Enter the length, width and depth of your area, or the square footage if you already know it, and get the volume in cubic yards. You can also work backwards to see how much area a load will cover.
What this volume weighs
Weights are typical for dry, loose material and fresh concrete. Use the cubic yards to tons calculator for other materials.
How to use the cubic yard calculator
- Rectangle: enter the length and width in feet, then the depth.
- Circle: enter the diameter, then the depth.
- I know the area: enter square feet or square yards, then the depth. This is the quickest way to turn square feet into cubic yards.
- Coverage: enter the cubic yards you have and the depth, and see how many square feet they will cover.
Choose inches, feet or yards for the depth. Most landscaping depths are in inches, while excavation is often measured in feet.
Cubic yard formula
- Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
- With the depth in inches: length × width × depth (in) ÷ 324
- From square feet: square feet × depth (in) ÷ 324
- From square yards: square yards × depth (in) ÷ 36
- Area covered: cubic yards × 324 ÷ depth (in)
The number 27 comes from 3 × 3 × 3: a cubic yard is a cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep.
Worked examples
- A 20 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 inches deep: 20 × 10 × 3 ÷ 324 = 1.85 cubic yards.
- 500 square feet, 4 inches deep: 500 × 4 ÷ 324 = 6.17 cubic yards.
- 5 cubic yards spread 3 inches deep: 5 × 324 ÷ 3 = 540 square feet.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
What does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. The calculator shows the weight of your volume for a few common ones:
| Material | Weight of 1 cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Gravel (#57 crushed stone) | about 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) |
| Sand | about 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) |
| Topsoil | about 1.10 tons (2,200 lb) |
| Fresh concrete | about 2 tons (4,050 lb) |
For other materials, use the cubic yards to tons calculator.
Unit conversions
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 46,656 cubic inches
- 1 cubic yard = 0.765 cubic metres
- 1 cubic metre = 1.31 cubic yards
Calculators for specific materials
If you’re buying a particular material, these calculators add the right weight, depth and bag size: gravel, topsoil, mulch and concrete.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, and divide by 27. If the depth is in inches, multiply length × width × depth and divide by 324.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches, then divide by 324. For example, 300 square feet at 2 inches deep is 300 × 2 ÷ 324 = 1.85 cubic yards.
How many square feet are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is a volume and a square foot is an area, so it depends on the depth. At 3 inches deep, a cubic yard covers 108 square feet; at 2 inches, 162 square feet.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet, because a cubic yard is 3 feet × 3 feet × 3 feet.
How big is a cubic yard?
A cube 3 feet on each side. A full-size pickup bed usually holds around 2 cubic yards of light material, but heavy material like gravel can overload a pickup long before the bed is full, so check your truck’s payload.
Results are exact for the measurements you enter. Weights are typical values. See How We Calculate for the formulas and values we use.