Cubic yard calculator
Enter length, width and depth in any mix of feet, inches or meters to get the volume in cubic yards, the unit soil, gravel, mulch and concrete are sold in. Add several areas for one total.
Add a margin for waste, compaction or settling if you are ordering material.
Volume in every unit
- Cubic yards
- 1.85
- Cubic feet
- 50
- Cubic meters
- 1.42
- Liters
- 1,416
- US gallons
- 374
- Area covered
- 100 sq ft
What that looks like
- Wheelbarrow loads (6 cu ft, level full)
- 8.3
- 2 cu ft bags
- 25
- Smallest common dumpster
- 10-yard
A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side: 27 cubic feet, or about 0.76 m³. A contractor wheelbarrow holds about 6 cubic feet, so 4.5 loads make a yard. Dumpsters are rented by the cubic yard, and heavy debris such as soil or concrete may have a weight limit.
- Nothing is uploaded
- Free, no sign-up
- Works on phone and desktop
How to work out cubic yards
- 1
Enter the length, width and depth in feet and inches or meters. Use Measure depth in to type the depth in feet for holes and trenches.
- 2
Choose Circle for round areas or Triangle for corners, and enter the sizes asked for.
- 3
Click Add another area for each extra part; L-shapes are two rectangles. Add an extra allowance if you are ordering material.
- 4
Read the cubic yards, with cubic feet, cubic meters, liters and gallons below, plus wheelbarrow loads and the dumpster size that fits.
Features
Every volume unit
Cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, liters and US gallons from the same measurements.
Rectangles, circles, triangles
Add up to 20 areas of any of the three shapes for one total, with each area shown separately.
Tape-measure input
Type 12' 6", 12 ft 6 in, 3 1/2 or 1.2 m in any field, and mix feet, inches and meters.
A yard you can picture
See the volume as wheelbarrow loads, 2 cu ft bags and the smallest common dumpster that holds it.
The cubic yard formula
A cubic yard is the volume of a cube 1 yard (3 feet) on each side. To find how many fit in a space, work in feet: multiply length × width × depth to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. Inches need turning into feet first (divide by 12), which is where most mistakes happen: 4 inches is 0.333 ft, not 0.4. The calculator does the conversion for you, whatever mix of units you type.
- A garden area, 12 × 10 ft, 6 inches deep: 12 × 10 × 0.5 = 60 cubic feet = 2.22 cubic yards.
- A trench, 50 ft long, 18 inches wide and 2 ft deep: 50 × 1.5 × 2 = 150 cubic feet = 5.56 cubic yards. Set Measure depth in to feet.
- A sand base for a 15 ft round pool, 2 inches deep: π × 7.5² × 0.167 = 29.5 cubic feet = 1.09 cubic yards.
- A corner bed, a triangle with 8 ft sides, 4 inches deep: 8 × 8 ÷ 2 × 0.333 = 10.7 cubic feet = 0.4 cubic yards.
Cubic yard conversions
| 1 cubic yard equals | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cubic feet | 27 |
| Cubic inches | 46,656 |
| Cubic meters | 0.7646 |
| Liters | 764.6 |
| US gallons | 202 |
| Bags of 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
How far a cubic yard goes
Bulk material is spread to a depth, so it helps to know the area one yard covers. Divide 324 by the depth in inches:
| Depth | Area one cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
Common volumes
| Job | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| Raised bed, 4 × 8 ft, 12 in deep | 1.19 |
| Patio base, 10 × 10 ft, 4 in deep | 1.23 |
| Sandbox, 6 × 6 ft, 12 in deep | 1.33 |
| Gravel driveway, 12 × 50 ft, 4 in deep | 7.41 |
| New lawn, 1,000 sq ft, 4 in of topsoil | 12.35 |
These are exact volumes. When you order material, round up and allow for waste, compaction or settling: many suppliers have a minimum load, and running short can mean paying for a second delivery.
Wheelbarrows, bags and dumpsters
A contractor wheelbarrow holds about 6 cubic feet filled level, so a cubic yard is roughly 4.5loads, more if the material is heavy and you fill it part way. Bagged soil and mulch usually come in 2 cubic foot bags, 13.5 to the yard. Roll-off dumpsters are sold by their volume in cubic yards; for a cleanout, measure the pile, enter it here, and pick the next size up.
Need tons rather than yards? The gravel calculator converts by stone type, and the topsoil calculator handles soil, fill dirt and settling. For garden beds, the mulch calculator counts bags, and the concrete calculator covers slabs, footings and post holes. Measure the area first with the square footage calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. An area 12 ft by 10 ft dug 6 inches (0.5 ft) deep is 12 × 10 × 0.5 = 60 cubic feet, or 2.22 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. To go from cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27; to go back, multiply by 27.
How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?
Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646 to get cubic meters. Going the other way, one cubic meter is about 1.308 cubic yards, or 35.3 cubic feet.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
Divide 324 by the depth in inches. A cubic yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 inch, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, 108 sq ft at 3 inches, 81 sq ft at 4 inches and 54 sq ft at 6 inches.
How big is a cubic yard?
Picture a cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet tall. It's about 4.5 loads in a 6 cubic foot contractor wheelbarrow, or 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, the common size for mulch and soil.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. Typical loose figures are about 1 to 1.4 tons for topsoil, 1.3 to 1.5 tons for gravel, and 0.4 to 0.7 tons for compost. Concrete is about 4,000 lb, or 2 tons. Wet material weighs more.
How many cubic yards does a dumpster hold?
Roll-off dumpsters are named for their volume: a 10-yard dumpster holds about 10 cubic yards, and 20, 30 and 40-yard sizes are common. Heavy debris such as dirt, rock or concrete is usually limited by weight, so it often has to go in a smaller container.
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