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Concrete Calculator

Rectangular slabs and footings, or round post holes — exact volume and the number of 20kg or 25kg bags you need to buy.

✓ Free to use ✓ Slabs & post holes ✓ Waste allowance ✓ Shareable results
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Volume Needed
With Waste Allowance
Bags Needed
Total Weight

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How the bag count is worked out

One 25kg bag of general-purpose concrete mix yields approximately 0.012 m³ of mixed concrete — about 84 bags per cubic metre. A 20kg bag scales down proportionally (~0.0096 m³/bag). Always round up and add a waste allowance — concrete settles, spills, and uneven ground eats more than the geometric minimum.

Bagged mix vs ready-mix delivery

For pours under roughly 0.5 m³, bagged mix is usually the practical choice. Above that, a ready-mix delivery becomes more economical and far less physical labour — this calculator flags it automatically once your volume (with waste) crosses that threshold.

Worked examples

A 2.4m × 1.8m shed base at 100mm deep needs 0.432 m³ of concrete — with a 10% waste allowance, that's 40 bags of 25kg mix (1,000kg total). Six fence post holes at 300mm diameter, 600mm deep, need 0.254 m³ — 28 bags of 20kg mix with a 5% allowance.

Bag yield is a commonly-cited UK trade figure for general-purpose concrete mix — exact yield varies slightly by brand and mix design. Check your specific product's packaging for its stated coverage if precision matters for a large pour.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep should a shed base be?+
75-100mm is typical for a standard garden shed on a well-prepared, compacted sub-base. Heavier structures or poor ground conditions need a deeper, reinforced footing — check your shed manufacturer's specification.
How deep should a fence post hole be?+
A common rule of thumb is roughly a third of the post's above-ground height, with a practical minimum of 450-600mm for standard garden fence posts — deeper for taller fences or exposed, windy sites.
Should I use fast-setting post mix instead?+
Fast-setting "post mix" products (like Postcrete) are convenient for individual post holes since they don't need mixing and set in minutes — but they're pricier per bag and less suited to large-area pours like slabs, where standard general-purpose mix is more economical. See exactly where bagged mix stops making sense →

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