Cubic Yard Calculator
Area 1
Sample shape, not to scale.
Area __n__
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No result yet. Enter length, width and height.
Price
Optional. The cost is the cu yd figure, rounded up to 0.01, times your price.
How this is calculated
How to calculate cubic yards
A cubic yard is a cube three feet on every side. Loose material that arrives by truck, such as soil, mulch, gravel and ready-mix concrete, is priced and delivered by the cubic yard, so this is the figure a supplier will ask you for.
Find the volume in cubic feet, then divide by 27:
- Box-shaped space: length × width × height ÷ 27.
- Round space: π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height ÷ 27.
Height here is the depth of the layer you are filling or digging out. Most layers are a few inches deep, and a depth typed as feet instead of inches is the mistake that turns a 2 yard order into 25.
Examples
Driveway base, 6 in deep: 20 ft × 10 ft × 6 in
- Area: 20 ft × 10 ft = 200 sq ft = 18.58 m²
- Volume: 200 sq ft × 6 in = 100.0 cu ft = 3.70 cu yd
3.70 cu yd. Cubic feet: 100.0 cu ft. Cubic meters: 2.832 m³.
Two raised beds: Area 1: 8 ft × 4 ft × 1 ft; Area 2: 8 ft × 4 ft × 1 ft
- Area 1: 8 ft × 4 ft = 32 sq ft = 2.97 m²
- Area 1 volume: 32 sq ft × 1 ft = 32.0 cu ft = 1.19 cu yd
- Area 2: 8 ft × 4 ft = 32 sq ft = 2.97 m²
- Area 2 volume: 32 sq ft × 1 ft = 32.0 cu ft = 1.19 cu yd
- Total volume: 32.0 cu ft + 32.0 cu ft = 64.0 cu ft = 2.37 cu yd
2.37 cu yd 2 areas added. Cubic feet: 64.0 cu ft. Cubic meters: 1.812 m³.
Round play area, 1 ft deep: 12 ft × 1 ft
- Area: π × (12 ft ÷ 2)² = 113.1 sq ft = 10.51 m²
- Volume: π × (12 ft ÷ 2)² × 1 ft = 113.1 cu ft = 4.19 cu yd
4.19 cu yd. Cubic feet: 113.1 cu ft. Cubic meters: 3.203 m³.
Cubic yards for common areas and depths
| Shape and size | Cubic yards | Cubic feet | Cubic meters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box: 10 ft × 10 ft × 3 in | 0.93 cu yd | 25.0 cu ft | 0.708 m³ |
| Box: 10 ft × 10 ft × 6 in | 1.85 cu yd | 50.0 cu ft | 1.416 m³ |
| Box: 20 ft × 10 ft × 4 in | 2.47 cu yd | 66.7 cu ft | 1.888 m³ |
| Box: 40 ft × 12 ft × 4 in | 5.93 cu yd | 160.0 cu ft | 4.531 m³ |
| Box: 20 ft × 20 ft × 6 in | 7.41 cu yd | 200.0 cu ft | 5.663 m³ |
| Cylinder: 10 ft × 6 in | 1.45 cu yd | 39.3 cu ft | 1.112 m³ |
Questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Exactly 27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft high, and 3 × 3 × 3 is 27.
How much ground does one cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard spread 1 in deep covers 324 sq ft, because 27 cu ft is 324 slices one inch thick. Divide 324 by the depth in inches for other depths. That is 108 sq ft at 3 in and 81 sq ft at 4 in.
Should I round the number up when I order?
The result is the measured volume to two decimals with nothing added. Suppliers sell in their own steps, often halves or whole yards, so ask yours and order the next step above your figure.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends entirely on the material. The gravel calculator converts cubic yards of gravel, crushed stone or sand to tons and shows the density it used.
The layer is only a few inches deep. Where do I put that?
In the inches box of the height field, with the feet box left empty. A 4 in layer entered as 4 ft gives an order twelve times too big.
Is loosened soil the same volume as soil in the ground?
No, dug soil takes up more room than it did in the ground. None of the sources this site relies on gives a figure for how much, so the calculator reports the measured space and leaves that allowance to you.
Can it work out the cost of a delivery?
Enter the supplier's price per cubic yard under Price. The cubic yards are rounded up to the next 0.01 and multiplied by that price. Delivery fees and minimum loads are not included, so ask the supplier about those.
Related tools
Sources
Length × width × depth and the cylinder formula are plain geometry with no publisher behind them. What is sourced is the unit itself. NIST states that one cubic yard is exactly 27 cubic feet and that one foot is exactly 0.3048 m.
- NIST Handbook 44 (2024), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement, accessed October 8, 2026
- NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.9, conversion factors listed by kind of quantity, accessed October 8, 2026
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026