Cubic Yard Calculator

Bulk materials — concrete, gravel, mulch, topsoil and sand — are ordered by the cubic yard. Enter the length and width in feet and the depth in inches (the way material depth is usually specified), and this calculator converts the volume to cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters.

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet — a cube 3 ft on each side. Depths are easy to underestimate once material compacts, so most people add 5–10% to the result before ordering.

The formula

Cu ft = Length × Width × (Depth in ÷ 12); Cu yd = Cu ft ÷ 27; Cu m = Cu ft × 0.0283168

Worked example

10 × 10 ft at 4 inches deep is 33.33 cu ft, which converts to 1.235 cu yd or 0.944 cu m.

The example is pre-loaded in the result panel — press Calculate with your own numbers to replace it.

Frequently asked questions

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

Exactly 27 — a cube 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. Dividing cubic feet by 27 is the whole conversion; there is no separate factor for different materials.

How much area does one cubic yard cover?

At 3 inches deep, one cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft; at 4 inches, about 81 sq ft; at 2 inches, about 162 sq ft. Coverage scales inversely with depth.

Why is depth entered in inches but length in feet?

Because that is how jobs are specified on site: areas in feet, material depth in inches (4 in of concrete, 3 in of mulch). The calculator handles the unit mix for you.

Category: Construction & Home calculators