Cubic Yards Calculator
Work out cubic yards for any area — then see what it weighs, how many truckloads it fills, and what it costs.
Your area
Measure straight across the widest point.
Height is measured square to the base, not along a sloping side.
The band running all the way around the inner shape.
= 0.333 ft · 101.6 mm
Sets the weight and tonnage.
Everything is calculated in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or stored.
How it’s delivered
Under 1 yard — bag it or collect
Truckloads
0.2
Standard dump truck (12 yd³)
Weight & tonnage
—
Pick a material to see weight
The short answer
Multiply length × width × depth with all three in feet, then divide by 27. That 27 is the key number: a cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on every side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. If your depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first. A 10 × 12 ft area at 4 inches deep works out to 1.48 cubic yards.
Cubic yard conversions
| 1 cubic yard equals | Value |
|---|---|
| Cubic feet | 27 |
| Cubic inches | 46,656 |
| Cubic metres | 0.765 |
| Litres | 764.6 |
| US gallons | 202 |
| Wheelbarrow loads (3 cu ft) | 9 |
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard spread over a surface — the thinner you spread it, the further it goes.
| Depth | Coverage | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | Top dressing a lawn |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | Light mulch layer |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | Standard mulch depth |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | Slab, gravel base |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | Driveway base, deep beds |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft | Raised beds, deep fill |
What does a cubic yard weigh?
This is where people get caught out. A cubic yard is a fixed volume, but its weight changes completely with the material. Mulch is light enough for a pickup; the same volume of concrete is over two tons.
| Material | Weight per yd³ | Tons per yd³ | Yd³ per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood mulch | 800 lb | 0.40 | 2.50 |
| Compost | 1,000 lb | 0.50 | 2.00 |
| Topsoil | 2,200 lb | 1.10 | 0.91 |
| Fill dirt | 2,000 lb | 1.00 | 1.00 |
| Sand (dry) | 2,600 lb | 1.30 | 0.77 |
| Crushed stone | 2,700 lb | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Limestone | 2,700 lb | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Gravel | 2,800 lb | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Pea gravel | 2,800 lb | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Asphalt | 3,900 lb | 1.95 | 0.51 |
| Concrete | 4,050 lb | 2.03 | 0.49 |
Figures are for dry material. Wet soil, sand and gravel can weigh appreciably more, so allow extra margin if it has been raining.
How to calculate cubic yards
- Measure the area. Length and width in feet, depth in inches.
- Convert the depth to feet. Divide inches by 12. Four inches is 0.333 ft.
- Multiply for cubic feet. Length × width × depth, all in feet.
- Divide by 27. That converts cubic feet to cubic yards.
- Add waste and round up. Suppliers sell in quarter or half yards.
Round areas: use π × radius² for the area, then multiply by depth. Triangles: use ½ × base × height. The calculator above handles all of them.
Worked example
A 10 × 12 ft patio base, 4 inches deep, in gravel:
- Area10 × 12 = 120 sq ft
- Depth in feet4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
- Cubic feet120 × 0.333 = 40 cu ft
- Cubic yards40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 yd³
- Plus 10% waste1.63 yd³
- Order1.75 yd³ ≈ 2.3 tons
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to convert inches to feetThe single most common error. Depth is almost always given in inches while length and width are in feet. Divide by 12 before multiplying.
- Dividing by 3 instead of 27A cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet, not 3. This mistake makes your order nine times too big.
- Assuming a cubic yard is a fixed weightIt is a fixed volume. A yard of mulch weighs 800 lb; a yard of concrete weighs 4,050 lb. Suppliers who sell by the ton need the weight, not the volume.
- Ordering the exact numberGround is never level, and material compacts. Add 5–10% and round up to the supplier’s increment.
- Overloading a pickupA half-ton pickup can carry roughly one cubic yard of gravel or soil — but two to three yards of mulch. Weight is the limit, not space.
What this calculator assumes
- Uniform depth across the whole area
- Standard material densities as listed above, measured dry
- A dump truck capacity of 12 cubic yards, a pickup of 1 yard for heavy material, and a wheelbarrow of 3 cubic feet
- Ready-mix and bulk material rounded up to quarter-yard increments
- No compaction factor — gravel and soil settle, so consider adding extra for compacted depth
- Prices are whatever you enter; they are not live market rates
Common questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth with everything in feet, then divide by 27. If the depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. Concrete is about 4,050 lb, gravel about 2,800 lb, topsoil about 2,200 lb, and wood mulch only about 800 lb.
How many cubic yards are in a ton?
For gravel, roughly 0.71 yd³ per ton. It changes for every material, because it depends entirely on density. See the weight table above.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
About 324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, 108 sq ft at 3 inches, and 81 sq ft at 4 inches.
How many cubic yards fit in a pickup truck?
Roughly 2–3 yd³ of mulch, but only about 1 yd³ of gravel or soil. Weight becomes the limit long before the bed is full.
How many cubic yards does a dump truck hold?
A standard dump truck holds about 10–14 yd³. Smaller trucks carry 6–8 yd³.
Should I round cubic yards up or down?
Always up. Suppliers sell in quarter or half yard increments, and coming up short mid-job costs far more than a small surplus.
How many cubic yards is a 10×10 area at 4 inches deep?
About 1.24 yd³. The area is 100 sq ft, 4 inches is 0.333 ft, giving 33.3 cu ft, which divided by 27 is 1.23 yd³.
What is a cubic yard in metric?
About 0.765 cubic metres. Going the other way, one cubic metre is about 1.31 cubic yards.
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Volume Estimate
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materialcalculate.com/cubic-yards-calculator/
Project
| Shape | — |
| Dimensions | — |
| Depth | — |
| Area | — |
| Waste allowance | — |
Volume (incl. waste)
| Cubic yards | — |
| Cubic feet | — |
| Cubic metres | — |
| Order (rounded up) | — |
Material
| Material | — |
| Weight | — |
| Tons | — |
| Dump truck loads | — |
| Estimated cost | — |
Notes
Estimate generated by materialcalculate.com. Assumes uniform depth and standard dry material densities. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.