lb, 60 bags of 60 lb, or 45 bags of 80 lb — a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.

When should I order a truck?

Once your pour passes about one cubic yard (~45 bags of 80 lb). Beyond that, hand-mixing risks cold joints and ready-mix gets cheaper.

What does a yard of concrete cost?

Ready-mix runs about $140–$200/cu yd delivered (before fees); the same in 80 lb bags is ~$225–$360 in materials plus your labor.

What's a short-load fee?

An extra charge ($60–$150+) for ordering less than a full truckload, often with an order minimum — the reason small pours favor bags.

Can I mix bagged and ready-mix in one pour?

Avoid it for a single structural pour — delays create weak cold joints. Use one source per slab: a truck for big pours, fast continuous mixing for small ones.