Ready-Mix vs. Bagged Concrete: Cost, Strength & Breakeven Analysis
Quick answer: bagged concrete costs about $293 per cubic yard in 80-lb bags, while ready-mix runs about $135 to $160 per yard plus a delivery fee. Bags usually win below about 1 cubic yard, ready-mix usually wins above about 1.5 yards, and in between it depends on your supplier's delivery and short-load fees. Ready-mix is also more consistent, because the plant controls the water.
The choice between a truck and a pallet of bags comes down to three things: money, labor and quality. Bags have no delivery fee, so they are cheap for tiny jobs. But each bag must be lifted, mixed and placed by hand, and that work grows fast. Ready-mix has a fixed delivery cost, so it gets cheaper per yard the more you order. This guide puts real numbers on each side.
The Cost Per Yard Gap
An 80-lb bag yields 0.60 cubic feet, so a cubic yard (27 ft³) takes 45 bags. At about $6.50 per bag, that is $293 per yard, roughly twice the $150 our calculator uses for 3,000 PSI ready-mix. Smaller bags cost even more per yard (see our cost per cubic yard guide). The truck wins on unit price every time. What it loses on is the fixed fee.
Break-Even Table
Here is what each route costs at common job sizes. Ready-mix is rounded up to the next 0.5 yard, with the $120 delivery fee our calculator uses. The last column adds a short-load fee at the top of the usual $80 to $200 range, which many plants charge on orders under their minimum.
| Concrete needed | Covers at 4 in | 80-lb bags | Bag cost | Ready-mix (delivery fee) | Ready-mix + high short-load fee | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 yd³ | 20 sq ft | 12 | $78 | $195 | $395 | Bags |
| 0.50 yd³ | 41 sq ft | 23 | $150 | $195 | $395 | Bags |
| 0.75 yd³ | 61 sq ft | 34 | $221 | $270 | $470 | Bags |
| 1.00 yd³ | 81 sq ft | 45 | $293 | $270 | $470 | Depends on fees |
| 1.50 yd³ | 122 sq ft | 68 | $442 | $345 | $545 | Depends on fees |
| 2.00 yd³ | 162 sq ft | 90 | $585 | $420 | $620 | Depends on fees |
| 3.00 yd³ | 243 sq ft | 135 | $878 | $570 | $770 | Ready-mix |
| 4.00 yd³ | 324 sq ft | 180 | $1,170 | $720 | $920 | Ready-mix |
On price alone, the break-even sits at about 0.84 yards when the only extra is a $120 delivery fee, and moves out to about 2.25 yards when a plant adds a $200 short-load fee on top. That is where the rule of thumb comes from. Call two local plants and ask for the full delivered price on your volume before you buy a single bag.
Labor and Time: The Hidden Cost of Bags
Price is only half the story. A 3-person crew with one rented drum mixer can mix and place roughly 20 to 30 80-lb bags an hour. That sounds fast until you do the math on a slab:
| Concrete | 80-lb bags | Weight to lift | Mixing time (3 people, 1 mixer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.50 yd³ | 23 | 0.9 tons | 0.8 to 1.2 hours |
| 1.00 yd³ | 45 | 1.8 tons | 1.5 to 2.3 hours |
| 1.50 yd³ | 68 | 2.7 tons | 2.3 to 3.4 hours |
| 2.00 yd³ | 90 | 3.6 tons | 3.0 to 4.5 hours |
| 3.00 yd³ | 135 | 5.4 tons | 4.5 to 6.8 hours |
Every bag gets lifted at least twice (into the cart, then into the mixer), so the real work is more than the tonnage suggests. Add a mixer rental of about $50 to $100 a day. A ready-mix truck, by contrast, unloads in about 5 to 8 minutes per yard. Your crew's job is spreading, screeding and finishing, not mixing.
If the first batches start to stiffen before the last ones are placed, the slab ends up with weak seams between batches. On a pour that will take more than a couple of hours, either add another mixer and more helpers, or split the slab into sections with planned joints.
