Cubic Yard Calculator
A cubic yard calculator finds the volume of a space in cubic yards by multiplying length by width by depth in feet, then dividing by 27. The cubic yard is the unit bulk materials like concrete, gravel and soil are ordered in. Enter your dimensions below to get the cubic yards you need.
depth in inches; output yd3 and ft3.
- Cubic yards
- 0 yd³
- Cubic feet
- 0 ft³
Enter length, width and depth to see the volume.
Estimate only. Densities, yields and prices vary by supplier, moisture and region; confirm before ordering.
How Do You Calculate Cubic Yards?
To calculate cubic yards, multiply length by width by depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27, since one cubic yard contains 27 cubic feet. For a 10 by 10 foot area at 6 inches deep: 10 times 10 times 0.5 is 50 cubic feet, divided by 27 is about 1.85 cubic yards. The calculator handles depths entered in inches and gives the cubic yards directly.
What Materials Are Measured in Cubic Yards?
Concrete, gravel, sand, mulch, topsoil and fill dirt are all measured and sold in cubic yards. It is the standard bulk unit because delivery trucks and pricing are built around it. Whenever you are filling a volume rather than covering a surface, cubic yards is the figure you need, which is why this calculator links to all the bulk material pages.
How Many Cubic Feet Are in a Cubic Yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 times 3 times 3 equals 27. This is the conversion at the heart of bulk material estimating: calculate your volume in cubic feet, divide by 27, and you have the cubic yards to order. The calculator shows both figures so you can use whichever your supplier quotes.
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How Do You Calculate Cubic Yards?
Formula
Cubic Yards = Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Depth (ft) / 27
- Measure the length, width and depth of the space in feet.
- If the depth is in inches, divide by 12 to convert to feet (for example, 4 in / 12 = 0.33 ft).
- Multiply length by width by depth to get the volume in cubic feet.
- Divide the cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards, since one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet.
Worked example
Concrete for a 10 ft x 10 ft patio at 4 inches deep: depth = 4 / 12 = 0.33 ft; volume = 10 x 10 x 0.33 = 33 cubic feet; cubic yards = 33 / 27 = about 1.22 cubic yards. Mulch for a 10 x 10 bed at 3 inches deep: 10 x 10 x 0.25 = 25 cubic feet; 25 / 27 = about 0.93 cubic yards.
- A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet because a yard is 3 feet and 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 (it is a 3 by 3 by 3 foot cube).
- To convert cubic yards to tons for materials sold by weight, multiply by the material density (about 1.4 for gravel).
- A common mistake is forgetting to convert the depth from inches to feet before multiplying.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate cubic yards?
- Multiply length by width by depth in feet for cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 10 by 10 foot area at 6 inches deep is about 1.85 cubic yards.
- How many cubic feet in a cubic yard?
- There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, since a yard is 3 feet and 3 x 3 x 3 = 27.
- What is measured in cubic yards?
- Bulk materials like concrete, gravel, sand, mulch, topsoil and fill dirt are all ordered in cubic yards.
- Why do you divide by 27 to get cubic yards?
- Because one cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, and 3 x 3 x 3 = 27. So you divide your cubic feet by 27 to convert to cubic yards.
- How do you calculate cubic yards from square feet?
- Multiply the square footage by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For example, 100 square feet at 6 inches (0.5 ft) deep is 50 cubic feet, or about 1.85 cubic yards.