Cubic yard calculator
Material & estimated weight Optional
Weight is estimated from typical dry densities. Real weight shifts a lot with moisture, compaction, grade and supplier, so confirm with your yard before booking delivery.
Waste / overage 0%
Overage covers spillage, uneven subgrade and settling. It is an allowance, not a rule — every site is different.
Bags Off
Bag count = cubic feet ÷ bag size, rounded up. Packaged volume varies by product, and bagged concrete mix is sold by weight rather than volume.
Cost Optional
Material only — delivery, fuel surcharges, short-load fees and tax are not included.
Truckloads Off
Enter the capacity you actually have. Hauling limits are usually about weight, not volume — a half yard of wet sand can outweigh a full yard of mulch.
Cubic yards to order
0.00yd³How we calculated it
Results are estimates. Actual material requirements can vary based on measurement accuracy, material type, compaction, grade, moisture, waste, and supplier specifications.
Cubic Yard Converter
Already know your volume in another unit? Convert it here. One cubic yard is exactly 27 cubic feet.
How to Use the Cubic Yard Calculator
- Pick how you want to measure. Use Length × Width × Depth if you have the footprint dimensions, Area + Depth if you already know the square footage, or Known Volume to convert a figure you were given.
- Choose the shape. Beds and patios are rarely perfect rectangles — circles, triangles, trapezoids and border shapes are all supported, and only the inputs that matter for that shape appear.
- Enter each measurement with its own unit. Depth in inches alongside length in feet is normal, and the math handles the mix.
- Add the optional extras you need — material for an estimated weight, an overage allowance, bag size, price, or the capacity of your truck.
- Read the result, then open How we calculated it to check the arithmetic before you order.
How to Calculate Cubic Yards
A cubic yard measures volume: the amount of space a pile of material fills. Every bulk material in the United States — concrete, gravel, mulch, topsoil, sand, stone — is sold by the cubic yard, so the job is always the same: work out the volume of the space you are filling, then express it in yards.
The practical sequence is short:
- Measure the length and width of the area, and how deep you want the material.
- Convert every measurement to the same unit. Depth is the one that trips people up — 4 inches is 0.3333 feet, not 4 feet.
- Multiply the three numbers together to get cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 to get cubic yards.
If the area is not rectangular, replace step 1 with the right area formula and multiply that area by the depth. The calculator does this for circles, triangles, trapezoids and border shapes.
Cubic Yard Formula
With every measurement in feet:
cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft)
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
Depth is almost always specified in inches on real jobs, so the shortcut most crews use folds the conversion in. Dividing inches by 12 and cubic feet by 27 is the same as dividing by 324 once:
cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324
Working from square footage instead:
cubic yards = square feet × depth (in) ÷ 324
How Many Cubic Feet Are in a Cubic Yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard. The number comes from cubing the yard rather than tripling it: a yard is 3 feet long, and a cube that measures 3 feet on every side holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
That is also why cubic yards and square yards are not interchangeable. A square yard is 9 square feet of flat surface; a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet of volume.
How to Calculate Cubic Yards From Square Feet
Square feet describe a surface, so they cannot become cubic yards on their own — you have to add a depth. Once you have one, divide by 324:
cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324
For a 500 sq ft area at 3 inches deep: 500 × 3 = 1,500, and 1,500 ÷ 324 = 4.63 cubic yards. Flip the same relationship around and one cubic yard spread 1 inch deep covers 324 square feet, which is where the coverage table below comes from.
