Cubic yard calculator
This cubic yard calculator turns the length, width and depth of an area into cubic yards, the unit landscape yards and ready-mix plants sell by. It works for soil, mulch, gravel, sand and concrete, and shows cubic feet and cubic meters too.
- Rectangle, circle, triangle or known square feet
- Depth in inches or feet
- Cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters
Last updated
How to use the cubic yard calculator
- Pick the shape of the area: rectangle, circle, triangle, or enter the square feet if you already know them.
- Enter the measurements in feet. For an odd shape, split it into pieces, work out each one and add the yards together.
- Enter the depth and choose inches or feet. Most beds, paths and slabs are measured in inches.
- Add extra if you want a margin for settling, uneven ground or spills, then read cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters.
How to calculate cubic yards
A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. Find the volume in cubic feet, then divide by 27.
cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
If the depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first. A shortcut that does both steps: square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324 = cubic yards.
Areas for the other shapes: a circle is 3.1416 × (diameter ÷ 2)², and a triangle is base × height ÷ 2. One cubic yard is 0.7646 cubic meters.
Worked example
A 12 × 10 ft area filled 4 inches deep.
- Area: 12 × 10 = 120 square feet.
- Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
- Cubic feet: 120 × 0.333 = 40 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 cubic yards, or 1.13 cubic meters.
Most suppliers sell in half or whole yards, so you would order 1.5 yards. Check with the shortcut: 120 × 4 ÷ 324 = 1.48.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 81 square feet at 4 inches and 27 square feet at 12 inches. To get the coverage for any depth, divide 324 by the depth in inches. The table works for any loose material or concrete, because it is only volume.
| Depth | Square feet per cubic yard | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 | Topdressing a lawn with compost or soil |
| 2 in | 162 | Refreshing mulch, decorative stone |
| 3 in | 108 | New mulch beds, gravel paths |
| 4 in | 81 | Patio and sidewalk slabs, gravel base |
| 6 in | 54 | Driveway slabs, raised bed fill |
| 8 in | 40.5 | Deeper raised beds |
| 12 in | 27 | Filling holes, 1 ft of fill |
From cubic yards to what you buy
Cubic yards are the starting point. What you order depends on the material:
- Mulch and soil come in bulk by the yard or in bags of 2 or 3 cubic feet. One yard is 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet. The mulch calculator counts bags for you.
- Gravel and sand are often sold by the ton. Multiply yards by the stone’s weight per yard, which the gravel calculator does with an editable density.
- Concrete is sold by the yard from a ready-mix truck, or in 40, 60 and 80 lb bags. The concrete calculator converts yards to bags.
Not sure of the area? Measure odd shapes piece by piece in the square footage calculator, then enter the total here.
Common questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, then divide by 27. A 12 × 10 ft area 4 inches deep is 12 × 10 × 0.333 = 40 cubic feet, and 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a cubic yard is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high. A cubic yard is also 0.7646 cubic meters.
How many cubic yards do I need for a 10x10 area?
A 10 × 10 ft area is 100 square feet. At 3 inches deep that is 100 × 3 ÷ 324 = 0.93 cubic yards. At 4 inches it is 1.23 cubic yards, and at 6 inches it is 1.85 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. Bark mulch is light, while gravel and sand weigh more than a ton per cubic yard: the gravel calculator starts from 1.28 to 1.62 tons per cubic yard for common stone and sand. Ask your supplier for the weight of their product before loading a truck or trailer.
Should I order extra?
A small margin helps. Ground is rarely flat, loose material settles, and a little gets spilled. Adding 5 to 10% is a common margin, and running short on a concrete pour costs more than a little leftover.
Sources
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement. 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 0.764 554 857 984 cubic meter. Last checked 5 November 2026
See the methodology page for how YardageHQ builds and checks its calculators.