Foundation Material Estimator
Concrete Footing Calculator
Estimate concrete for continuous wall footings, garage footings, shed footings, and deck beam footings. Enter run length, width, depth, and number of runs to get cubic yards, bags, waste, material cost, and a per-linear-foot quote check.
Enter Footing Dimensions
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Results
Live estimateQuick answer
A 40 ft continuous footing that is 16 in wide and 8 in deep needs about 1.45 yd3 with 10% waste, or about 66 80 lb bags. With $165/yd3 ready-mix plus a $125 delivery fee, the concrete material screen is about $9.11 per linear ft; a $2,400 installed quote screens at $60.00 per linear ft before excavation, forms, rebar, inspection, access, and cleanup are checked.
Footing quote normalizer
Normalize footing material and installed bids per linear foot
A 40 ft continuous footing at 16 in x 8 in is about 1.45 yd3 and 66 80-lb bags. With the default quote check, ready-mix material screens at $9.11 per linear ft, while a $2,400 installed bid screens at $60.00 per linear ft.
Use the spread to ask for the scope behind the quote: excavation, forms, rebar, inspection, access.
$9.11/ft
$364.25 ready-mix screen
$60.00/ft
$2400.00 / 40 ft
$50.89/ft
Labor, prep, risk, and overhead to explain
| Normalized line | Value | Quote check |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix material benchmark | 1.45 yd3 x $165.00 + $125.00 = $364.25 | Use this as the concrete-only benchmark before labor, excavation, forms, reinforcement, permits, cleanup, or margin. |
| Material cost per linear ft | $364.25 / 40 ft = $9.11 per linear ft | This gives the footing material-only number for checking a per-foot bid. |
| Bagged material fallback | 66 bags x $5.00 = $330.00, or $8.25/ft | Bag material can look close, but mixing pace, dry load, and trench placement time still matter. |
| Installed quote normalizer | $2400.00 / 40 ft = $60.00 per linear ft | Compare only against quotes with the same excavation, forms, rebar, inspection, access, cleanup, and exclusions. |
| Scope spread above material | $50.89 per ft above the concrete-only benchmark | A high spread is not automatically wrong; it should be explained by written labor, prep, reinforcement, access, and risk lines. |
Footing inspection scope
Turn footing yards into a quote and inspection checklist
Recent footing calculators answer trench volume. A footing that is ready to buy also needs the next checks: actual trench condition, frost depth, rebar, forms, inspection hold points, and concrete placement access.
Scope status
Structural quote check
53/100 scope-readiness score
Run length
40 ft total
16 in wide x 8 in deep
Buying pressure
Bags versus delivery check
66 bags / 1.4486 yd3
| Scope item | Status | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Actual trench dimensions | confirm | Waste is at least 10%, but measure trench width and depth after excavation. |
| Frost depth and bearing surface | ask | Confirm local footing depth, undisturbed bearing material, and inspection requirements before the pour. |
| Rebar, dowels, and laps | ask | Material volume does not design reinforcement; written quotes should separate bar size, chairs, dowels, and laps. |
| Forms and excavation scope | ask | Clarify who handles excavation, bottom cleanup, forms, bracing, spoils, and backfill readiness. |
| Truck, chute, pump, or buggy access | ask | Footings often sit away from the truck; ask whether chute reach, pump, buggy, wheelbarrow, or wait-time fees apply. |
| Inspection and pour hold point | ask | Confirm whether the trench and rebar need approval before concrete arrives, and who pays if the pour is delayed. |
Formula
One footing run
Volume per run = length x width x depthVolume per run = 40 x 1.333 x 0.667All runs
Raw volume = volume per run x runsRaw volume = 35.5556 before wasteWaste and bags
Final volume = 35.5556 x (1 + 10%/100)Bags = ceil(final volume / 0.6)Example Footing Estimates
Footing Size Notes
| Topic | Note |
|---|---|
| Footing width | Depends on load, soil bearing capacity, wall thickness, and local code. |
| Footing depth | May need to reach below frost depth or suitable bearing material. |
| Reinforcement | Rebar size and placement are design details, not material volume assumptions. |
| Trench condition | Uneven excavation can increase concrete volume beyond the clean rectangle. |
Before You Pour
- Measure the actual trench dimensions after excavation.
- Calculate different footing sizes separately, then add them.
- Keep over-excavation, loose sidewalls, and bottom irregularity in mind.
- Confirm inspection, reinforcement, and local code requirements before scheduling concrete.
Footing Buying Guide
Use the calculator for the material quantity, then use the written guide to check the quote details that can change the installed price: actual trench width and depth, rebar, dowels, inspection timing, chute reach, pump or buggy needs, cleanup, permits, and labor.
Open the concrete footing calculator guide before treating the cubic-yard result as a full project budget. For worked examples, compare the concrete footing calculation examples. If the project uses round holes instead of continuous runs, switch to the concrete post hole calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Disclaimer: This calculator estimates concrete material volume only. It does not design footing size, bearing capacity, reinforcement, frost protection, drainage, or code compliance. Consult a qualified contractor, engineer, or local building department for structural footing requirements.