How to Measure Concrete Walkways

Measure the length of the walkway from the starting point to the end. Make this an exact measurement without adding any extra inches. Round fractions up to the nearest inch. Don't subtract any space for the expansion joints. Start the walkway at the point of an existing sidewalk if present and to the point of entrance of either a building or another walkway.

Find the width of the walkway that suits your needs. A standard sidewalk is 6 feet or more wide depending on the area and size of your lot, but a residential walkway does not need to be that wide, unless you expect heavy two-way foot traffic. A 3-foot wide sidewalk is sufficient for single-width walking.

Figure the square footage of the area that you plan on covering with concrete by multiplying the width by the length. To figure the cubic feet of concrete needed, take the square footage and multiply it by 4 inches, or 1/3 of a foot, which is the depth of the concrete. For instance, a 3-foot wide walkway multiplied by 20 feet of length gives you 60 square feet. The 60 square feet multiplied by 1/3-foot gives you 20 cubic feet of concrete.