Calculators · Cubic Yard Calculator

Measuring

Cubic Yard Calculator

Turn length, width and height into cubic yards, or convert between cubic yards, feet, meters, liters and gallons in one step.

Part 1

Length

Width

Height or depth

Identical pieces

Extra to add (%)

Optional. Empty counts as 0%.

How to calculate cubic yards

A cubic yard is the volume of a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, so it holds 27 cubic feet. To find the cubic yards in any box-shaped space, work in feet, multiply, and divide by 27.

Step	What to do
1. Measure	Length, width and height (or depth) of the space
2. Use feet	Divide inches by 12. For example, 3 inches = 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft
3. Multiply	length × width × height = cubic feet
4. Divide by 27	cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards
Shortcut	cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324

The shortcut works because 27 cubic feet per yard times 12 inches per foot is 324. In the calculator you can pick feet, inches, yards, meters or centimeters for each measurement, or type a tape-measure reading like 10'6" or 10 ft 6 in. Use “Add another part” for a space made of several boxes, and “Identical pieces” when you have, say, four footings of the same size.

Example: two parts and 10% extra

Part 1 is 12 ft by 8 ft and 3 inches deep. Part 2 is two identical boxes, each 6 ft by 6 ft and 4 inches deep. You want to add 10% on top. These are the same figures you get if you type them into the calculator.

Step	Operation	Result
Part 1	12 × 8 × (3 ÷ 12)	24 ft³
Part 2, one box	6 × 6 × (4 ÷ 12)	12 ft³
Part 2, two boxes	12 × 2	24 ft³
Total	24 + 24	48 ft³
With 10% extra	48 × 1.10	52.8 ft³
Cubic yards	52.8 ÷ 27	1.9556 yd³
US gallons	1.9556 × 201.974	394.97 gal

Cubic yard conversion table

Every conversion here comes from the definitions of the units, not from a measurement, so the numbers are exact (rounded for display). A US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches and a liter as one thousandth of a cubic meter.

1 cubic yard equals	Value
Cubic feet	27 ft³
Cubic inches	46,656 in³
Cubic meters	0.7646 m³
Liters	764.5549 L
US gallons	201.974 gal

And the other way around, how much of a cubic yard each unit is:

1 unit	Cubic yards
1 cubic foot	0.037037
1 cubic meter	1.30795
1 liter	0.0013080
1 US gallon	0.0049511
1 cubic inch	0.0000214335

Cubic feet to cubic yards

Cubic feet	Cubic yards
5	0.185
10	0.370
25	0.926
50	1.852
100	3.704
200	7.407
500	18.519

How much does a cubic yard cover?

This is the question behind “cubic yards to square feet”. A cubic yard of anything covers 324 square feet divided by the depth in inches, because the volume is fixed and a thinner layer spreads wider.

Depth	One cubic yard covers
1 inch	324 sq ft
2 inches	162 sq ft
3 inches	108 sq ft
4 inches	81 sq ft
6 inches	54 sq ft
8 inches	40.5 sq ft
12 inches	27 sq ft

And how many cubic yards a 10 ft by 10 ft (100 sq ft) area needs at each depth:

Depth	Cubic feet	Cubic yards
2 inches	16.67	0.617
3 inches	25.00	0.926
4 inches	33.33	1.235
6 inches	50.00	1.852

If you only know the area, the square footage calculator adds up rooms and shapes for you. Then multiply by the depth.

How many cubic yards of a specific material do you need?

This page gives the volume of a space. For a particular material, use the calculator built for it. They start from the same cubic yards and then add what is specific to the material:

Concrete calculator for slabs, footings, walls, columns and steps, with bag counts.
Gravel calculator for stone and gravel, with weight as well as volume.
Mulch calculator for garden beds, with bag counts.
Topsoil calculator for lawns and raised beds, with weight, bags and a settling allowance.

For round, conical or other non-box shapes, use the cubic feet calculator and divide the result by 27, or type the answer into the “Convert units” tab.

Tips for getting the number right

Keep every measurement in the same unit. Mixing feet and inches is the most common mistake. The unit menus do the conversion for you.
Measure depth after the work is done. A 4 inch layer is 4 inches once spread, not before.
Irregular spaces. Split them into boxes, enter each one as a part and let the calculator add them.
Extra. How much to add depends on the material and the job. Type your own percentage in the “Extra to add” box, or ask your supplier what they recommend.
Ordering. Suppliers have their own minimums and rounding, so ask yours before you plan a small job. This calculator shows no prices because they change by region and supplier.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate cubic yards?

Measure the length, width and height (or depth) in feet, multiply them to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. If a measurement is in inches, divide it by 12 first. A 10 ft by 10 ft area that is 3 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.25 = 25 cubic feet, and 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cubic yards.

How much will 1 cubic yard cover?

It depends on how deep you spread it. One cubic yard covers 324 divided by the depth in inches, in square feet. That is 324 square feet at 1 inch, 108 at 3 inches, 81 at 4 inches and 54 at 6 inches.

Is 27 cubic feet equal to 1 cubic yard?

Yes. A yard is 3 feet, so a cubic yard is a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.

How do I convert cubic yards to square feet?

You cannot convert them directly, because a cubic yard measures volume and a square foot measures area. You need a depth. Square feet covered = 324 ÷ depth in inches, so 1 cubic yard spread 2 inches deep covers 162 square feet. To go the other way, cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324.

How many 40 lb bags of soil are in a cubic yard?

The pounds printed on a bag do not set its volume, because the same weight takes up a different space in different soils. Look for the volume in cubic feet on the label and divide 27 by it. A 1 cubic foot bag takes 27 bags per cubic yard, a 1.5 cubic foot bag takes 18 and a 2 cubic foot bag takes 13.5, so buy 14.

How many gallons are in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard holds about 201.97 US gallons. A US gallon is defined as 231 cubic inches and a cubic yard is 46,656 cubic inches, so 46,656 ÷ 231 = 201.974.