Cubic Yard Calculator
Turn length, width, and depth into cubic yards, then see how far a cubic yard goes at each depth. Includes cubic feet, cubic meter, ton, and bag conversions.
Cubic yard calculator
Any depth works. Use feet for tall shapes such as columns.
The sizes below are an example. Type over them with your own.
Allowances
Leave blank to use 0%. Add a percentage if you want a margin for waste.
Cost (optional)
The cost is your price times the rounded amount in the result, plus delivery. Tax and minimum-order charges are not included.
- Area
- 120 sq ft
- Volume
- 30 cu ft1.11 cu yd, no extra added
How to use the cubic yard calculator
- Enter the length and width in feet and inches. For a circle, choose Circle and enter the diameter. If you already know the square footage, choose Known area.
- Enter the depth in inches, or in feet for deep shapes such as columns.
- Read the result in cubic yards and cubic feet. This version adds no extra by default, so you see the exact volume. Add a percentage under Allowances if you want a margin for waste.
- For irregular shapes, split the area into rectangles and circles and add them with Add another area. For a triangle, calculate half the base times the height and use Known area.
For a specific material, use the gravel, topsoil, mulch, sand, or concrete calculator. They add the weight, bag count, and typical allowance for that material.
The cubic yard formula
Cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12
Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
Cubic yards = area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324
Worked example: 12 ft by 10 ft, 3 inches deep
- Area: 12 × 10 = 120 sq ft.
- Volume: 120 × 3 ÷ 12 = 30 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 30 ÷ 27 = 1.11 cubic yards.
- Shortcut check: 120 × 3 ÷ 324 = 1.11.
How far does a cubic yard go?
Use this chart to check an estimate in your head. Find your depth, then divide your square footage by the number in the second column.
| Depth | Sq ft per cu yd | Cu ft per 100 sq ft | Cu yd per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 | 8.3 | 0.31 |
| 2 in | 162 | 16.7 | 0.62 |
| 3 in | 108 | 25.0 | 0.93 |
| 4 in | 81 | 33.3 | 1.23 |
| 6 in | 54 | 50.0 | 1.85 |
| 12 in | 27 | 100.0 | 3.70 |
No allowance for waste or settling. Add 5 to 10% for most landscaping jobs.
Cubic yards, cubic feet, and cubic meters
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | Cubic meters |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 6.75 | 0.191 |
| 0.5 | 13.5 | 0.382 |
| 1 | 27 | 0.765 |
| 2 | 54 | 1.529 |
| 5 | 135 | 3.823 |
| 10 | 270 | 7.646 |
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft) and 0.764555 cubic meters.
The cubic meter figures follow from the definition of the yard as exactly 0.9144 meter, as listed in the NIST conversion tables.
Converting between cubic yards and tons
Weight depends on the material. Multiply cubic yards by the material's tons per cubic yard to get tons, or divide tons by it to get cubic yards.
| Material | Tons | Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| Pea gravel | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| River rock | 1.35 | 2,700 |
| Crusher run or road base | 1.55 | 3,100 |
| Dry sand | 1.35 | 2,700 |
| Damp sand | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| Wet sand | 1.60 | 3,200 |
| Dry topsoil | 1.10 | 2,200 |
| Typical topsoil | 1.30 | 2,600 |
| Wet or heavy topsoil | 1.45 | 2,900 |
| Mixed concrete (Quikrete, about 140 lb per cu ft) | 1.89 | 3,780 |
Gravel, sand, and topsoil are loose material as delivered, and concrete is mixed. Real weights vary with moisture and source, so use your supplier's figure when you have it.
Cubic yards and bags
Divide 27 by the cubic feet in one bag. The result rounds up to whole bags when it is not exact.
| Bag size | Bags per cu yd |
|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft | 54 |
| 0.75 cu ft | 36 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 14 (13.5 rounded up) |
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27: 100 cubic feet is 3.70 cubic yards.
How do I calculate cubic yards from length, width, and depth?
Convert everything to feet, multiply the three numbers to get cubic feet, and divide by 27. If the depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first. For a 12 ft by 10 ft area 3 inches deep, that is 12 × 10 × (3 ÷ 12) = 30 cubic feet, and 30 ÷ 27 = 1.11 cubic yards.
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 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, and 81 at 4 inches. The number 324 is 27 cubic feet times 12 inches per foot.
How many cubic yards are in a ton?
It depends on the material, because tons measure weight and cubic yards measure volume. Divide the tons by the material's tons per cubic yard. At 1.40 tons per cubic yard for crushed stone, 5 tons is 3.57 cubic yards. One ton of typical topsoil at 1.30 tons per cubic yard is 0.77 cubic yards.
How many cubic meters is a cubic yard?
One cubic yard is about 0.765 cubic meters, because a yard is exactly 0.9144 meters. NIST publishes the conversion factor. Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646 for cubic meters, or divide cubic meters by 0.7646 for cubic yards.