Footings & Deck Piers concrete calculator

How the math works

trench length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards

1. 1 Measure the total trench run in feet — every wall line and crossing that gets concrete.
2. 2 Convert width and depth from inches to feet (16 in = 1.33 ft) and multiply all three.
3. 3 Divide the cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
4. 4 Add 10% waste — trench walls in Florida sand rarely hold a perfect profile — and round up to the quarter yard.

How to use this calculator

1. 1 Measure the pour. Measure the total trench length in feet, and the trench width and depth in inches from your approved plan.
2. 2 Enter the dimensions. Type the numbers into the footings & deck piers calculator — it converts units and divides by 27 to get cubic yards.
3. 3 Check the waste factor. The result includes 10% waste for uneven ground and spillage, rounded up to the quarter yard (1 yd³ minimum).
4. 4 Price the delivery. Send the yardage with your ZIP code to get an all-in delivered price — metered trucks bill only what's actually poured.

Typical footings & deck piers quantities

Example residential footing runs at 16 in wide × 20 in deep — always size to your permit and engineering spec:

Common ordering mistakes

• Measuring walls instead of trenches

  The concrete follows the trench: corners, crossings and pier pockets all add length beyond the wall dimensions on the plan.

• Assuming the trench holds its shape

  In sandy Florida soil, trench walls slough and widen at the bottom. Real trenches routinely take 10–15% more than the drawn profile — that's what the waste factor is for.

• Ignoring the inspection window

  Most counties inspect footings before the pour. Book the delivery window after the inspection passes, not before — a truck on site with a red tag helps nobody.