Walk into any home center and the yellow bags outnumber everything else in the masonry aisle. Quikrete concrete mix comes in more than a dozen formulations, and picking the wrong one wastes money at best and cracks at worst — a fast-setting mix poured as a patio slab, or a basic mix asked to carry a bearing post, both end badly. This guide breaks down the core Quikrete products, their real PSI numbers and cure times, how many bags a job actually takes, and which bag matches which project.
The Core Quikrete Lineup
Quikrete Concrete Mix (No. 1101) — the original
The gray workhorse: a pre-blended mix of portland cement, sand, and gravel rated at 4,000 PSI at 28 days. It’s the default for slabs, footings, steps, curbs, and setting posts where you’re willing to brace them a day. An 80-lb bag costs roughly $5-7 and yields 0.60 cubic feet; 60-lb and 50-lb bags scale down proportionally (0.45 and 0.375 cu ft). Work time is a comfortable 30-60 minutes depending on temperature. Walk-on strength arrives in 24-48 hours; full design strength at 28 days.
Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix (No. 1004) — the red bag
The famous post-setting product. It reaches initial set in 20-40 minutes and hits 400 PSI in 2 hours — enough to release post bracing — with a final strength around 4,000 PSI. Its party trick: for fence and mailbox posts you can pour it dry into the hole around the post and simply add water on top; the mix wicks it through. A 50-lb bag runs $6-8 and fills 0.375 cu ft. Do not use it for slabs or anything needing finishing — the working window is too short to screed and trowel properly.
Quikrete 5000 (No. 1007) — the high-early-strength mix
A richer cement blend rated 5,000 PSI at 28 days, with a crucial bonus: about 1,500 PSI within 24 hours. That early strength makes it the pick for cold-weather pours, driveways, footings you want to load quickly, and any structural work — deck footings, concrete piers, garage aprons. Bags cost $6.50-9 for 80 lb (0.60 cu ft yield). If a project is worth doing structurally, the dollar-a-bag premium over No. 1101 is cheap insurance.
Quikrete Crack-Resistant Concrete Mix (No. 1006)
Standard 4,000 PSI mix with synthetic fibers and an air-entraining agent blended in. The fibers control plastic-shrinkage cracking and let you skip wire mesh in flatwork 2″ or thicker — sidewalks, small pads, dog runs. It costs $7-9 per 80-lb bag. Note that fibers reduce, not eliminate, cracking: you still need control and expansion joints at proper spacing, and fibers are not a substitute for rebar in structural work (see reinforced concrete for when steel is non-negotiable).
Quick Comparison Table
| Product | PSI (28-day) | Set / early strength | 80-lb yield | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete Mix 1101 | 4,000 | Set 24-48 hr walk-on | 0.60 cu ft | General slabs, footings, steps |
| Fast-Setting 1004 | ~4,000 | Sets 20-40 min; 400 PSI @ 2 hr | 0.375 (50 lb) | Fence posts, mailboxes, repairs |
| Quikrete 5000 | 5,000 | 1,500 PSI @ 24 hr | 0.60 cu ft | Structural, cold weather, driveways |
| Crack-Resistant 1006 | 4,000 | Standard set | 0.60 cu ft | Flatwork without mesh |
Specialty Bags Worth Knowing
- Q-Max Pro: 6,500 PSI, walkable in 3 hours, crack-resistant — the premium repair/countertop-adjacent option at $9-12 per bag.
- Countertop Mix: flowable, 6,000+ PSI, minimal shrinkage, designed for cast surfaces; about $18-25 per 80-lb bag.
- Sand/Topping Mix: no gravel; for layers under 2″ — bedding, toppings, and repairs over existing slabs. Not for full-depth pours.
- Re-Cap Concrete Resurfacer: polymer-modified skim product for renewing worn slabs — a different animal entirely, covered in our concrete resurfacer guide.
How Many Bags Do You Need?
Concrete math is volume math. Length × width × depth (all in feet) = cubic feet. Then divide by yield per bag and add 5-10% waste.