Quick Reference: Coverage and Yardage
| Spread depth | Coverage from 1 yd³ |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft |
| 12 inches | 27 sq ft |
| Area | 2 in deep | 3 in deep | 4 in deep | 6 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 0.62 yd³ | 0.93 yd³ | 1.23 yd³ | 1.85 yd³ |
| 200 sq ft | 1.23 yd³ | 1.85 yd³ | 2.47 yd³ | 3.70 yd³ |
| 300 sq ft | 1.85 yd³ | 2.78 yd³ | 3.70 yd³ | 5.56 yd³ |
| 500 sq ft | 3.09 yd³ | 4.63 yd³ | 6.17 yd³ | 9.26 yd³ |
| 1,000 sq ft | 6.17 yd³ | 9.26 yd³ | 12.35 yd³ | 18.52 yd³ |
Cubic Yard Calculator for Concrete
Concrete slabs are ordered by the cubic yard, and most residential flatwork is poured at 4 inches: patios, sidewalks, shed pads and garage floors. Driveways that will see a truck or an RV are usually thickened to 5 or 6 inches, and footings are deeper still.
A 20 ft × 12 ft patio at 4 inches works out to 240 sq ft × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.96 cubic yards. Two things to know before you call the plant: subgrade is never perfectly flat, so crews commonly add 5–10% for a slab, and ready-mix suppliers charge a short-load fee under a threshold that is often around 1 cubic yard. For anything structural, have your quantity checked against the plans.
Cubic Yard Calculator for Gravel
Gravel driveways and pathways are typically 2 to 3 inches per lift, with a total depth of 4 to 6 inches over a prepared base. Deeper is not automatically better — thick single lifts stay loose and rut, which is why the material is placed and compacted in layers.
A 12 ft × 40 ft driveway at 4 inches is 480 sq ft × 4 ÷ 324 = 5.93 cubic yards. Gravel compacts noticeably, so the yardage that arrives loose will occupy less space once rolled. Adding 10% is common for driveway work.
Cubic Yard Calculator for Mulch
Mulch goes down 2 to 3 inches in most landscape beds. Going past 4 inches tends to hold moisture against stems and starve roots of air, so more is genuinely not better here. If you are topping up existing beds, measure only the depth you are adding.
A bed totaling 400 sq ft at 3 inches is 400 × 3 ÷ 324 = 3.70 cubic yards. Mulch is also the material where bulk buying pays off fastest: at 2 cu ft per bag, that same bed is about 50 bags.
Cubic Yard Calculator for Topsoil and Dirt
Topsoil for a new lawn is usually spread 4 to 6 inches deep; a light dressing over an existing lawn is closer to a quarter or half inch. Fill dirt for raising a low spot is measured by the depth you are actually building up.
A 1,000 sq ft lawn area at 4 inches needs 1,000 × 4 ÷ 324 = 12.35 cubic yards. Screened soil settles, and fill compacts hard, so 10–15% extra is a reasonable allowance for grading work — measure the low spot at its deepest and average it rather than guessing from the edges.
How Much Does a Cubic Yard Cost?
Prices move with region, season, fuel and how far the truck has to drive, so the only number worth trusting is the one your local supplier quotes. What is consistent is the shape of the bill:
- Material is priced per cubic yard for bulk landscape products and per cubic yard for ready-mix concrete.
- Delivery is usually a flat fee per trip, sometimes with a minimum order, so one large delivery beats two small ones.
- Short-load fees apply to ready-mix orders below the plant’s minimum.
- Bagged product costs considerably more per cubic yard than bulk, but skips delivery and is easier to store.
Enter your quoted price in the Cost section above and the calculator will apply it to your adjusted yardage.
How Much Material Should I Order?
Order the calculated quantity plus a small allowance, and round to how your supplier sells. Bulk yards often deliver in half-yard or quarter-yard increments; ready-mix is ordered in quarter-yard steps.
A reasonable allowance depends on the work: little or none for a contained sandbox or planter, around 5% for mulch on a flat bed, 10% for gravel and slabs where the subgrade is uneven, and 10–15% for grading and fill where compaction is significant. Running a few wheelbarrows short on a concrete pour is a much more expensive problem than having a little left over.
