Concrete Paving Calculator
Calculate concrete for a paved area or sidewalk. Enter dimensions to get cubic yards, bag count and cubic feet.
Paving Area Dimensions
Concrete Required
How to Calculate Concrete for Paving
Calculating the amount of concrete needed for paving a sidewalk, path, or flat slab is straightforward geometry. You first multiply the length of your planned area by the width in feet to determine the total square footage.
Next, multiply the square footage by the paving's thickness (converted to feet). A standard pedestrian path is 4 inches thick, which is roughly 0.33 feet. After finding the cubic feet, divide the result by 27 to find the exact cubic yards required. Always include a 10% waste margin in your order to account for spills or uneven grading.
Paving Calculation Formula
Cubic Yards = (Length × Width × (Thickness in inches ÷ 12)) ÷ 27
Example for a 15ft long path, 3ft wide, at 4 inches thick: (15 × 3 × (4÷12)) ÷ 27 = 0.55 cubic yards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick should concrete paving be?
For a standard pedestrian walkway or garden path, 4 inches of concrete is the recommended minimum thickness. For areas that will support vehicles, increase the thickness to 5 or 6 inches.
How many bags of concrete for a 10x10 paved area?
A 10x10 foot area paved at 4 inches thick requires 1.23 cubic yards of concrete. This translates to exactly 56 bags of 80lb concrete (not including waste factor).
How do you calculate cubic yards for paving?
To find cubic yards, multiply the length (in feet) by the width (in feet) by the depth (in feet), then divide the result by 27.
Should I use bags or ready-mix for paving?
If your paving project requires more than 1.5 cubic yards (about 68 bags of 80lb concrete), it is generally more cost-effective and much less physically demanding to order ready-mix concrete delivered by a truck.