- 4″ thick slab, per 10 sq ft: 3.33 cu ft ≈ 6 bags of 80-lb mix.
- 3′ x 3′ x 4″ pad: 3 cu ft ≈ 5 bags (80 lb).
- 10′ x 10′ x 4″ patio: 33.3 cu ft ≈ 56 bags of 80 lb — about 2.25 tons of material. This is the point where ready-mix delivery ($150-200/yd plus delivery) starts beating bags on both cost and your spine.
- Fence post, 8″-dia hole, 2′ deep, 4×4 post: roughly 0.55 cu ft net ≈ 1.5 bags of 50-lb Fast-Setting per post. Quikrete’s own rule of thumb: two 50-lb bags per typical residential post.
Rule of thumb ceiling: past about 25-30 bags (roughly two-thirds of a cubic yard), price a ready-mix truck or a U-cart before committing to a mixing marathon.
Mixing It Right
Most bagged-concrete failures trace to water. Quikrete 1101 calls for about 3 quarts of water per 80-lb bag (2.25 qt for 60 lb). More water makes the mix easier to move and dramatically weaker — every extra quart per bag can knock hundreds of PSI off the final strength and increases shrinkage cracking. Aim for a consistency like thick oatmeal that holds a trowel-cut edge.
- Put about two-thirds of the measured water in the wheelbarrow or mixer first.
- Add the dry mix, blending as you go with a mortar hoe or paddle.
- Add remaining water a little at a time until uniform — 3-5 minutes of mixing, no dry pockets.
- Place within the working time, consolidate against forms, screed, and float. Broom or trowel finish once bleed water evaporates.
- Cure it: keep the surface damp (mist, plastic sheeting, or curing compound) for at least 3-7 days. Curing is where PSI actually comes from — a slab left to bake dry may never reach half its rated strength.
Temperature rules: pour between 40°F and 90°F. Below 40°F, use Quikrete 5000 and protect with blankets; above 90°F, use cold water, work early, and expect the working window to shrink by half.
Which Bag for Which Job — Fast Answers
- Fence or mailbox posts: Fast-Setting 1004, dry-pour method.
- Sidewalk or small patio: Crack-Resistant 1006, or 1101 with wire mesh.
- Deck footings, pier pads: Quikrete 5000.
- Steps and curbs: 1101, or 5000 if traffic resumes quickly.
- Toppings under 2″: Sand/Topping Mix — never gravel mix in thin layers.
- Worn but sound slab: Re-Cap Resurfacer, not new concrete.
Quikrete vs Sakrete
The eternal aisle question. Both brands blend to the same ASTM C387 standard, and equivalent products perform equivalently — Sakrete High-Strength 4,000 PSI mirrors Quikrete 1101, Sakrete 5000 Plus mirrors Quikrete 5000. Distribution decides most purchases: Home Depot leans Quikrete, many Lowe’s and independent yards lean Sakrete, and regional plants mean the aggregate in your bag is local either way. Full brand breakdown in our Sakrete concrete mix guide, and the fundamentals of cement-sand-gravel ratios live in our concrete mix primer.
Quikrete Concrete Mix FAQ
How long before I can drive on Quikrete?
Foot traffic in 24-48 hours; vehicles at 7 days minimum for Quikrete 5000, 14+ days for standard mix. Full rated strength takes 28 days regardless of product.
Can I add gravel or cement to stretch a bag?
Don’t. The blend is engineered; diluting it with extra aggregate drops strength unpredictably. If you’re tempted to stretch bags, the job is big enough for ready-mix.
Does Fast-Setting concrete work below freezing?
It sets faster in cold than standard mix and is usable down to about 35-40°F with warm water. Below freezing, fresh concrete ice-damages itself — wait for a thaw or tent and heat the work.
How long does a bag keep?
Sealed and bone-dry, about a year. A bag that has hardened into lumps that won’t crumble in your hand has partially hydrated — its strength is compromised. Store bags off the slab floor on a pallet, wrapped in plastic.
Match the bag to the job, respect the water ratio, and cure with patience — that’s 90% of getting bagged concrete to perform like the number printed on the label.
