The shade code is the dose. A shade written -5 is five pounds of pigment per 94 lb sack of cement, so once you have picked the color you have picked the dose — what is left is working out how much cement you are actually coloring. That last part is where most of the errors live, because a bag of pre-mixed concrete does not tell you.
The four dose steps
Each base pigment is sold at four strengths, and the suffix on the shade code is the pounds per 94 lb sack. As a percentage of cementitious weight those steps are 1.1%, 3.2%, 5.3% and 7.4%.
| Dose step | Per 94 lb cement sack | Per 50 lb bag of overlay |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | 1 lb | 0.53 lb |
| Step 3 | 3 lb | 1.6 lb |
| Step 5 | 5 lb | 2.66 lb |
| Step 7 | 7 lb | 3.72 lb |
| Maximum | 9.4 lb | 5 lb |
- Step 1 — 1 lb per 94 lb cement sack · 0.53 lb per 50 lb overlay bag
- Step 3 — 3 lb per sack · 1.6 lb per overlay bag
- Step 5 — 5 lb per sack · 2.66 lb per overlay bag
- Step 7 — 7 lb per sack · 3.72 lb per overlay bag
- Maximum — 9.4 lb per sack · 5 lb per overlay bag · do not exceed
The overlay column is the per-sack dose scaled by bag weight — dose × 50 ÷ 94. That works for a polymer-modified overlay because effectively the whole bag is cementitious. It does not work for a bag of concrete mix, and the next section is why.
Bagged concrete mix — the one you cannot calculate
An 60 or 80 lb bag of ready-mixed concrete is mostly sand and aggregate. The cement content is not printed on it, and it varies by brand and product, so there is no honest way to dose it against cement weight — which is the only basis the dose is defined on.
Batch from separate cement, sand and aggregate when the color matters. It is the only route where you know the cement weight you are dosing against. If you are set on a bagged mix, treat the result as decorative rather than specified, and prove it on a test panel before you commit anything you cannot re-pour.
Working from cubic yards
A five-sack cubic yard is five 94 lb sacks, or 470 lb of cementitious material, and it is commonly specified as a 3000 psi mix. On that basis the four steps come out at 5, 15, 25 and 35 lb of pigment per cubic yard, with the 10% ceiling at 47 lb.
Two things move it. A higher-strength mix generally carries more cement, so the same shade needs more pigment in a richer mix than in a 3000 psi one. And fly ash and slag count toward the cementitious weight for the dose while also lightening the finished color, so a mix running 20% fly ash does not behave like one running none. Get the sack count and the supplementary cementitious content in writing, and calculate on those rather than on the yardage.
For ready-mix specifically — what to ask the plant, how the pigment gets charged and how long the load is mixed — see how much pigment a truck pour needs.
Worked examples
- Three 94 lb sacks of cement at step 3. 3 lb per sack × 3 sacks = 9 lb of pigment.
- Two 50 lb bags of overlay at step 5. 2.66 lb per bag × 2 = 5.32 lb.
- A countertop mix built from one sack of white Portland at step 1. 1 lb of pigment — and on white cement it will read cleaner and more saturated than the chart, which is rendered on gray.
- Two cubic yards, confirmed five-sack, at step 5. Ten sacks × 5 lb = 50 lb — but only once the supplier has confirmed it is a five-sack design.
Weigh it, and check it against a panel
Use a scale. The dose is a percentage of weight, and bulk density varies between pigment codes, so a level scoop of one color is a different dose from a level scoop of another. On a single bag the dose falls to a few ounces, so a scale reading to a tenth of an ounce is worth having.
Then check the number before you rely on it. Run it through the pigment calculator, and approve the color from a cured test panel made with the same materials. Mixing it evenly is its own job — see how to mix concrete pigment powder without streaks.
Common questions
How much pigment goes in one 94 lb sack of cement?
One, three, five or seven pounds, depending on the shade you picked. The dose is built into the shade code: a shade written -5 is five pounds of pigment per 94 lb sack. The ceiling is 10 percent of cementitious weight, which is 9.4 lb per sack. Loading above that can affect strength, set time and finish.
How much pigment does a bag of pre-mixed concrete need?
There is no reliable answer, because the bag does not print how much cement is inside it. Dose is calculated on the weight of cement and lime, not on the weight of the bag, so a pre-mixed bag cannot be dosed accurately. Batch from separate cement, sand and aggregate when the color matters.
How much pigment per cubic yard?
On a five-sack yard, which is 470 lb of cementitious material and commonly a 3000 psi mix, the four steps work out to 5, 15, 25 and 35 lb per cubic yard. Treat that as a starting point rather than a figure to order against: mix designs differ from one supplier and one plant to the next, so ask your concrete provider what the mix design actually is before you calculate.
Does a higher psi need more pigment?
Yes, for the same shade. A higher strength mix generally carries more cement, and pigment is dosed against the cement, so the same shade takes more pigment in a richer mix. That is another reason to get the real sack count rather than assuming five.
How much pigment for a 50 lb bag of overlay?
Scale the per-sack dose by bag weight: dose times 50 divided by 94. That is 0.53 lb at step 1, 1.6 lb at step 3, 2.66 lb at step 5 and 3.72 lb at step 7. This works for overlay because effectively the whole bag is cementitious. Do not apply the same scaling to a bag of concrete mix, where only a fraction of the bag is cement.
Can I measure pigment with a scoop?
No. The dose is a percentage of weight and bulk density varies from one pigment code to the next, so a level scoop of one color is a different dose from a level scoop of another. Use a scale.
What’s Next
- Why more is not darker → Why More Concrete Pigment Is Not Always Better
- When it goes wrong → Concrete Pigment Troubleshooting: Streaks, Speckles and Uneven Color
- Mixing it evenly → How to Mix Concrete Pigment Powder Without Streaks
- Approve the color first → How to Make and Approve a Concrete Pigment Test Panel
- Ready-mix and truck pours → How Much Pigment for a Concrete Truck Pour
- Every shade and its dose step → Concrete Pigment Color Chart
- Mortar, grout and stucco → Custom Mortar Colors · Colored Grout · Stucco Colors
- Liquid instead → How Much Liquid Concrete Pigment
- Shop → Concrete Powder Pigment · Pigment Calculator
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
