#adReader-supported: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never decides a ranking. How we pick · Disclosure
Manual figures as of Sep 21, 2026. Every hole size, bag count and cure time on this page was read from the manufacturer's own install manual or installation page on that date, and each is linked. Makers revise manuals without notice: confirm on the linked page (and the paper manual in your box) before you dig, and tell us if a figure has changed.
Bags by brand
| Anchor / brand | Hole | Maker's concrete figure | In 80-lb bags | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalrilla 9-inch anchor (current guide) | 16 x 48 in | Eleven 80-lb bags; 12-13 recommended | 11-13 | Goalrilla installation guide |
| Goalrilla B1002 anchor manual (older) | 16 in diameter | Nine 80-lb bags | 9 | B1002 manual |
| Escalade 7-inch anchor (Silverback SB60/SB54/SBX, Goaliath Ignite/Prodigy) | 16 x 36 in, 20 in at the form | Nine 80-lb bags | 9 | Silverback SB60 manual |
| Lifetime in-ground systems | 18-24 in x 21-24 in | 420-640 lb | 5-8 | Lifetime assembly guide |
| Lifetime bolt-down systems | 21 in square x 30-48 in | 1,040-1,680 lb | 13-21 | Lifetime assembly guide |
| Pro Dunk Gold | 20 in square x 3 ft | 15-20 80-lb bags, 3,000 psi+ | 15-20 | Pro Dunk Gold page |
The math
QUIKRETE's data sheet for Concrete Mix No. 1101 gives the yields: an 80-lb bag makes approximately 0.60 cubic feet, a 60-lb bag 0.45, a 50-lb bag 0.375, a 40-lb bag 0.30. The volume of a round hole is pi times the radius squared times the depth, all in feet.
Why the manuals ask for more than the math
Every maker's count runs 20-40% above the geometric volume, and for good reasons. The hole is never a perfect cylinder: a post-hole digger flares it and an auger wanders, and every inch of extra diameter is about 12% more volume at 16 inches. The manuals want a form for the top 4 inches (the Silverback manual specifies 20 inches across at the form), which adds volume. Some mix stays in the wheelbarrow and on the shovel. And a footing that comes up two bags short at the end of the pour is a footing with a cold joint at the top, exactly where the anchor plate sits. Buy the manual's count plus one, and take the unopened bags back.
Buying and mixing it
Eleven 80-lb bags is 880 lb, which is a pallet-cart load at the store and a truck bed, not a sedan. Goalrilla's guide asks for mix meeting ASTM C387 (QUIKRETE Concrete Mix does, per its data sheet), mixed at 6 pints (2.8 L) of water per 80-lb bag to start and up to 9; the Silverback manual says to follow the bag. A wheelbarrow and a hoe mix a bag at a time; a rented drum mixer does three. Both manuals pour to about 18 inches below court level, set the rebar, then finish the pour, push in the anchor and level it. Do not pour below 40°F without hot water and a curing blanket (Goalrilla), protect from freezing for 48 hours (QUIKRETE), and give it the full 72 hours before the pole goes on. How to install an in-ground hoop has the day-by-day.
Our picks for this
What the count is for
The bag the manuals count in, and the two anchor kits whose manuals set the counts. Specs link to the makers.
Stock photoBest bagged concrete for a hoop footing
QUIKRETE Concrete Mix (No. 1101), 80 lb
Warranty: not published8.9/100.60 cubic feet per 80-lb bag, 4,000 psi at 28 days, ASTM C387: the mix Goalrilla's guide describes.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to QUIKRETE Concrete Mix (No. 1101), 80 lb
- Stock photo
Best anchor kit for Goalrilla
Goalrilla 9" Basketball Hoop Anchor Kit (B1002)
90-day warranty8.2/10The 9-inch plate for the 16x48-inch, eleven-bag hole.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Goalrilla 9" Basketball Hoop Anchor Kit (B1002)
- Stock photo
Best anchor kit for Silverback / Goaliath
Silverback 7" Basketball Hoop Anchor Kit (B1030)
Warranty: not published8.2/10The 7-inch plate for the 16x36-inch, nine-bag hole.
Check price · Amazon#ad · Price set by Amazon · Disclosure for the link to Silverback 7" Basketball Hoop Anchor Kit (B1030)
How we scored this
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty hoops. We haven't stood up any of them, and we say so on every page. What we do instead: read the maker's published backboard, pole, overhang and adjustment specs; open the install manual and quote the hole size, bag count and cure time; quote the warranty term from the maker's own page or manual with the date we read it; and note the failure patterns owners report (base cracking, backboard fogging, two-piece pole lean) as reported, never as confirmed. Every figure links to where it came from.
Scores are editorial judgments from that documented research, not lab results. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick. The rubrics and their weights are published.
Questions
Frequently asked
How many bags of concrete for a Goalrilla?
Eleven 80-lb bags per Goalrilla's current installation guide, with 12-13 recommended as a buffer, for a 16-inch by 48-inch hole. The older B1002 anchor manual says nine.
How many bags of concrete for a Silverback or Goaliath?
Nine 80-lb bags per the Silverback SB60 manual, for a 16-inch by 36-inch hole with a 20-inch form at the top, plus four rebar. The Goaliath Ignite and Prodigy use the same 7-inch anchor.
How many bags of concrete for a Lifetime basketball hoop?
Lifetime's guide gives weights: 420-640 lb for in-ground systems (about 5-8 80-lb bags) and 1,040-1,680 lb for bolt-down systems (13-21 bags). Check the manual for your model.
What kind of concrete for a basketball hoop?
Standard bagged concrete mix (Goalrilla asks for ASTM C387; Pro Dunk asks for 3,000 psi or better; QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101 is 4,000 psi at 28 days). Not mortar, not sand mix. Fast-setting mix is not required by the manuals we read; the 72-hour cure applies either way.
How long does concrete need to cure before mounting a basketball hoop?
A minimum of 72 hours per the Goalrilla and Silverback manuals and Lifetime's guide; Goalrilla recommends mounting on day 5.
Keep reading
Related on Rim & Rebound
Receipts
Sources
- QUIKRETE — Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet (yields per bag, water, strength; read 2026-09-21)
- QUIKRETE — Concrete Mix (No. 1101) product page (read 2026-09-21)
- Goalrilla — Basketball Hoop Installation guide (read 2026-09-21)
- Goalrilla Anchor Kit B1002 — Anchor System Installation Instructions (PDF hosted by BasketballGoalStore; read 2026-09-21)
- Silverback SB60 (B5402W) owner's manual — anchor installation, assembly and Limited 7 Year Warranty (PDF hosted by Lowe's; read 2026-09-21)
- Lifetime — "Basketball Hoop Assembly: In-Ground and Bolt-Down" (read 2026-09-21)
- Pro Dunk Hoops — THOR Gold (Pro Dunk Gold) product page (read 2026-09-21)
We haven't stood one of these up ourselves and we don't pretend to. Units we claim to have tested: 0. Specs come from the maker's own product pages (linked on every product), install figures from the maker's manual or installation page with the date we read it, and warranty terms from the maker's warranty page or manual. Amazon prices change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read how we pick.