Both get you the same concrete in the end. The right choice comes down to how much you need, how you’ll mix and move it, and what your local prices are.
Start with the volume
One cubic yard is 45 80-lb bags, according to SAKRETE’s data sheet (QUIKRETE’s yields give the same number). Each bag has to be carried, opened, mixed with water and placed. For a few post holes or a small pad, that’s easy. For a patio or a driveway, it’s a long day or several.
Ready-mix trucks carry 8 to 12 cubic yards, according to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA). The concrete arrives mixed and is placed straight from the chute, so a crew can pour a large slab in one go.
What each option costs
You need local prices for a real answer, and they vary a lot, which is why our cost calculator asks for yours instead of guessing.
- Bags: price per bag × number of bags. Add a mixer rental if you need one.
- Ready-mix: price per cubic yard × the order quantity, plus fees. Ask about delivery, charges for orders below the supplier’s minimum, waiting time and pump hire if the truck can’t reach the pour.
Practical questions to ask yourself
- Can the truck reach the pour? NRMCA notes a loaded truck weighs about 80,000 lb and may not manage soft ground or residential curbs. If not, you’ll need a pump or wheelbarrows.
- Can you place and finish it in time? Ready-mix arrives all at once. Have enough help and tools ready before the truck arrives.
- Can your vehicle carry the bags? Enter your payload in the calculator to see the number of trips.
- Will you pour in stages? Bags let you mix exactly what you’ll use in each session.
Order the right amount either way
NRMCA suggests ordering 4% to 10% more than the measured volume. The calculator adds 10% for slabs by default and rounds the ready-mix order up to the next ¼ yd³; bag counts round up to whole bags.