How much concrete do I need for a driveway?
Most residential driveways need 2.75 to 19.75 cubic yards of concrete, depending on size and thickness. A single-car 10 x 20 ft driveway poured 4 inches thick is 2.47 cubic yards of concrete; with 10% waste you order 2.75 yards, which is 123 bags of 80 lb if you insist on bags. A two-car 20 x 20 ft drive is 5.5 yards at 4 inches and 8.25 at 6 inches, and a 24 x 40 ft drive at 6 inches is 19.75 yards, 2 truck loads. The tables cover 10 x 20 to 24 x 40 ft at 4, 5 and 6 inches, and metric drives.
How much concrete for a driveway at 4 inches thick?
Cubic yards before waste, the order with 10% waste rounded up to the quarter yard, full 10-yard truck loads, and the number of 80 lb bags for comparison.
| Driveway | Area (sq ft) | Concrete (cu yd) | Order (cu yd) | Truck loads | 80 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | 200 | 2.47 | 2.75 | 1 | 123 |
| 12 x 24 ft | 288 | 3.56 | 4 | 1 | 176 |
| 16 x 24 ft | 384 | 4.74 | 5.25 | 1 | 235 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 400 | 4.94 | 5.5 | 1 | 245 |
| 20 x 40 ft | 800 | 9.88 | 11 | 2 | 489 |
| 24 x 30 ft | 720 | 8.89 | 10 | 1 | 440 |
| 24 x 40 ft | 960 | 11.85 | 13.25 | 2 | 587 |
How much concrete for a driveway at 5 inches?
| Driveway | Concrete (cu yd) | Order (cu yd) | Truck loads | 80 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | 3.09 | 3.5 | 1 | 153 |
| 12 x 24 ft | 4.44 | 5 | 1 | 220 |
| 16 x 24 ft | 5.93 | 6.75 | 1 | 294 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 6.17 | 7 | 1 | 306 |
| 20 x 40 ft | 12.35 | 13.75 | 2 | 612 |
| 24 x 30 ft | 11.11 | 12.25 | 2 | 550 |
| 24 x 40 ft | 14.81 | 16.5 | 2 | 734 |
How much concrete for a 6 inch driveway (trucks and RVs)?
| Driveway | Concrete (cu yd) | Order (cu yd) | Truck loads | 80 lb bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft | 3.7 | 4.25 | 1 | 184 |
| 12 x 24 ft | 5.33 | 6 | 1 | 264 |
| 16 x 24 ft | 7.11 | 8 | 1 | 352 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 7.41 | 8.25 | 1 | 367 |
| 20 x 40 ft | 14.81 | 16.5 | 2 | 734 |
| 24 x 30 ft | 13.33 | 14.75 | 2 | 660 |
| 24 x 40 ft | 17.78 | 19.75 | 2 | 880 |
How the numbers are worked out
Width x length x thickness in feet, divided by 27: 20 x 20 x 0.333 / 27 = 4.94 cubic yards. Add 10% for an uneven base and the wheelbarrow that tips over, and round up to the plant's quarter yard. The concrete calculator handles any shape, including the flared apron at the street if you enter it as a second rectangle. Smaller slabs are in the 12x12 guide and the garage floor in the garage guide. The 80 lb bag figures use the 0.60 cu ft yield printed on typical bags, and a full mixer truck is taken as 10 cubic yards; haulers run 8 to 11, so ask yours.
Ordering from the plant
- Ask for a 4,000 psi mix with air entrainment where winters freeze; it costs little more and resists salt and scaling.
- Give the plant the yardage with waste, not the exact figure; running short mid-pour and waiting for a second truck leaves a cold joint across the drive.
- A truck needs 10 to 11 ft of clear width and firm ground; if it cannot reach the far end, budget for a pump or a line of wheelbarrows and extra hands.
- Cut control joints every 8 to 10 ft the same day; a 20 x 40 ft drive gets a joint down the middle and every 10 ft across.
