How Much Concrete for a 4x4 Pad?
Concrete needed
0.22 cubic yards
A 4 by 4 foot pad at four inches, with ten percent on top for waste.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Length4 ft
- Width4 ft
- Thickness4 in
- Waste allowance10 %
Concrete needed0.22 cubic yards
| Volume | 5.3 cu ft |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards before waste | 0.2 |
| Cubic yards with 10% waste | 0.22order to this number |
| Order in quarter yards | 0.25 cu yd |
| 60 lb bags, if bagging it | 14 |
| 80 lb bags, if bagging it | 10 |
The material list this produces
| Ready mix concrete, cubic yards | 0.25 |
|---|---|
| Rebar or mesh, sq ft of slab | 16 |
| Form lumber, linear ft | 16 |
Thickness compared
Thickness is the one number on this page worth arguing about, so here is the same slab at each of the usual four.
| Thickness | Concrete needed |
|---|---|
| 4 in | 0.22 cubic yards |
| 5 in | 0.27 cubic yards |
| 6 in | 0.33 cubic yards |
| 8 in | 0.43 cubic yards |
What else matters here
A fifth of a cubic yard. The reason this matters is the short load fee: ready mix suppliers have a minimum, commonly one yard and sometimes three, and below it they add a fee that is frequently larger than the concrete itself.
So on a pad this size the real comparison is ten eighty pound bags against a minimum charge plus a delivery. Bags win, and they win by a lot, which is why almost nobody calls a truck for a 4 by 4.
The exception is when several small pads are going in the same day. Four condenser pads, a stoop and a shed pad add up to a yard, and one truck pouring all of them in an hour beats mixing fifty bags by any measure. Plan the pours together if you can.
What this calculator assumes
- One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. A 4 inch slab is one third of a foot thick, not 4.
- A 60 lb bag yields about 0.45 cubic feet and an 80 lb bag about 0.60. Bags are for small pours only; past about one cubic yard, ready mix is cheaper and far less work.
- Ready mix is usually sold in quarter yard steps with a short load fee below one yard.
Questions people ask
How many bags of concrete for a 4x4 pad?
About 14 sixty pound bags or 10 eighty pound bags at 4 inches thick, waste included.
Can I get ready mix delivered for a 4x4 pad?
You can, but almost every supplier charges a short load fee below their minimum, and that fee usually costs more than the concrete. Bags are cheaper at this size.
How much does a 4x4 pad weigh?
Around 800 pounds finished. That is worth knowing if it is going on anything other than compacted ground.
The concrete calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.