Cubic Yard Calculator
Use this cubic yard calculator to turn any length × width × depth into cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters and liters. Mix feet, inches, yards, meters and centimeters, add rectangles, circles and triangles, and set an optional waste allowance. It is a general volume converter, so pick a material to see tons, or enter a price per cubic yard for the cost. For bagged gravel use the gravel calculator, for concrete bags the concrete calculator, for asphalt the asphalt calculator, for sod the sod calculator, for blocks and gravel behind a wall the retaining wall calculator and for pipes the pipe volume calculator.
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Typical, varies by material and moisture. Adjust to match your supplier.
Cubic yards (cu yd)
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Cubic yards before waste
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Cubic feet (cu ft)
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Cubic meters (m³)
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Liters
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Total surface area
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Average depth
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One cubic yard covers (at this depth)
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Estimated weight
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Estimated cost
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Rectangle: length × width × depth. Circle: π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth. Triangle: base × height ÷ 2 × depth. Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27, and the waste allowance is added on top. Weights use typical US short tons per cubic yard for loose material from public landscape-supply guides (mulch 0.25, topsoil 1, fill dirt 1.25, sand 1.35, gravel 1.4, concrete 2); moisture, compaction and fines change them, so edit the density to match your supplier. The tool counts volume only: it does not allow for compaction, slope or irregular edges.
Area covered by one cubic yard
| Depth | Covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in · 2.5 cm | 324 sq ft · 30.1 m² |
| 2 in · 5.1 cm | 162 sq ft · 15.1 m² |
| 3 in · 7.6 cm | 108 sq ft · 10 m² |
| 4 in · 10.2 cm | 81 sq ft · 7.5 m² |
| 6 in · 15.2 cm | 54 sq ft · 5 m² |
| 12 in · 30.5 cm | 27 sq ft · 2.5 m² |
Gravel Calculator · Concrete Calculator Bags · Asphalt Calculator · Sod Calculator · Retaining Wall Calculator · Pipe Volume Calculator · Pool Volume Calculator · Square Footage Calculator · Topsoil Calculator · Sand Calculator
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How it works
- How do I calculate cubic yards?
- Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27, because 1 cubic yard = 3 × 3 × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. With the depth in inches use length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324. An area of 10 ft × 10 ft that is 3 in deep is 25 cubic feet, or 0.926 cubic yards.
- How much area does one cubic yard cover?
- Divide 27 by the depth in feet, or 324 by the depth in inches. One cubic yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 in, 162 sq ft at 2 in, 108 sq ft at 3 in, 81 sq ft at 4 in and 54 sq ft at 6 in. These figures ignore waste and settling.
- How do I convert cubic feet, cubic meters or liters to cubic yards?
- Divide cubic feet by 27, multiply cubic meters by 1.30795, or divide liters by 764.555. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, 0.764555 cubic meters or 764.555 liters.
- How many tons are in a cubic yard?
- It depends on the material. Typical planning values in US short tons per cubic yard are about 0.25 for mulch, 1 for topsoil, 1.25 for fill dirt, 1.35 for sand, 1.4 for gravel and 2 for concrete. Moisture changes the weight a lot, so confirm your supplier's figure.
- How much extra should I order?
- Some public landscape guides suggest adding about 5–10% for compaction and spillage. The Waste % field starts at 0 and is an allowance you choose, not a standard value. Ask your supplier how they measure a yard and whether the load settles.