Strength and Consistency: ASTM C94 vs. ASTM C387
| Ready-mix | Bagged mix | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | ASTM C94, Standard Specification for Ready-Mixed Concrete | ASTM C387, Packaged Dry, Combined Materials for Concrete |
| Strength | You order the grade, from 2,500 to 5,000 PSI and up | C387 normal-strength mix must reach at least 3,500 PSI at 28 days; many general-purpose bags are rated 4,000 PSI |
| Water control | Batched by weight at the plant; slump agreed in advance | Depends on you. About 3 quarts per 80-lb bag is typical; more water means a weaker slab |
| Air entrainment | Available on request (5% to 7% air) for freeze-thaw exposure | Most general-purpose bags are not air-entrained; check the label |
| Batch to batch | One uniform load | Varies with each batch's water and mixing time |
| Time limit | Discharge within 90 minutes of batching (C94 default) | Each batch has its own clock; you set the pace |
Both can make a strong slab. A bag rated at 4,000 PSI is stronger on paper than the 3,000 PSI minimum the IRC (Table R402.2) sets for exposed concrete in mild climates. The difference is control. A plant weighs every ingredient; a homeowner with a hose rarely adds the same water twice. In freeze-thaw areas, where the IRC calls for 3,500 PSI air-entrained concrete on garage floors, porches and steps, ready-mix is the safer route for anything large.
Worked Example: 12x12 Patio, 4 Inches Thick
For this patio, once you count the mixer rental, ready-mix costs less even with a high short-load fee, and it saves an afternoon of heavy labor. The catch is access: the truck needs to get within about 15 to 20 ft of the forms, or you need wheelbarrows and helpers, or a line pump at $400 to $800.
When Each One Wins
Choose bags when:
- The job is under about 1 yard: fence posts, a small landing, an AC pad, a few footings.
- The site is far from the street, behind a house, or up steps where a truck and pump would cost more than the concrete.
- You want to work in sections over a weekend at your own pace.
- You need a special product sold in bags, such as fast-setting mix for posts or high-strength mix for a small repair.
Choose ready-mix when:
- The job is over about 1.5 yards: patios, driveways, garage floors and anything bigger.
- The slab must be poured in one piece with no cold joints.
- You need a specific strength, air entrainment or fiber for freeze-thaw, road salt or vehicle loads.
- You do not have three strong helpers and a mixer for half a day.
Run Your Numbers
Measure your slab and get the volume from the concrete volume calculator, then compare routes with the concrete bags calculator and the ready-mix concrete calculator. For a full project budget including forms, base and labor, use the slab cost calculator. If you are going the bag route, our guide to how many bags of concrete you need covers every bag size.
Sources and Method
Bag yields are the published yields for 80, 60, 50 and 40-lb bags of general-purpose concrete mix. Prices and mixing rates are this site's 2026 working figures (see our methodology) and vary by region and store. Ready-mix requirements come from ASTM C94; packaged mix requirements come from ASTM C387. Strength minimums follow the International Residential Code, Table R402.2. Your local plant's minimum load and fees decide where your own break-even falls.
Frequently Asked Questions
For small jobs, bags. For anything over about 1.5 cubic yards, ready-mix. Bagged concrete costs about $293 per yard in 80-lb bags against roughly $150 for ready-mix, but ready-mix adds a delivery fee and often a short-load fee of $80 to $200 on small orders.
On price alone, at about 0.84 cubic yards when the only extra is a $120 delivery fee, and at about 2.25 yards if the plant adds a $200 short-load fee. Below about 1 yard, bags usually win.
It can be. ASTM C387 requires normal-strength bag mix to reach at least 3,500 PSI at 28 days, and many general-purpose bags are rated 4,000 PSI. The weak point is water: adding more than the bag calls for (about 3 quarts per 80-lb bag) lowers strength. Ready-mix is batched by weight at the plant, so it is more consistent.
A yard is 45 bags of 80-lb mix. A 3-person crew with one drum mixer handles about 20 to 30 bags an hour, so plan on 1.5 to 2.3 hours per yard.
45 bags of 80-lb mix, 60 bags of 60-lb mix, 72 bags of 50-lb mix, or 90 bags of 40-lb mix.
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