How much concrete for a 20 ft footing, 12 x 6 inches?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

20 ft of 12 × 6 in footing takes 0.37 cubic yards of concrete — 19 × 80-lb bags with 10% extra, or 1 yd³ of ready-mix.

Per foot: 12 × 6 in ÷ 144 = 0.5 cu ft; × 20 ft = 10 cu ft (0.37 yd³).
Bags with 10% extra: 19 × 80 lb or 25 × 60 lb — 1,520 lb to move.
Cost: about $123 in bags vs. $485 for 1 yd³ delivered — bags are the obvious choice.
Rebar: 2 continuous #4 bars need 3 × 20 ft sticks (44 ft with laps, 29 lb), held 3 in off the soil.
Under an 8 in wall the footing projects 2 in each side — the IRC wants 2 in to 6 in (the footing thickness).
12 × 6 in is the smallest footing the IRC allows (R403.1.1); Table R403.1(1) accepts it for a one-story slab-on-grade building even on 1,500 psf soil where the ground snow load is 50 psf or less.

Adjust it to your exact job

Footing type

What are you pouring?

Size

Total length of footing

Add every run. For a closed rectangle use the perimeter: a 20×20 garage is 80 ft.

Width × thickness

Width

= 1'

Thickness

= 6"

Wall on top0 = skip

= 8"

#4 bars, continuous

You need

19× 80-lb bags

0.41 yd³ of concrete for 20 ft of 12 × 6 in footing, including 10% extra · 1,520 lb of bags

Concrete volume: 0.37yd³10 ft³ before waste
Per foot of footing: 0.5ft³0.83 × 80-lb bags
Ready-mix order: 1yd³quarter-yard steps, 1 yd minimum
#4 rebar: 3× 20 ft29 lb incl. laps

Code check (IRC 2021)

Width 12 in, thickness 6 in — meets the ruleIRC R403.1.1: at least 12 in wide and 6 in thick; soft soil or more stories need wider (Table R403.1(1)).
Projection 2 in each side — meets the ruleR403.1.1: at least 2 in past the wall face, and no more than the footing thickness.

Other bag sizes

Bags needed by size
Bag	Bags	Est. cost
40 lb · 0.3 ft³	37	—
50 lb · 0.375 ft³	30	—
60 lb · 0.45 ft³	25	$121
80 lb · 0.6 ft³	19	$123

Bags or a ready-mix truck?

19 bags

$123

Cheaper ✓ · materials only, before tax

1 yd³ delivered

$485

incl. short-load & delivery fees

At these prices a truck becomes cheaper from about 3.25 yd³ (147 bags). Over 1–2 yd³, a truck also saves hours of mixing: plan on 3–4 minutes per bag in a mixer.

That's 0.8 tons of bags — more than most pickups can carry in one trip. Ask about store delivery.

How deep?

The bottom of every exterior footing must sit at least 12 in below undisturbed ground (IRC R403.1.4) and below your local frost depth, which the building department sets. Dig to firm, undisturbed soil — never pour on loose fill.

Rebar placement

Hold bars 3 in off the soil on chairs or concrete blocks (IRC R403.1.3.5.3) and overlap splices. The IRC only mandates footing bars in Seismic Design Categories D0–D2; elsewhere follow your plans or engineer.

Timeline for standard 4000 psi mix

Walk on: 24 hours
Light loads / posts: 24 hours
Keep moist (cure): 5 days ≥70°F · 7 days at 50–70°F
Protect from freezing: 48 hours

Shopping list

19 bags Standard 4000 psi mix — 80-lb bags$123
3 sticks #4 rebar, 20 ft sticks (2 continuous bars)44 ft incl. 10% for laps · 29 lb$30.60
22 gal Clean water for mixing14–21 gal; start low, never exceed the max

Estimated total$154

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

80-lb Standard 4000 psi mix
19 bags × $
$123
#4 rebar, 20 ft
3 sticks × $
$30.60

Materials total$154

Typical U.S. prices checked October 2026. Tap any price to enter your store's.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

20 ft of footing at other sizes

Size	Cubic yards	80-lb bags	60-lb bags	Bag cost	Ready-mix
12 × 6 in	0.37	19	25	$123	$485
12 × 8 in	0.49	25	33	$162	$485
16 × 8 in	0.66	33	44	$214	$485
20 × 10 in	1.03	51	68	$302	$528
24 × 12 in	1.48	74	98	$439	$613

How this was worked out

12 in × 6 in = 72 sq in of cross-section, ÷ 144 = 0.5 cu ft per foot. Times 20 ft = 10 cu ft, ÷ 27 = 0.37 yd³.

With 10% extra that is 11 cu ft ÷ 0.6 cu ft per 80-lb bag = 18.3, rounded up to 19 bags.

