Cubic yard calculator
Cubic yard calculator: cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. To get cubic yards, multiply length × width × depth in feet and divide by 27: a 10 by 10 foot area 4 inches deep is 33.33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards. Enter your measurements below in feet, inches, yards or meters and the calculator gives cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, then converts to tons with your supplier’s weight.
Volume from measurements
Convert cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic meters
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 0.764554857984 cubic meters (exact).
How to calculate cubic yards
- Measure length, width and depth. For odd shapes, split them into rectangles and circles.
- Put everything in feet. Inches ÷ 12, yards × 3, meters × 3.2808.
- Multiply. Length × width × depth = cubic feet. For a circle, 3.1416 × radius × radius × depth.
- Divide by 27. Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards.
- Add a little extra for waste, settling or spillage, then order.
Ordering soil? The topsoil calculator adds bag counts and cost. Ordering stone? The gravel calculator handles tons and a driveway base layer, and the sand calculator does paver joints. Mulch beds and tree rings: the mulch calculator. Concrete slabs, post holes and steps: the concrete calculator. Pricing a landscaping job? Use the landscaping pricing calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
- 27. A cubic yard is a cube 1 yard on each side, and a yard is 3 feet, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
- How do I calculate cubic yards?
- Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 10 by 10 foot area 4 inches deep is 10 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 33.33 cubic feet, and 33.33 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards. Convert inches to feet first by dividing by 12.
- Why do you divide by 27 to get cubic yards?
- Because one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet (3 feet × 3 feet × 3 feet). Dividing cubic feet by 27 counts how many of those cubes fit in your volume.
- How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
- Square feet alone have no depth, so you also need how deep the material goes. Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches, divide by 12 for cubic feet, then divide by 27. 1,000 square feet at 3 inches is 1,000 × 3 ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = 9.26 cubic yards.
- How big is a cubic yard?
- A cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high: 27 cubic feet, or about 0.765 cubic meters (exactly 0.764554857984).
- Is a yard of concrete 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet?
- In volume, yes: a cubic yard of concrete, soil, gravel or mulch is 27 cubic feet, the same as a 3 by 3 by 3 foot cube, whatever shape it is poured or spread in.
- How do I convert cubic yards to tons?
- Multiply the cubic yards by the weight of one cubic yard of that material, in tons. That weight depends on the material and how wet or compacted it is, so use the figure from your supplier; the calculator does the multiplication.
- How do I convert cubic meters to cubic yards?
- Divide cubic meters by 0.764554857984, or multiply by about 1.308. To go from cubic yards to cubic meters, multiply by 0.7646.
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