Top 5 Cement Bags in Canada for 2026: 30 kg Picks, CSA Types Explained, and How to Avoid Costly Mistakes
Short answer: in Canada the standard bag is 30 kg, and the choice comes down to whether you need a binder or a finished mix. Portland cement bags (Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10, King Portland Cement Type GU) contain cement alone and must be combined with sand and aggregate on site. Pre-blended bags such as Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix already contain the sand and stone, so you add only water. Mortar bags like CIL Mortar Mix Type N are formulated to bond masonry units rather than to carry structural load. Canadian cement is graded under CSA A3001, which replaced the old numeric names: Type 10 is now Type GU (general use), with HE for high early strength, MS for moderate sulphate resistance and HS for high sulphate resistance. For most Canadian sites, freeze-thaw exposure, sulphate conditions in the soil and how much you can realistically mix in one session matter more than brand.
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Top Picks Summary
Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10
Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10 is positioned as a widely available, cost-effective general-purpose cement favored for routine concrete and repair work; its broad distribution and consistent formulation make it the practical choice for contractors prioritizing predictable performance and low logistics cost. Compared with the other bags on this list, Quikrete trades the specialized blends of some competitors for straightforward, economical versatility — a financial advantage on large-volume jobs where supply consistency and price matter most.
Bomix Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement
Bomix Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement earns a market-leader spot for balanced workability and ease-of-use targeted at both pros and DIYers, offering a middle ground between commodity portland cements and high-performance mixes. Technically it emphasizes improved plasticity and predictable set times, making it less specialized but more user-friendly than high-strength mixes like Sakrete, and appealing financially to projects seeking fewer admixtures or additives.
Where to buy Bomix Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement in Canada: the trusted retailers we track in this market, with the best price we have observed at each. Prices are checked regularly and can change, and the retailer confirms the final price at checkout.
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$12 – $20
King Portland Cement Type GU
King Portland Cement Type GU (general use) is highlighted for its broadly specified general-use properties and consistent quality control, making it a solid choice where code-compliant, multi-purpose cement is required. Compared to niche products in this list — such as Sakrete’s high-strength concrete or CIL’s masonry mortar — King GU offers a cost-efficient all-around technical profile for structural pours and precast work that require regulatory-standard cement without premium specialty features.
Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix
Sakrete High Strength Concrete Mix stands out as the best-in-class option for jobs demanding higher compressive strength and faster curing, delivering a pre-blended, aggregate-included bag that reduces on-site mixing steps and labor time. Financially its higher unit price is offset by labor savings and improved performance in structural or load-bearing applications, making it preferable to general-portland bags like Quikrete or King when long-term durability and speed-to-strength are priorities.
CIL Mortar Mix Type N
CIL Mortar Mix Type N is the specialist pick for masonry and repointing work, formulated to prioritize bond, flexibility and controlled strength suitable for brick and stone; it outperforms general-purpose cement bags in mortar-specific tasks. While not intended for structural concrete pours like Sakrete, its technical advantage is compatibility with masonry units and lower long-term maintenance costs in mortar joints, making it the economical choice for masons focused on longevity and substrate protection.
Where to buy CIL Mortar Mix Type N in Canada: the trusted retailers we track in this market, with the best price we have observed at each. Prices are checked regularly and can change, and the retailer confirms the final price at checkout.
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$9 – $16
How Canadian Cement Bags Are Graded and What the Numbers Mean
Bagged cement in Canada is not a generic commodity: the type designation on the bag is a standards term with a defined meaning, and reading it correctly is what keeps a slab from spalling or a mortar joint from failing. The short version is that CSA A3001 governs cementitious materials, CSA A23.1 governs how concrete is proportioned and placed, and ASTM C270 (mirrored by CSA A179 for unit masonry) defines mortar types. Everything below follows from those documents rather than from marketing copy.
Type designations: CSA A3001 replaced the old numeric names with letters. Type 10 became GU (general use), Type 30 became HE (high early strength), Type 20 became MS (moderate sulphate resistance) and Type 50 became HS (high sulphate resistance). A bag reading Type 10 and a bag reading Type GU are the same class of cement.
Bag size: 30 kg is the Canadian retail standard for portland cement, concrete mix and mortar mix. US-sized 60 lb and 80 lb bags and 50 lb pails do circulate through online marketplaces, so check the stated weight before comparing prices per bag.
Yield and quantities: a 30 kg bag of pre-blended concrete mix yields roughly 0.013 m3 of placed concrete, which works out to somewhere near 70 to 80 bags per cubic metre. Past about a cubic metre, ready-mix delivery usually beats bags on both cost and labour.
Strength: a standard pre-blended concrete mix is typically rated around 4,000 psi (roughly 28 MPa) at 28 days, and higher-strength lines are sold separately. Mortar is deliberately weaker: ASTM C270 sets Type N at about 5.2 MPa (750 psi) minimum, because mortar is meant to fail before the brick does.
Freeze-thaw and sulphates: air entrainment is what protects Canadian exterior flatwork through freeze-thaw cycling, and CSA A23.1 exposure classes are the reference for specifying it. Where soil or groundwater carries sulphates, MS or HS cement is the correct answer rather than simply using more cement.
Water and curing: bagged mixes reach their published strength only at the water ratio printed on the bag. Adding water past that point to improve workability is the single most common way a DIY pour ends up weak, dusty or cracked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Type 10 cement the same as Type GU?
Yes. CSA A3001 replaced Canada's numeric cement designations with letter codes, and Type 10 became Type GU (general use). That is why Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10 and King Portland Cement Type GU on this page are the same class of general-use portland cement, even though the bags are labelled differently.
What is the difference between a cement bag and a concrete mix bag?
A portland cement bag contains only the binder, so Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10 and King Portland Cement Type GU have to be mixed with sand and aggregate before you can pour anything. A pre-blended bag such as Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix already contains the sand and stone, so you add water only. Buying cement when you meant concrete mix is the most common mistake at the till.
How many 30 kg bags of concrete mix do I need for one cubic metre?
A 30 kg bag of pre-blended concrete mix yields roughly 0.013 m3 once mixed, so a cubic metre takes somewhere in the range of 70 to 80 bags. At that volume, ready-mix delivery is normally cheaper and far faster than bags. Bagged mix makes sense for footings, posts, small pads and repairs.
Which cement bag should I buy for small repairs?
Bomix Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement is the all-purpose option on this list, blended for easy mixing and finishing on small concrete and repair jobs, and it holds a 4.0 average rating here. For a repair that needs to carry load or sit outdoors through Canadian winters, step up to a pre-blended high-strength concrete mix instead.
Conclusion
There is no single best bag here, because these five products do different jobs. For a slab, footing or deck post where you want the fewest steps, a pre-blended bag such as Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix is the straightforward pick and carries the highest rating on this list. For parging, custom mixes or anywhere you are batching with your own sand and stone, a straight portland cement bag such as Quikrete Portland Cement Type 10 or King Portland Cement Type GU is the right and usually cheaper choice. Bomix Pro-Mix All Purpose Cement suits the small repair jobs that do not justify opening a specialised bag, and CIL Mortar Mix Type N belongs on brick, block and repointing work rather than in a pour. Prices and bag availability move by region and by season in Canada, so confirm the weight and type on the bag before you compare.