Concrete volume calculator: metres or yards
Slabs, footings, columns, walls. Get the volume, the amount to order and the material quantities — in the units you order in.
What the concrete calculator does
Both unit systems
Metres and centimetres, or feet and inches. Results in cubic metres or cubic yards — including the cement bags.
Five shapes covered
Slab, strip footing, rectangular and round columns, wall. Multiply by the number of identical elements in one field.
Nothing leaves your browser
No sign-up, no email, no figures sent anywhere. The calculation runs on your own machine as you type.
How much concrete do you need?
Pick your units, pick what you are pouring, type the dimensions. The result updates as you go.
1. Units
Concrete is ordered in cubic metres almost everywhere, and in cubic yards in the United States. Pick yours — everything below follows.
2. What are you pouring?
3. Cement content
Common mixes, for guidance only — if the pour is structural, check the mix with your supplier or your engineer.
Result
Enter the dimensions above to get the volume and the quantities.
Running out mid-pour costs more than a surplus
A slab that was meant to be continuous and gets finished an hour later has a cold joint through it. That is why the calculator adds a waste allowance to the amount it suggests you order.
Where the extra goes
Formwork is never perfectly true, the sub-base takes more than you allowed for, and some concrete always stays in the drum. Roughly 10% covers it on an ordinary pour.
Where the mistakes come from
Mixing units. A thickness in inches next to a length in feet, or centimetres next to metres, is the classic error — and it gives a wrong answer that still looks perfectly plausible. Setting the unit system first is not decoration.
Concrete quantities — frequently asked questions
How do I work out how much concrete I need?
Volume is length × width × thickness, in consistent units — the whole difficulty is that thickness is usually given in centimetres or inches while length is in metres or feet, which is exactly where the mistakes come from. The calculator above keeps the units straight for you, whichever system you work in, and multiplies by the number of identical elements.
Should I order extra?
Yes, and the calculator suggests it: about 10% on top. Formwork is never perfectly true, the sub-base soaks up more than you think, and some concrete stays in the truck. Running out mid-pour is far more expensive than a small surplus — it leaves a cold joint in a slab that was meant to be continuous.
Cubic metres or cubic yards?
It depends where you are. The United States orders in cubic yards and measures in feet and inches. The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and most international sites order in cubic metres. One cubic metre is about 1.31 cubic yards. Switch the toggle at the top of the calculator and every figure follows, including the material quantities.
At what point should I stop mixing on site?
Around one cubic metre — roughly 1.3 cubic yards — mixing by hand or in a small mixer stops being realistic. Beyond that, ready-mix delivered by truck is usually both faster and more consistent, and it avoids the cold joints you get when a pour is done in batches.
How accurate are the cement, sand and aggregate figures?
The geometry is exact; the material quantities are indicative. They shift with the aggregate grading, how wet the sand is and the cement class. Treat them as a shopping list for a small pour, not as a mix design — for anything structural, have the mix confirmed by your supplier or your engineer.
Is the calculator free, and does it keep my figures?
It is free, there is no account and no email. The calculation runs entirely in your browser — the dimensions you type are never sent to us. We only count, anonymously and without cookies, which shapes and which unit system are used, so we know what to improve.
Our other free tools
Built for site work, with no sign-up: the document is produced in your browser and you print it.
Hot work permit
Fill in the form, download a permit that is ready to sign on site.
Site sign-in sheet
A printable sign-in sheet, plus the geofenced QR code version.
Site log sheet
A printable log for cleaning rounds, checks and readings.
RAMS sign-off sheet
Record who was briefed, on which revision, and what they asked.
Site induction form
Your site rules to display, with the register of who has read them.
Goods received note
Filled in and signed at the delivery: quantities, condition, discrepancies.
Equipment maintenance log
Identity of the machine, documents kept with it, and the service history.
Scan me sign
The printable A4 sign, with your own QR code dropped straight in.
Everything else on site
Free templates you can print today, and the QR code version for the day paper stops being enough.
Hot work permit
The free template to fill in and print — and the QR code version signed on site.
Site sign-in
A printable sign-in sheet, plus the geofenced QR code check-in.
Site log sheet
Cleaning rounds, security checks, readings — printed or QR.
RAMS sign-off
Who was briefed, on which revision, and what they asked — printed or QR.
Site induction
The site rules read and acknowledged at the gate — printed or QR.
Goods received note
Quantities, condition and two signatures at the delivery — printed or QR.
Equipment maintenance log
Make, serial number, warranty and service history — printed, or stuck on the machine as a QR.
Concrete calculator
How much to order, in cubic metres or cubic yards, with quantities.
Site safety documents
Method statements and permits reachable where the work actually happens.
QR code types
What each type does on site, and which paper it replaces.
Where codes go
Gate, hoarding, welfare unit, risers — place by place, with a free sign.
Going paperless
What is worth taking off paper on a small site, and what is not.
Environmental records
Skip tickets, segregation instructions and product data, kept at the compound.
Ready to get started?
Your first QR code takes about two minutes
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