Concrete Column & Pier Calculator

Calculate concrete volume for round columns, deck piers, or fence post footings.

Diameter of the round form (e.g. a Sonotube).

Height of the column from bottom to top.

How many identical columns you're pouring.

Round concrete forms — Sonotubes for deck piers, column forms for porch supports — use cylinder volume rather than the simple length × width × height math of a slab. Volume equals π times the radius squared times the height, so a change in diameter affects the total far more than the same change in height, which is why it pays to double-check the tube size before ordering concrete for a job with more than a couple of piers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much concrete does an 8 inch tube need?

An 8 inch diameter tube holds about 0.035 cubic yards of concrete per foot of height, so a 4-foot-deep pier needs roughly 0.14 cubic yards.

Do I need to subtract the fence post size from a pier calculation?

For deck piers, no — the whole tube fills with concrete. For fence posts set into a round hole, yes, use the fencing post-hole concrete calculator instead, which subtracts the post volume.