Metric: 3 to 6 m wide drives
Cubic metres before waste, the ready-mix order with 10% waste rounded up to the quarter cubic metre, and 25 kg bags for comparison.
| Driveway | Thickness | Concrete (m³) | Order (m³) | 25 kg bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 x 6 m | 100 mm | 1.8 | 2 | 165 |
| 3 x 10 m | 100 mm | 3 | 3.5 | 275 |
| 5 x 6 m | 100 mm | 3 | 3.5 | 275 |
| 6 x 10 m | 100 mm | 6 | 6.75 | 550 |
| 6 x 12 m | 100 mm | 7.2 | 8 | 660 |
| 3 x 6 m | 150 mm | 2.7 | 3 | 248 |
| 3 x 10 m | 150 mm | 4.5 | 5 | 413 |
| 5 x 6 m | 150 mm | 4.5 | 5 | 413 |
| 6 x 10 m | 150 mm | 9 | 10 | 825 |
| 6 x 12 m | 150 mm | 10.8 | 12 | 990 |
Frequently asked questions
- How many yards of concrete for a 20x20 driveway?
- 4.94 cubic yards at 4 inches, 6.17 at 5 inches and 7.41 at 6 inches, before waste. With 10% waste and the quarter-yard rounding plants use, order 5.5, 7 or 8.25 yards. All three fit in one truck.
- How much concrete for a 10x20 driveway?
- 2.47 cubic yards at 4 inches and 3.7 at 6 inches before waste; order 2.75 or 4.25 yards. In bags that is 123 or 184 bags of 80 lb, which is 9,840 to 14,720 lb of dry mix: possible for a fit crew with a mixer, but a short ready-mix load is usually cheaper once you count the time.
- How thick should a concrete driveway be?
- 4 inches is the residential minimum for cars on a compacted gravel base; 5 to 6 inches with rebar or heavy mesh where pickups, RVs or delivery trucks will sit. Thicken the edges to 8 inches where the driveway meets the street. Anything under 4 inches is a patio, not a driveway.
- How many truck loads of concrete for a driveway?
- One truck for most driveways, two once the order passes about 10 cubic yards, which is what a full mixer carries. At 4 inches every driveway in the table up to 24 x 30 ft (10 yards) fits in one truck and 20 x 40 ft (11 yards) needs 2; at 6 inches the one-truck limit is 20 x 20 ft (8.25 yards) and 24 x 40 ft (19.75 yards) needs 2. Plants charge a short-load fee under about 5 yards, and a second truck often means a second delivery fee, so ask before you set the thickness.
- Is it cheaper to pour a driveway with bags?
- Rarely. A 10 x 20 ft drive at 4 inches is 123 bags of 80 lb, mixed two at a time, and the slab should be poured in one continuous session so it cures as one piece. Price the 2.75 yard ready-mix order including the short-load fee against the bags and a mixer rental; the break-even article shows how.
- How much gravel goes under a concrete driveway?
- 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone, more on clay or where the ground was disturbed. For a 20 x 20 ft drive a 4 inch base is 4.9 cubic yards of stone before compaction. The gravel driveway guide has the tonnage tables; use them for the base of a concrete one too.
More guides
- How many bags of concrete for a 10x10 slab?
Bags of 80, 60 and 40 lb concrete for a 10 x 10 ft slab at 4, 5 and 6 inches with 10% waste, plus the metric 3 x 3 m version in 25 kg and 20 kg bags.
- How many bags of concrete per fence post?
Bags of 80, 60 and 50 lb concrete per 4x4 or 6x6 fence post for 8, 10 and 12 inch holes at 24, 30 and 36 inches deep, plus the metric 100 mm post in 25 kg bags.
- How many bags of concrete in a cubic yard?
80, 60, 50 and 40 lb bags per cubic yard and per cubic foot, 25 kg and 20 kg bags per cubic metre, what a yard of bags weighs, and when a ready-mix truck makes sense.
- How much concrete for a 12x12 slab? (plus 16x16, 20x20, 24x24)
Cubic yards and bags of concrete for 12x12, 16x16, 20x20 and 24x24 ft slabs at 4 and 6 inches with 10% waste, the 4 x 4 m metric slab, and the point where ready-mix wins.
Last updated 2026-09-13. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.