Worked Examples
1. Rectangular area, 20 ft × 10 ft × 4 in
Inputs: length 20 ft, width 10 ft, depth 4 in
Formula: length × width × depth (in) ÷ 324
Calculation: 20 × 10 = 200 sq ft; 200 × 4 = 800; 800 ÷ 324 = 2.4691
Result: 2.47 cubic yards (66.67 cubic feet)
2. Known square footage, 500 sq ft × 3 in
Inputs: area 500 sq ft, depth 3 in
Formula: square feet × depth (in) ÷ 324
Calculation: 500 × 3 = 1,500; 1,500 ÷ 324 = 4.6296
Result: 4.63 cubic yards (125 cubic feet)
3. Gravel driveway, 12 ft × 45 ft × 4 in, plus 10% overage
Inputs: 12 ft × 45 ft = 540 sq ft, depth 4 in, overage 10%
Calculation: 540 × 4 ÷ 324 = 6.6667; 6.6667 × 1.10 = 7.3333
Result: 6.67 cubic yards base, 7.33 cubic yards adjusted — order 7.5 yd³ if your supplier sells in half yards.
4. Mulch for a curved garden bed, about 18 ft across, 3 in deep
Inputs: circle with an 18 ft diameter, depth 3 in
Calculation: area = π × 9² = 254.47 sq ft; 254.47 × 3 ÷ 324 = 2.3562
Result: 2.36 cubic yards — roughly 64 bags at 1 cu ft each.
5. Concrete slab, 24 ft × 24 ft × 5 in
Inputs: 24 ft × 24 ft = 576 sq ft, depth 5 in
Calculation: 576 × 5 ÷ 324 = 8.8889
Result: 8.89 cubic yards base; with 10% for subgrade variation, about 9.78 — order 10 yd³.
Cubic Yard Conversion Chart
| Unit | Equal to 1 cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Cubic feet | 27 ft³ |
| Cubic inches | 46,656 in³ |
| Cubic meters | 0.7646 m³ |
| Liters | 764.55 L |
| US gallons | 201.97 gal |
| Square feet at 1 in deep | 324 sq ft |
| Square feet at 3 in deep | 108 sq ft |
| Bags at 2 cu ft each | 13.5 bags |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to the space inside a cube measuring one yard (3 feet) on each side. It is the standard way bulk construction and landscaping materials are sold in the United States.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Exactly 27. A yard is 3 feet, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27, so one cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet.
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length by width by depth with all three in feet, then divide by 27. If your depth is in inches, multiply length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) and divide by 324 instead.
How many cubic yards do I need for 1,000 square feet?
It depends entirely on depth. At 2 inches you need 6.17 cubic yards, at 3 inches 9.26, at 4 inches 12.35, and at 6 inches 18.52 cubic yards.
How much area does a cubic yard of gravel cover?
About 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, or roughly 81 square feet at 4 inches. Coverage is set by depth, not by the material, though gravel loses some volume once it is compacted.
How many bags are in a cubic yard?
Divide 27 by the bag size in cubic feet: 54 bags at 0.5 cu ft, 27 at 1 cu ft, 18 at 1.5 cu ft, 13.5 at 2 cu ft, and 9 at 3 cu ft. Packaged volume can vary slightly between products.
How much concrete is in a cubic yard?
One cubic yard of concrete is 27 cubic feet and weighs roughly 4,000 pounds — about 2 tons. Spread at 4 inches it covers about 81 square feet of slab.
Should I add extra material?
Usually yes, but modestly. Around 5% suits mulch on a level bed, 10% is common for gravel and slabs, and 10–15% is reasonable for fill and grading where compaction is significant. Skip the extra only when the space is fully contained and measured precisely.
Can I calculate cubic yards from square feet?
Yes, once you decide on a depth. Multiply the square footage by the depth in inches and divide by 324. Square feet alone describe a surface and cannot be converted to volume.
What is the difference between cubic yards and square yards?
A square yard measures flat area — 9 square feet, like carpet or sod. A cubic yard measures volume — 27 cubic feet, like a load of gravel. Area covers a surface; volume fills a space.