# Cubic Yard Calculator

> Convert any box or cylinder to cubic yards — the unit used for concrete, soil, mulch, gravel and sand deliveries. Pick a material to see its approximate weight too.

**Quick answer:** To calculate cubic yards, multiply length × width × height in feet and divide by 27. For example, 10 ft × 10 ft × 0.5 ft = 50 cubic feet = 1.85 cubic yards. One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet or 0.7646 cubic meters.

_Last updated: October 4, 2026. Estimates only; confirm quantities with your supplier._

## What is a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is the volume of a cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high — **27 cubic feet**. It is the standard unit for bulk concrete, topsoil, mulch, sand and gravel deliveries.

```
box: cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × height (ft) ÷ 27
cylinder: cubic yards = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height (ft) ÷ 27
```

Use any unit above — the calculator converts everything to feet first. If you measure in inches, divide the total cubic inches by **46,656** (the number of cubic inches in a cubic yard).

### Cubic yards for common depths

Cubic yards needed per 100 square feet of area at each depth:

| Depth | Cubic yards per 100 sq ft | Sq ft covered by 1 yd³ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 in | 0.31 | 324 |
| 2 in | 0.62 | 162 |
| 3 in | 0.93 | 108 |
| 4 in | 1.23 | 81 |
| 6 in | 1.85 | 54 |
| 12 in | 3.70 | 27 |

### Volume formulas for other shapes

| Shape | Volume |
| --- | --- |
| Box | length × width × height |
| Cylinder | π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height |
| Cone | ⅓ × π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × height |
| Pyramid | ⅓ × length × width × height |
| Hemisphere | ⅔ × π × (diameter ÷ 2)³ |
| Hollow cylinder (pipe, ring) | π × (outer radius² − inner radius²) × length |

Piles of loose material such as a mound of soil or gravel are best treated as a cone: measure the base diameter and the height, then use the cone option.

### Worked examples

**Garden bed:** a 30 × 20 ft bed topped with 3 inches (0.25 ft) of compost holds 30 × 20 × 0.25 = 150 cubic feet, which is 150 ÷ 27 = **5.56 cubic yards**.

**Round pond or pit:** a circular hole 12 ft across and 2 ft deep has π × 6² × 2 = 226 cubic feet, or **8.38 cubic yards** of soil to haul away.

**Gravel pile:** a conical pile 8 ft across and 3 ft tall holds ⅓ × π × 4² × 3 = 50.3 cubic feet, about **1.86 cubic yards**.

### Which material needs which conversion?

Sellers quote different units for different materials, which is why the same yard of material can be priced three ways:

- **Concrete** is priced per cubic yard (ready-mix) or per bag (premix) — see the [concrete calculator](../concrete-calculator/).
- **Gravel and sand** are priced per ton or per cubic yard.
- **Mulch and topsoil** are priced per cubic yard in bulk, or per cubic foot in bags.

### Quick reference

| Unit | Equals |
| --- | --- |
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet |
| 1 cubic yard | 0.7646 cubic meters |
| 1 cubic yard | 201.97 US gallons |
| 1 cubic meter | 1.3080 cubic yards |
| 1 cubic yard | 46,656 cubic inches |

### Cubic yards to tons

Weight depends on the material: topsoil about 1.1 tons per yard, gravel about 1.4, dry sand about 1.3, concrete about 2, and shredded mulch only about half a ton. Pick a material in the menu above for an estimate, or use the dedicated [gravel](../gravel-calculator/), [sand](../sand-calculator/) or [topsoil](../topsoil-calculator/) calculators.

### Cubic yards for common projects

| Project | Size | Cubic yards |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Concrete patio slab | 10 × 10 ft, 4 in | 1.23 |
| Mulch bed | 10 × 10 ft, 3 in | 0.93 |
| Gravel walkway | 3 × 30 ft, 4 in | 1.11 |
| Raised bed (soil) | 4 × 8 ft, 12 in | 1.19 |
| Topsoil for a small lawn | 25 × 40 ft, 4 in | 12.35 |
| Driveway base | 12 × 40 ft, 6 in | 8.89 |

### Cubic yards to bags

| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard |
| --- | --- |
| 0.5 cu ft | 54.0 |
| 0.75 cu ft | 36.0 |
| 1 cu ft | 27.0 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18.0 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 |
| 3 cu ft | 9.0 |

Round up to whole bags. For concrete, bag size is the 80-lb, 60-lb or 40-lb mix, which yields about 0.60, 0.45 or 0.30 cubic feet; see the [concrete calculator](../concrete-calculator/).

### Common conversion mistakes

- Dividing by 3 instead of 27. A cubic yard is 3 feet in three directions.
- Treating square yards as cubic yards. A square yard has no depth.
- Forgetting to convert inches to feet before multiplying.
- Ordering the exact amount. Add a waste or compaction allowance suited to the material.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I calculate cubic yards?

Multiply length × width × height in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. If depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first.

### How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

27 cubic feet (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft).

### How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?

Divide the number of cubic feet by 27. For example, 54 cubic feet is 2 cubic yards.

### How many cubic yards is a dump truck?

A single-axle dump truck holds about 5–6 cubic yards; a tandem-axle truck holds 10–14 cubic yards.

### How many cubic yards are in a ton?

It depends on the material. A ton of gravel is roughly 0.7 cubic yards; a ton of dry sand about 0.77; a ton of topsoil about 0.9. Use the material menu above.

### How many cubic yards of dirt do I need?

Multiply the area (sq ft) by the depth (ft) and divide by 27. For example, 1,000 sq ft at 4 inches deep is 12.3 cubic yards.

### How do I convert inches to cubic yards?

Choose Inches in the unit menu and enter all three dimensions in inches. The calculator divides by 46,656 internally.

### How many wheelbarrows are in a cubic yard?

A standard 6 cu ft wheelbarrow holds about a quarter yard when level, so a cubic yard is roughly 4–5 full loads.

## Sources and further reading

- [NIST Special Publication 811: conversion factors](https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors) — National Institute of Standards and Technology