Construction Material Conversion Chart

Last updated: 2026-05-17

Flat illustration showing a concrete block, orange rebar, drywall stack, and gravel pile arranged with measurement rulers

A single printable reference for the conversions tradespeople and DIYers reach for most: cubic yards of concrete to bag counts, rebar weight by size and stick length, drywall coverage by sheet, lumber nominal-vs-actual dimensions, gravel and aggregate weights, tile coverage, paint coverage, and roofing squares. Every number on this page is the standard value used by ready-mix suppliers, building-material distributors, and the model codes; check it against your supplier’s data sheet for the specific product before you place a large order.

Concrete Volume & Bag Counts

Cubic Yards	Cubic Feet	Cubic Meters	40-lb Bags	60-lb Bags	80-lb Bags
0.25	6.75	0.19	23	15	12
0.5	13.5	0.38	45	30	23
1	27	0.76	90	60	45
2	54	1.53	180	120	90
3	81	2.29	270	180	135
5	135	3.82	450	300	225
10	270	7.65	900	600	450

Bag yields: 40-lb = 0.30 cu ft, 60-lb = 0.45 cu ft, 80-lb = 0.60 cu ft. Use this when sizing a slab or footing pour — try the concrete calculator to plug in your exact dimensions.

Rebar Weight Chart

Bar Size	Diameter (in)	Cross-Section (in²)	Weight (lb/ft)	20-ft Stick (lb)	40-ft Stick (lb)
#3	0.375	0.11	0.376	7.5	15.0
#4	0.500	0.20	0.668	13.4	26.7
#5	0.625	0.31	1.043	20.9	41.7
#6	0.750	0.44	1.502	30.0	60.1
#7	0.875	0.60	2.044	40.9	81.8
#8	1.000	0.79	2.670	53.4	106.8
#9	1.128	1.00	3.400	68.0	136.0
#10	1.270	1.27	4.303	86.1	172.1
#11	1.410	1.56	5.313	106.3	212.5

Per ASTM A615 nominal weights. Use this when ordering by stick count or estimating truck weight — try the rebar calculator for a full slab takeoff.

Drywall Sheet Coverage

Sheet Size	Area (sq ft)	Weight 1/2″ (lb)	Weight 5/8″ (lb)	Common Use
4×8	32	~54	~70	Standard residential, 8-ft ceilings
4×10	40	~68	~88	9-ft ceilings, fewer butt joints
4×12	48	~82	~106	Long walls, commercial, hung horizontally

Per sheet: ~0.053 gal joint compound, ~5 lf paper tape, ~32 screws (16″ OC). Use this when shopping for a remodel — try the drywall calculator.

Lumber Nominal vs Actual Dimensions

Nominal Size	Actual (in)	Actual (mm)	Common Use
2×4	1.5 × 3.5	38 × 89	Wall studs, plates
2×6	1.5 × 5.5	38 × 140	Exterior walls, top plates, headers
2×8	1.5 × 7.25	38 × 184	Floor joists, deck framing
2×10	1.5 × 9.25	38 × 235	Long-span joists, rafters, stair stringers
2×12	1.5 × 11.25	38 × 286	Heavy joists, rafters, stringers
1×4	0.75 × 3.5	19 × 89	Trim, furring, blocking
1×6	0.75 × 5.5	19 × 140	Fascia, fence boards, trim

Surfaced softwood (S4S) per the American Softwood Lumber Standard, PS 20. Always measure your actual stock — weather and species cause small variations.

Square Footage Conversions

Square Feet	Square Meters	Square Yards	Acres
100	9.29	11.11	0.0023
500	46.45	55.56	0.0115
1,000	92.90	111.11	0.0230
2,500	232.26	277.78	0.0574
5,000	464.52	555.56	0.1148
10,000	929.03	1,111.11	0.2296
43,560	4,046.86	4,840	1.0000

1 sq m = 10.7639 sq ft; 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft = 4,840 sq yd. Use this when sizing a lot or comparing flooring quotes — try the square footage calculator.

Length Conversions

Inches	Feet	Yards	Centimeters	Meters
1	0.0833	0.0278	2.54	0.0254
12	1	0.333	30.48	0.3048
36	3	1	91.44	0.9144
39.37	3.281	1.094	100	1.0000
120	10	3.333	304.80	3.048

Exact international values: 1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 yd = 0.9144 m. Use this when reading imported product specs or international plans.

Gravel & Aggregate Weights

Material	lb / cu yd	ton / cu yd	lb / cu ft	Coverage @ 2″ per cu yd
Pea gravel	2,800	1.40	104	~162 sq ft
Crushed stone (3/4″)	2,700	1.35	100	~162 sq ft
Sand (dry)	2,700	1.35	100	~162 sq ft
Topsoil	2,200	1.10	81	~162 sq ft
Compost	1,000–1,600	0.50–0.80	37–59	~162 sq ft
River rock (1–2″)	2,600	1.30	96	~162 sq ft

Coverage at 2″ depth assumes loose-laid material; compacted base will be ~15% denser. Use this when ordering by the ton or yard — try the gravel calculator or the topsoil calculator.

Tile Coverage

Tile Size	sq ft per tile	Tiles per 100 sq ft	Typical Box (sq ft)	Common Use
4×4 in	0.11	~900	~10	Subway, backsplash
6×24 in	1.00	100	~16	Wood-look plank tile
12×12 in	1.00	100	~15	Standard floor tile
12×24 in	2.00	50	~16	Modern floor, large-format walls
24×24 in	4.00	25	~16	Large-format floor, porcelain
Mosaic 12×12 sheet	1.00 / sheet	100 sheets	~10	Accent walls, shower floor

Add 10% waste for straight-lay and 15% for diagonal or herringbone patterns (TCNA Handbook). Use this when ordering by the box — try the tile calculator.

Paint Coverage

Surface	Coverage / gallon	Coverage / quart	Notes
Smooth drywall, primed	350–400 sq ft	~95 sq ft	One coat over similar color
Textured drywall	250–300 sq ft	~70 sq ft	Orange peel, knockdown, popcorn
Bare drywall (primer)	200–300 sq ft	~60 sq ft	Drywall sucks up the first coat
Wood siding	200–300 sq ft	~60 sq ft	Brush or roller; spray covers more
Stucco / masonry	100–200 sq ft	~35 sq ft	Use elastomeric for cracks

Per Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore product data sheets. Always plan two coats for color changes. Use this when buying paint — try the paint calculator.

Roofing Squares

Squares	Square Feet	3-Tab Bundles (3/sq)	Architectural Bundles (3/sq)	Underlayment Rolls (4× 250 sf)
1	100	3	3	1
10	1,000	30	30	4
20	2,000	60	60	8
25	2,500	75	75	10
30	3,000	90	90	12

1 roofing square = 100 sq ft of roof area (not floor area — pitched roofs measure larger). Add 10% for waste and starter strip per ARMA. Use this when ordering shingles — try the roofing calculator.

Need help applying these numbers?

Tables get you most of the way, but project geometry changes everything. Use our construction calculators for instant project estimates with waste factors, openings and code checks built in. For the formulas behind each result, see our calculation methodology & sources page.