How Much Concrete for a 10-Inch Round Footing 48 Inches Deep?
Concrete volume, bag counts, and planning numbers for a 10" diameter × 48" deep round footing.
Exact cubic feet, cubic yards, and both exact and waste-adjusted bag counts for a 10" diameter × 48" deep Sonotube footing. Includes a 10% waste allowance for ordering.
Plan on a narrow, small-volume round pour: a 10" diameter × 48" deep round form tube holds a little over 2.18 cubic feet of concrete. This is a tight cylinder volume, so the numbers below are focused on ordering and bags, not construction technique.
That 48" depth usually means digging to full depth for the tube and pouring a single small cylinder. Bagged concrete often works well for a pour this size, but ask your building department about required depth, reinforcement, or any permit notes before final purchase.
Quick Answer
Exact volume: 2.1817 cubic feet (0.0808 cubic yards) for one 10" × 48" round footing.
Planning with 10% waste: 2.3999 cubic feet (0.0889 cubic yards). Plan on 8 40-lb bags (planning number), 6 60-lb bags (planning), or 4 80-lb bags (planning).
Need a custom estimate? Use the Footing Calculator. Browse footing size pages. All project pages.
How to Use This Footing Estimate
Quick steps to estimate and order for this 10" × 48" round footing.
- Measure the tube height and outside diameter to confirm 10" × 48".
- Compare the exact volume (2.1817 cu ft) to your material options.
- Add a 10% waste allowance to get 2.3999 cu ft for ordering.
- Decide bag size: 40-lb, 60-lb, or 80-lb bags and use the planning bag counts.
- If pouring multiple footings, multiply the planning volume and bag counts before ordering.
- Round up the final bag total to the next whole bag and confirm with suppliers.
Formula
Use this round footing formula:
Volume (ft³) = π × Radius (ft) × Radius (ft) × Depth (ft)
3.1416 × 0.42 × 0.42 × 4 = 2.18 ft³
2.18 ÷ 27 = 0.08 yd³
If you add a 10% waste allowance, you should plan closer to 0.09 cubic yards.
Worked Example
Single-footing example: before waste the footing uses 2.1817 cu ft (0.0808 yd³). With 10% waste plan on 2.3999 cu ft (0.0889 yd³). Exact bag counts for one footing: 8 40-lb bags, 5 60-lb bags, or 4 80-lb bags. Planning bag counts with 10% waste: 8 40-lb, 6 60-lb, or 4 80-lb.
Multiple-footing example (4 footings): total before waste = 8.7268 cu ft (0.3232 yd³). With 10% waste total = 9.5996 cu ft (0.3556 yd³). Planning bag totals for 4 footings: 32 40-lb bags, 24 60-lb bags, or 16 80-lb bags.
Bag Count Estimate
- 4 bags of 80 lb concrete mix
- 6 bags of 60 lb concrete mix
- 8 bags of 40 lb concrete mix
Always verify the actual yield on the product label before buying materials.
When Bagged Concrete vs Ready-Mix Makes Sense
For one 10" × 48" footing the pour is very small — about 0.0889 cubic yards with waste — so bagged concrete is often simpler. Buying 8 40-lb bags (or the equivalent in other bag sizes) lets you mix only the quantity needed and avoid paying for a truck minimum.
If you have a run of several footings (four or more), ready-mix starts to make more sense because total yardage and the labor of mixing many bags add up. For a few footings, compare total bag count and time to the minimum delivery size from a ready-mix supplier.
Common Uses for This Footing Size
This 10" diameter × 48" deep footing is suited to narrow, isolated supports where a small cylindrical footing fits the layout: single post supports, pergola posts, small deck post locations, sign posts, or other tight-footprint posts. The narrow diameter keeps the poured volume low and favors bagged concrete for single pours.
Limits include how much load the footing must carry, the soil's bearing capacity, frost depth at your site, and whether reinforcement is required. Those factors affect whether this size may work in some cases; talk with your building department or an engineer if loads, frost, or bearing are uncertain.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Estimating missteps to avoid when ordering for a 10" × 48" round footing.
- Ordering only the exact volume and not adding the 10% waste allowance.
- Mixing bag sizes in a plan without recalculating totals for each size.
- Confusing the tube outside diameter with an intended larger footing diameter.
- Failing to multiply exact and planning numbers when ordering multiple footings.
- Rounding down bag counts instead of always rounding up to whole bags.
- Forgetting to factor slight volume loss from cutting or trimming the tube at grade.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much concrete does one 10" × 48" round footing need exactly?
Exactly 2.1817 cubic feet, which is 0.0808 cubic yards.
How many 60-lb bags do I need for one footing?
Exact count is 5 60-lb bags. With the 10% waste allowance plan on 6 60-lb bags.
Why add a 10% waste allowance for this small footing?
The 10% covers spillage, variations in the tube, and rounding to whole bags. It raises the order to 2.3999 cu ft (0.0889 yd³) for safer purchasing.
Is a 10" diameter × 48" footing adequate for a deck post?
It may work in some cases, but adequacy depends on the post load, soil bearing, frost depth, and required reinforcement. Check with your building department or a structural engineer for your situation.
Keep Planning Your Concrete Project
Use the calculator, compare more footing pages, and review your estimate before buying materials.
Disclaimer: This page provides planning estimates only. Actual concrete needs vary with excavation accuracy, site conditions, local code requirements, bag yield, and supplier guidance. Always verify measurements before buying materials, and consult a qualified professional for structural or code-sensitive work.