Cubic Yard Calculator

How to use this calculator

1. Enter length and width in feet (or meters) and depth in inches (or centimeters).
2. For several identical areas, set the count under Advanced.
3. Take the cubic-yard figure to your supplier, or send it to the mulch, gravel or concrete calculators for bags and tonnage.

Method & assumptions

Cubic feet = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12
Cubic yards = Cubic feet ÷ 27
Cubic meters = Length (m) × Width (m) × Depth (cm) ÷ 100

Cubic yard

3 × 3 × 3 ft = 27 cu ft

Cubic meter

1.308 cu yd

Assumptions & limits

• No waste or compaction allowance — add it in the material-specific calculators.

Rounding: purchase quantities are always rounded up to whole bags, boxes, sheets or bundles. See our methodology.

Worked examples

In depth: cubic yards planning notes

Getting the units right

A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side — 27 cubic feet, or about 0.765 cubic meters. Volume is length × width × depth, but in practice length and width are measured in feet while depth is in inches, so the depth must be divided by 12 before multiplying. Then divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Forgetting either step is the most common mistake in hand calculations, and it is easy to be off by a factor of 12 or 27.

In metric, the arithmetic is simpler: meters × meters × meters gives cubic meters directly, with depth converted from centimeters by dividing by 100. One cubic meter is about 1.31 cubic yards.

From volume to an order

Bulk materials are sold by volume or by weight. Mulch, topsoil and compost are usually sold by the cubic yard or cubic meter; gravel and sand are more often sold by weight, so you need a density to convert. Ready-mix concrete is ordered by the cubic yard or cubic meter, usually in quarter-yard or 0.2 m³ steps. For each of these, our dedicated calculators add the right waste and settling allowances and give bag counts.

For irregular areas, split the shape into rectangles and triangles and add the volumes, or measure the depth in several places and use the average. For circular areas such as tree rings and round slabs, area is π × radius².

Remember that loose materials settle and compact. Topsoil may settle 10–20%, crushed stone compacts 15–20% under a plate compactor, and mulch packs down after rain. Ordering exactly the calculated volume usually leaves you a little short.

Checking a quote or a delivery

Suppliers quote in different units, and converting them to one is the quickest way to compare. A landscaper may quote "6 yards" of mulch, a garden center may sell 60 L bags, and an aggregate yard may quote tonnes. Turn each into cubic meters or cubic yards with this calculator and the dedicated material pages, then compare price per unit volume.

When a load arrives, you can sanity-check it. A level heap is roughly a cone or a ridge; a rough estimate of its volume is one-third of the base area times its height for a cone. If 3 cubic yards of soil arrive as a pile 2 ft high and 10 ft across, π × 5² × 2 ÷ 3 is about 52 cu ft — under 2 cubic yards — and worth a polite question.

Tips & common mistakes

• Convert depth from inches to feet (÷ 12) before multiplying — the most common mistake.
• Suppliers often sell in ½ or ¼ yard increments — round up.
• Check the weight, not just the volume, before hauling in your own vehicle.

Sources

1. NIST – Handbook 44 / SP 811 unit conversions — checked 2026-10; verify before launch
2. UK National Physical Laboratory – units — checked 2026-10; verify before launch
3. NSSGA – aggregates basics — checked 2026-10; verify before launch

Default values (bag yields, coverage rates, densities) are typical figures from manufacturer literature. Always check the label on the product you buy.

Cite or embed this calculator

DIYCalcLab. “Cubic Yard Calculator.” Oct 18, 2026. https://diycalclab.com/conversions/cubic-yard-calculator/

An embeddable version for blogs and contractor sites is planned.