Cubic Yard Calculator

How to calculate cubic yards

For a rectangular area, cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × depth in inches ÷ 324. With depth already in feet, divide by 27 instead.

Measure the length and width of your area. Measure depth separately, keeping the unit with each number. For a triangle, use the perpendicular height; for a circle, measure the full diameter.

Divide an inch depth by 12 before using this formula. For irregular spaces, split the footprint into rectangles, circles, or triangles and add each area above. Avoid overlaps.

Cubic yard coverage by depth

One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, before waste. Divide 324 by the depth in inches to find coverage at another depth.

Level, uniform depth. Before waste or compaction.

Cubic yard calculation examples

Garden bed · 10 × 10 ft, 3 in deep
10 × 10 × (3 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 0.93 yd³. With 10% extra, the unrounded calculation gives 1.02 yd³.

Slab · 12 × 12 ft, 4 in thick
12 × 12 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 1.78 yd³ before waste.

Base · 20 × 10 ft, 6 in deep
20 × 10 × (6 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 3.70 yd³ before waste. Use the specified finished depth.

Waste, compaction & rounding

The calculator starts with a 10% planning allowance. Change it to match your project and supplier advice. Waste is an added volume; it is not an automatic compaction conversion.

All calculations retain their full precision. Displayed volumes use up to two decimals. Confirm the supplier’s order increments and round up only when placing the order.

Bags per cubic yard

One yard is 27 ft³: buy 14 two-cubic-foot bags or 9 three-cubic-foot bags before extra allowance. Concrete bags must use their stated mixed yield.

What the calculator results mean

Base volume is the measured space before any allowance. Order volume includes the waste percentage you entered. Cubic feet and cubic meters are the same order volume shown in different units, so you can compare them with a supplier quote without recalculating the project.

Weight appears only after you choose a material and density. Bag count appears only after you enter the mixed volume or coverage stated on the bag. Cost uses the unrounded volume or weight and excludes delivery, tax, minimum-order fees, and equipment.

Measuring irregular project areas

Sketch the footprint first and divide it into rectangles, circles, or triangles that do not overlap. Enter each section as a separate area. For curved borders, a few smaller sections are usually more reliable than treating the entire project as one oversized rectangle.

Check depth in several places when the ground is uneven. Use the finished material depth required by the project, and keep the unit attached to every measurement. The identical-area quantity is for repeated sections with the same dimensions; different sizes should be entered separately.

Before you place a material order

Confirm the material name, grading, moisture condition, density, and the unit used for pricing. Ask about the smallest order, rounding increments, delivery charge, truck capacity, load limits, and access to the unloading point. A supplier may sell by cubic yard, ton, bag, pallet, or full truckload.

Keep the base calculation and the added allowance visible when you request a quote. That makes it easier to adjust the order if the supplier recommends a different density, compaction factor, or waste percentage. Round once at the end to the supplier’s actual order increment.

Converting square feet to cubic yards

Square footage describes surface area, so it cannot determine a material quantity until you add depth. Multiply square feet by depth in inches, then divide by 324 to get cubic yards. For example, 500 square feet at 2 inches deep is 500 × 2 ÷ 324, or 3.09 yd³ before an allowance.

If you already know cubic feet, divide by 27. To convert cubic meters to cubic yards, multiply by about 1.308. Keep the original measurements in the calculator whenever possible because it converts each dimension before adding the areas. This avoids rounding an intermediate square-foot or cubic-foot result too early.

Match the estimate to how material is sold

Landscape suppliers often quote mulch, soil, and some gravel by the cubic yard. Quarries may quote stone and sand by the US short ton. Concrete can arrive by ready-mix truck or as bags with a stated mixed yield. Asphalt is normally planned by weight after the paved volume is converted using the mix density.

Select a material only when you need an estimated weight. Replace the default density with the supplier’s value when they provide one, especially for moisture-sensitive or graded products. Enter a bag volume rather than the dry bag weight, and use the separate gravel, asphalt, or concrete slab calculator when you need material-specific truckload or bag results.