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Concrete Footing Calculator
Concrete Footing Calculator helps turn real measurements into a practical planning estimate before ordering material or scheduling work. Use it for early budgeting, then confirm product yield, supplier units, delivery limits, and local requirements.
Updated May 2026No signup requiredBuilt for mobile
Calculator
How to use this calculator
Use the footing type field first because strip footings, square or rectangular pad footings, and round pier footings use different volume shapes. Then enter the dimensions from your plan or field measurements using the units shown beside each input. If a dimension is measured in inches on the plan, keep it in inches where the calculator asks for inches rather than converting it twice.
- Choose strip footing, pad footing, or round pier footing to match the concrete shape you are estimating.
- Enter length, quantity, width, diameter, thickness, or depth using the labels on each field.
- Add a realistic waste factor for uneven excavation, form variation, spillage, pump or chute loss, and supplier rounding.
- Click Calculate to update the cubic yard estimate, then round up to the supplier's order increment.
- Compare the result with plans, permits, and delivery limits before placing an order.
Formula or calculation method
Strip footing volume = length x width x depth.
Pad footing volume = count x pad length x pad width x depth.
Pier footing volume = count x pi x radius squared x depth.
Cubic yards = cubic feet / 27.
Order quantity = cubic yards x (1 + waste percentage).
The calculator converts inch inputs to feet before calculating cubic feet. It does not decide footing size, reinforcement, bearing capacity, frost depth, or inspection requirements. Those items come from plans, local code, soil conditions, and qualified design guidance.
Worked example
A 40 ft strip footing that is 24 inches wide and 12 inches deep has a raw volume of 80 cubic feet. Dividing by 27 gives about 2.96 cubic yards before waste. With a 10% waste factor, the planning quantity becomes about 3.26 cubic yards, so a practical order may be rounded to the supplier's next available amount.
For a pad footing example, four pads that are 36 inches long, 36 inches wide, and 12 inches deep use 36 cubic feet before waste, or about 1.33 cubic yards. Adding 10% waste brings the planning amount to about 1.47 cubic yards.
Practical planning tips
- Use the estimate for material planning, not structural design.
- Measure formed dimensions, not only trench marks, when forms change the actual concrete size.
- Verify local code, frost depth, load requirements, soil conditions, reinforcement, and inspection rules.
- Ask the supplier how they round small orders and whether short-load fees, delivery windows, or minimum orders apply.
- Plan access for the truck, buggy, pump, or chute before the pour day.
- Keep rebar chairs, anchor bolts, sleeves, vapor barriers, and form bracing in mind because they can affect scheduling even when they do not change volume much.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating a material estimate as a code-approved design.
- Ignoring soil, frost depth, loads, reinforcement, and permit requirements.
- Using inside dimensions when the concrete will fill a wider excavated or formed area.
- Forgetting that inch inputs must be converted to feet before cubic yards are calculated.
- Ordering exactly the raw volume with no allowance for uneven excavation, spillage, or supplier rounding.
- Changing footing dimensions in the field without checking whether the plan, inspection, or structural requirement still applies.
Structural safety and code note
This calculator estimates material quantities only. Footings can carry building, deck, porch, retaining wall, or equipment loads, so structural concrete work should follow local code, engineered plans, soil conditions, frost depth, inspection rules, and qualified professional guidance where required. Do not use a volume calculator to decide whether a footing is large enough for a load-bearing project.
FAQ
Concrete Footing Calculator questions
Is this a final supplier quote?
No. It is a planning estimate. Confirm supplier density, mix type, delivery minimums, local code, and jobsite conditions before ordering.
Should I add extra concrete?
Usually yes. Waste, spillage, irregular trench walls, uneven subgrade, form movement, and supplier rounding can increase the amount needed.
Can this replace professional design?
No. Use qualified help for structural, code-required, or safety-critical work, especially for load-bearing footings.
What waste factor should I use?
Many small projects start with 5% to 10%, but rough excavation, deep trenches, pump loss, or difficult access may justify more. Confirm the final order with the supplier or contractor.
Why does the calculator divide by 27?
Concrete is commonly ordered by the cubic yard, and one cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. The calculator finds cubic feet first, then converts to cubic yards.
Does this include rebar or forms?
No. It estimates concrete volume. Use a rebar calculator, plan notes, or supplier guidance to estimate reinforcement, chairs, ties, forms, and other materials.
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Good Pinterest pin ideas include a material ordering checklist, a cubic yards to tons example, and common mistakes that make projects run short.