At 0.41 yd³ with waste this is a bag job — a truck's 1 yd minimum plus fees would cost about $485.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main concrete footing calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

Sources

Data behind this answer

Quikrete Concrete Mix No. 1101 — technical data sheet — bag yields (80 lb = 0.60 cu ft, 60 lb = 0.45, 50 lb = 0.375, 40 lb = 0.30), water per bag, curing times; post method: 6 in of dry mix in the hole bottom, 24 h before strain · checked October 2026
Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix — TDS — same yields per bag weight; Sakrete recommends +10% overage · checked October 2026
Home Depot & Lowe's listings — Quikrete 80 lb Concrete Mix — $5.98–$6.98 per 80-lb bag; $5.93 bulk tier at 42+ bags; 42 bags per pallet; Fast-Setting 50 lb $7.97 · checked October 2026
Ernest Maier — #3 and #4 steel rebar listings — #4 $0.51/ft and #3 $0.31/ft, sold in 20 ft lengths (2026) · checked October 2026
Published 2026 ready-mix plant price sheets (e.g. Gehring Concrete) — $146–$285 per yd³ before fees; short-load fees $50–$200 · checked October 2026
BLS Producer Price Index — ready-mix concrete (via FRED) — +2.3% Sept 2025 → Sept 2026 · checked October 2026
International Residential Code 2021 — R403.1 footings & Table R403.1(1) — 12 × 6 in minimum footing, width by soil bearing, 12 in below undisturbed ground, 3 in cover over bars cast against earth; deck footings R507.3 · checked October 2026

Short answer

20 ft of 12 × 6 in footing takes 0.37 cubic yards of concrete — 19 × 80-lb bags with 10% extra, or 1 yd³ of ready-mix.

Per foot: 12 × 6 in ÷ 144 = 0.5 cu ft; × 20 ft = 10 cu ft (0.37 yd³).

Bags with 10% extra: 19 × 80 lb or 25 × 60 lb — 1,520 lb to move.

Cost: about $123 in bags vs. $485 for 1 yd³ delivered — bags are the obvious choice.

Rebar: 2 continuous #4 bars need 3 × 20 ft sticks (44 ft with laps, 29 lb), held 3 in off the soil.

Under an 8 in wall the footing projects 2 in each side — the IRC wants 2 in to 6 in (the footing thickness).

12 × 6 in is the smallest footing the IRC allows (R403.1.1); Table R403.1(1) accepts it for a one-story slab-on-grade building even on 1,500 psf soil where the ground snow load is 50 psf or less.

Adjust it to your exact job

Footing type

What are you pouring?

Size

Total length of footing

Add every run. For a closed rectangle use the perimeter: a 20×20 garage is 80 ft.

Width × thickness

Width

= 1'

Thickness

= 6"

Wall on top0 = skip

= 8"

#4 bars, continuous

You need

19× 80-lb bags

0.41 yd³ of concrete for 20 ft of 12 × 6 in footing, including 10% extra · 1,520 lb of bags

Concrete volume: 0.37yd³10 ft³ before waste
Per foot of footing: 0.5ft³0.83 × 80-lb bags
Ready-mix order: 1yd³quarter-yard steps, 1 yd minimum
#4 rebar: 3× 20 ft29 lb incl. laps

Code check (IRC 2021)

Width 12 in, thickness 6 in — meets the ruleIRC R403.1.1: at least 12 in wide and 6 in thick; soft soil or more stories need wider (Table R403.1(1)).
Projection 2 in each side — meets the ruleR403.1.1: at least 2 in past the wall face, and no more than the footing thickness.

Other bag sizes

Bags needed by size
Bag	Bags	Est. cost
40 lb · 0.3 ft³	37	—
50 lb · 0.375 ft³	30	—
60 lb · 0.45 ft³	25	$121
80 lb · 0.6 ft³	19	$123

Bags or a ready-mix truck?

19 bags

$123

Cheaper ✓ · materials only, before tax

1 yd³ delivered

$485

incl. short-load & delivery fees

At these prices a truck becomes cheaper from about 3.25 yd³ (147 bags). Over 1–2 yd³, a truck also saves hours of mixing: plan on 3–4 minutes per bag in a mixer.

That's 0.8 tons of bags — more than most pickups can carry in one trip. Ask about store delivery.

How deep?

Rebar placement

Timeline for standard 4000 psi mix

Walk on: 24 hours
Light loads / posts: 24 hours
Keep moist (cure): 5 days ≥70°F · 7 days at 50–70°F
Protect from freezing: 48 hours

Shopping list

19 bags Standard 4000 psi mix — 80-lb bags$123
3 sticks #4 rebar, 20 ft sticks (2 continuous bars)44 ft incl. 10% for laps · 29 lb$30.60
22 gal Clean water for mixing14–21 gal; start low, never exceed the max

Estimated total$154

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

80-lb Standard 4000 psi mix
19 bags × $
$123
#4 rebar, 20 ft
3 sticks × $
$30.60

Materials total$154

Typical U.S. prices checked October 2026. Tap any price to enter your store's.

Size

Cubic yards

80-lb bags

60-lb bags

Bag cost

Ready-mix

12 × 6 in

0.37

$123

$485

12 × 8 in

0.49

$162

$485

16 × 8 in

0.66

$214

$485

20 × 10 in

1.03

$302

$528

24 × 12 in

1.48

$439

$613

How this was worked out

12 in × 6 in = 72 sq in of cross-section, ÷ 144 = 0.5 cu ft per foot. Times 20 ft = 10 cu ft, ÷ 27 = 0.37 yd³.

With 10% extra that is 11 cu ft ÷ 0.6 cu ft per 80-lb bag = 18.3, rounded up to 19 bags.

At 0.41 yd³ with waste this is a bag job — a truck's 1 yd minimum plus fees would cost about $485.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main concrete footing calculator page.