How Much Does a Yard of Concrete Weigh?
A yard of concrete weighs about 4,000 lbs (2 tons) and roughly 150 lbs per cubic foot. See the concrete weight per yard for wet, dry, and reinforced mixes.
By The Concrete Calculator Team ·
How Much Does a Yard of Concrete Weigh?
A cubic yard of standard concrete weighs about 4,000 pounds, or roughly 2 tons. That works out to close to 150 pounds per cubic foot for normal-weight mix. The exact concrete weight per yard shifts a little with the mix design, moisture, and aggregate, but 4,000 pounds is the number to plan trucks, trailers, and formwork around.
I get asked how much does a yard of concrete weigh whenever someone is renting a trailer or worrying about a floor deck. The short version is above. The longer version, and why it matters on the job, is below.
Concrete weight per yard and per cubic foot
Concrete is sold by volume but it is delivered by weight, and that weight is what breaks trailers and overloads floors if you ignore it. Here are the numbers I work from.
| Measure | Wet concrete | Cured concrete |
|---|---|---|
| Per cubic foot | about 150 lbs | about 145 lbs |
| Per cubic yard | about 4,050 lbs | about 3,900 lbs |
| Per cubic yard in tons | about 2 tons | about 1.95 tons |
Wet concrete weighs slightly more than cured concrete because of the mix water, some of which evaporates as the slab hardens. For planning loads and transport, use the wet figure of roughly 4,000 pounds per yard.
Why the weight of concrete per cubic foot varies
Not all concrete weighs the same. The weight of concrete per cubic foot depends mainly on the aggregate:
- Normal-weight concrete with gravel or crushed stone: about 145 to 150 lbs per cubic foot
- Lightweight concrete with expanded shale or clay: about 90 to 115 lbs per cubic foot
- Heavyweight concrete with dense aggregate for shielding: 200 lbs or more per cubic foot
Reinforcement adds weight too. A yard of heavily reinforced concrete with rebar can run a bit over the plain-mix figure, though for most residential estimating the rebar weight is small next to the concrete itself.
Why concrete weight actually matters
Knowing the concrete weight per yard is not trivia. It drives real decisions:
- Trailer and truck limits. A single-axle utility trailer can be overloaded by less than a yard of concrete. Two yards is roughly 8,000 pounds, which is more than most half-ton pickups should tow or carry.
- Structural loads. Pouring a slab or topping on an elevated deck means the framing has to carry that dead weight. At 150 pounds per cubic foot, a 4 inch slab adds about 50 pounds per square foot.
- Handling by hand. An 80 pound bag of mix yields only about 0.6 cubic feet. Moving a full yard by wheelbarrow means hauling two tons across the site.
Estimating the weight of your pour
To find the weight, first find the volume, then multiply. Volume in cubic yards is length times width times thickness in feet, divided by 27. Then multiply cubic yards by 4,000 pounds. For a 10 by 12 foot patio at 4 inches:
- 4 inches divided by 12 equals 0.33 feet
- 10 times 12 times 0.33 equals about 40 cubic feet
- 40 divided by 27 equals about 1.48 cubic yards
- 1.48 times 4,000 equals about 5,920 pounds, or nearly 3 tons
That is one small patio weighing three tons, which is why nobody hauls a full pour in a pickup. To skip the arithmetic, drop your dimensions into the concrete weight calculator and it returns pounds and tons directly. If you want volume first, the concrete yardage calculator gives you cubic yards to order.
Planning delivery around weight
Because concrete is so heavy, most jobs over a yard or two come by ready-mix truck rather than by trailer. A standard mixer truck carries up to about 10 cubic yards, which is close to 40,000 pounds of concrete alone. For a full breakdown of truck capacity, see our guide on yards of concrete in a truck. And if you are still working out volume before you ever think about weight, start with how much concrete do I need so you order the right amount the first time.
FAQ
How much does a yard of concrete weigh?
A cubic yard of standard concrete weighs about 4,000 pounds, or roughly 2 tons, when wet. Cured concrete is slightly lighter at around 3,900 pounds per yard.
How much does a cubic foot of concrete weigh?
Normal-weight concrete weighs about 145 to 150 pounds per cubic foot. Lightweight mixes can be 90 to 115 pounds, and heavyweight mixes can exceed 200 pounds per cubic foot.
How many tons is a yard of concrete?
One cubic yard of concrete is about 2 tons. That is why even small pours are usually delivered by ready-mix truck instead of a trailer.
Can I haul a yard of concrete in a pickup truck?
Generally no. A yard weighs around 4,000 pounds, which exceeds the safe payload of most half-ton and even three-quarter-ton pickups. Use a ready-mix truck or make multiple small trips with bagged mix.
Does wet concrete weigh more than dry concrete?
Yes, slightly. Wet concrete carries mix water that adds weight, some of which evaporates as it cures. Plan transport around the wet weight of about 4,000 pounds per yard.
How much does a 4 inch slab weigh per square foot?
At about 150 pounds per cubic foot, a 4 inch slab adds roughly 50 pounds per square foot of dead load. This matters when pouring on elevated decks or framed floors.
Need the exact number for your pour? Run your dimensions through the concrete weight calculator and get pounds and tons in one click.