How Do You Calculate Concrete Yardage (For Ordering)?

"Yardage" is contractor shorthand for the cubic-yard figure on the delivery ticket. Calculating it correctly matters because the dispatcher books truck size, mix design, and delivery slot off your number. Order short and your second truck is two hours away; order long and you pay for concrete that goes back on the truck or down the wash-out pit.

The four-step pipeline

1. Measure length, width, and thickness in the same unit. Stretch the tape twice — corners are rarely as square as the drawing.
2. Convert the cubic-foot total to yards by dividing by 27.
3. Add 10% for waste — more if your forms are loose or your sub-grade is irregular.
4. Round up to the supplier's nearest increment, usually a quarter yard.

Pricing brackets to know

US ready-mix in 2026 runs roughly $140–$180 per cubic yard delivered, depending on region and mix design. Add-ons that catch first-time buyers off guard:

• Short-load fee: $50–$150 for any delivery under 5 yd³ (sometimes 4 yd³).
• After-hours / Saturday fee: $50–$200.
• Wait-time charge: $80–$120 per hour beyond the first 30 minutes on site.
• Wash-out fee: $25–$50 if the driver has to dispose of returned mix.
• Pump truck rental: $250–$500 for residential, often required if the truck can't reach the forms.

Run the math: a 4-yard pour at $160/yd³ is $640, plus a $100 short-load fee — so the first yard you don't order in that bracket effectively costs $200 less than the next one. If your raw number sits between 4.5 and 4.9 yards, look for a way to absorb the extra half-yard somewhere (a thicker slab edge, a deeper footing) so you cross the 5-yard line and lose the fee.

One truck or two?

A standard ready-mix truck holds 8–10 yd³ when fully loaded. For pours over 9 yd³, plan a second truck and time the dispatch so the trucks arrive about 60 minutes apart — concrete starts to lose workability about 90 minutes after batching, and a cold joint between two trucks placed too far apart shows up as a visible line in the cured slab.

For pours over 18 yd³, talk to the dispatcher about a continuous schedule — they'll batch and dispatch trucks staggered every 45–60 minutes so the second truck arrives just as the first finishes discharging.

Confirming the order

When you call the supplier, expect them to ask: total cubic yards, mix design (most residential is 3,000 or 3,500 PSI), slump (4–5 inches is standard), aggregate size, fiber or air-entrainment, and whether you need a pump. Have all of those ready before you pick up the phone — the dispatcher will not chase you for clarifications, they'll just book you for whatever default they keep on file.

What goes on the ticket

Read every delivery ticket before signing. It will list: cubic yards delivered, mix code, water added at the plant, any admixtures, batch time, and arrival time. If the truck has been on the road longer than 90 minutes from batch time and you don't see retarder admixture on the ticket, refuse the load — it'll set in the chute before you can place it.

Run your numbers on the yard calculator before you call dispatch, and double-check them against the main calculator if you have a mixed-shape pour.