How many cement bags for 1 cubic metre of M20 concrete?

About 8 bags of 50 kg for the nominal mix 1:1.5:3. A design mix can differ, so confirm with the engineer.

How many cement bags per sq ft for a house?

A rough range is 0.4 to 0.5 bags per square foot of built-up area for the whole house, including masonry and plaster.

How many bags for a 10 ft x 10 ft slab?

At 5 inch thickness that is 100 sq ft, about 1.16 m³ of concrete, so around 9 to 10 bags of cement for M20.

Should I order extra cement?

Yes, 5 to 10 percent extra covers wastage and small changes. Unused sealed bags can be kept dry and used within about 3 months.

How many cement bags for a slab or a house?

Know the basics first

One cement bag is 50 kg.
Cement density is about 1440 kg/m³, so one bag is about 0.0347 m³ (roughly 35 litres).
1 m³ is about 35.3 cubic feet. 1 sq ft is 0.0929 m².
Concrete grade is set by the engineer. Houses commonly use M20 for slabs, beams and columns, where M20 means 20 N/mm² at 28 days.

Cement per cubic metre of concrete

Nominal mix M20 is 1 part cement, 1.5 parts sand, 3 parts coarse aggregate by volume (IS 456). Dry materials need about 1.54 times the wet volume of concrete because of voids. So cement is 1.54 / 5.5 = 0.28 m³ per m³ of concrete, which is about 403 kg, or roughly 8 bags. Real jobs with a mix design may use more cement for a richer mix, so check with your engineer.

Approximate cement per m³ of nominal mix concrete
Grade	Mix (cement : sand : aggregate)	Cement bags per m³
M15	1 : 2 : 4	About 6.3
M20	1 : 1.5 : 3	About 8
M25	1 : 1 : 2	About 10.2

Worked example: 1000 sq ft slab

Take a roof slab of 1000 sq ft at 125 mm (5 inch) thick, M20.

Area: 1000 x 0.0929 = 92.9 m².
Volume: 92.9 x 0.125 = 11.6 m³.
Cement: 11.6 x 8 = about 93 bags.
Add 5% wastage: about 98 bags, so order 100.

Beams and columns add more concrete. For an 8 inch slab thickness or heavy beams, scale up using the same steps. Our cement calculator does this for you.

Whole house thumb rule

For a normal RCC framed house, the total cement for everything (foundation, columns, beams, slabs, brick or block masonry, plaster and flooring) comes to roughly 0.4 to 0.5 bags per square foot of built-up area. A 1000 sq ft single floor therefore needs about 400 to 500 bags, and the figure changes with foundation depth, wall thickness, plaster and floor finish.

Where cement goes in a typical house (rough share)
Work	Share of cement
Foundation, columns, beams and slabs	About 55 to 60%
Brickwork or blockwork	About 10 to 15%
Plaster	About 15 to 20%
Flooring and miscellaneous	About 10%

These shares are broad guides, not design numbers. Use them to phase your orders, not to replace the engineer's estimate.

Tips to order smartly

Order cement in lots tied to the pour or work stage so bags do not sit for months.
Use PPC or OPC of the same brand within a pour, and check the packing date.
Keep 5 to 10% extra for wastage, spillage and last minute changes.
If you use ready mix concrete, the supplier calculates cement for you and you only order for masonry and plaster.
Ask us for today's rate on PPC and OPC and for bulk delivery to site.

Frequently asked questions

How many cement bags for 1 cubic metre of M20 concrete?: About 8 bags of 50 kg for the nominal mix 1:1.5:3. A design mix can differ, so confirm with the engineer.
How many cement bags per sq ft for a house?: A rough range is 0.4 to 0.5 bags per square foot of built-up area for the whole house, including masonry and plaster.
How many bags for a 10 ft x 10 ft slab?: At 5 inch thickness that is 100 sq ft, about 1.16 m³ of concrete, so around 9 to 10 bags of cement for M20.
Should I order extra cement?: Yes, 5 to 10 percent extra covers wastage and small changes. Unused sealed bags can be kept dry and used within about 3 months.