Cubic Yard Calculator
The cubic yard calculator below turns any space into cubic yards, plus what it weighs in tons and what it costs, which is what suppliers actually ask you for.
From Length, Width and Depth
From Square Feet
Already measured the area? Add a depth and this gives you the yards.
Cubic Yards and Tons
Suppliers sell aggregate by weight and soil by volume, so the two get mixed up constantly. Convert either way.
What It Costs
Enter your supplier's price. Yards and tons are both accepted, because yards sell one way and aggregate the other.
Convert a Volume to Cubic Yards
Cubic yards measure volume. Plain yards measure length, and square yards measure area, they are not interchangeable.
How to use the Cubic Yard Calculator
Measure length, width and depth and mix units freely, a slab can be 20 feet long and 4 inches deep without you converting anything first. That is the From Length, Width and Depth tab, and it is the one most jobs need.
If you already know the square footage, From Square Feet saves re-measuring: add a depth and it does the rest. Convert a Volume is for a figure you already hold in cubic feet or litres and want in yards.
Picking a material does not change the volume. It adds the weight, because tons are what aggregate yards quote in and the figure nobody works out in their head. Cubic Yards and Tons converts in either direction on its own, and What It Costs takes whichever way your supplier prices, per yard or per ton, with delivery added.
Cubic Yard formula
A cubic yard is a cube one yard on each side: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. Everything follows from that.
cubic feet = length × width × depth(all in feet)cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27- From area:
cubic yards = (sq ft × depth in inches) ÷ 324 tons = cubic yards × lb per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
Coverage at common depths
One cubic yard spread at a given depth covers:
| Depth | Sq ft per cubic yard | Cubic yards per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 | 0.31 |
| 2 in | 162 | 0.62 |
| 3 in | 108 | 0.93 |
| 4 in | 81 | 1.23 |
| 6 in | 54 | 1.85 |
| 12 in | 27 | 3.70 |
The shortcut is 324 ÷ depth in inches. It works because a cubic yard is 36 one-inch slices of 9 square feet each, and 36 × 9 = 324.
Weight per cubic yard
Volume is fixed. Weight is not, a yard of bark mulch and a yard of asphalt differ by more than six times.
| Material | lb per cubic yard | Tons per yard | Yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asphalt | 3,915 | 1.96 | 0.51 |
| Concrete | 3,591 | 1.80 | 0.56 |
| Gravel / crushed stone | 2,835 | 1.42 | 0.71 |
| Pea gravel | 2,800 | 1.40 | 0.71 |
| Sand | 2,700 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| River rock | 2,700 | 1.35 | 0.74 |
| Fill dirt | 2,300 | 1.15 | 0.87 |
| Topsoil | 2,100 | 1.05 | 0.95 |
| Compost | 1,100 | 0.55 | 1.82 |
| Bark mulch | 600 | 0.30 | 3.33 |
Bags per cubic yard
Bagged material is sold in cubic feet, so this is just 27 ÷ bag size:
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft | 54 |
| 0.75 cu ft | 36 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 14 (13.5 rounded up) |
| 3 cu ft | 9 |
Past about a cubic yard, bulk delivery is normally cheaper than bags even after the delivery fee.
Worked example
A 20 ft × 10 ft patio slab at 4 inches:
- Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
- Cubic feet: 20 × 10 × 0.333 = 66.67 ft³
- Cubic yards: 66.67 ÷ 27 = 2.47 yd³
- Ready-mix is batched in quarter yards, so you would order 2.50
The same 200 sq ft at 4 inches in gravel instead: 2.47 yd³ × 2,835 lb = 7,000 lb, or 3.50 tons. At $45 a yard with 5% waste that is $116.55.
And backwards: one ton of gravel is 2,000 ÷ 2,835 = 0.71 cubic yards, which spread 3 inches deep covers about 76 square feet.
What the result means
Cubic yards are the ordering unit for bulk materials in the United States, concrete, gravel, sand, soil and mulch are all quoted per yard. Getting to that number is usually the last step before you pick up the phone.
A cubic yard is a surprisingly large amount: 27 cubic feet, roughly a washing machine and a half, and it weighs anywhere from a quarter of a ton as bark mulch to nearly two tons as asphalt.
The volume figures here are exact. The weights are estimates. A cubic yard is defined as 27 cubic feet, so nothing in that arithmetic can drift. Densities are mid-range values and move with moisture, compaction and source, wet gravel runs 15 to 20 percent heavier than dry. If you are buying by weight, ask the yard for their own tons-per-yard figure for the material they are actually loading.
Common mistakes
- Confusing cubic yards with yards. A yard is a length. A square yard is an area. A cubic yard is a volume. “Three yards of concrete” always means cubic yards, but “three yards of fabric” means length.
- Dividing by 3 instead of 27. A cubic yard is 3³ cubic feet, not 3.
- Leaving depth in inches. Four inches is 0.333 feet. Multiplying by 4 gives twelve times too much.
- Assuming a yard is a ton. It is close for topsoil and badly wrong for everything else, mulch is a third of a ton, asphalt nearly two.
- Ordering the exact figure. Most bulk materials want 5 to 10 percent on top, and ready-mix only comes in quarter-yard steps.
How much extra to order
| Job | Add | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete | 5% | Spillage and uneven subgrade; order in quarter yards |
| Decorative mulch | 5–10% | Edges and settling |
| Topsoil | 5–10% | Settles once watered; low spots |
| Gravel paths | 10–15% | Compaction and rake loss |
| Base under pavers | 10–20% | Compacts down roughly a fifth |
Typical depths
| Use | Depth |
|---|---|
| Lawn topdressing | ¼ to ½ in |
| Mulch in beds, tree rings | 2 to 3 in |
| Gravel paths, decorative stone | 3 to 4 in |
| Concrete patio or walkway slab | 4 in |
| Gravel base under pavers | 4 to 6 in |
| Driveway base | 8 to 12 in |
| Playground loose fill | 9 to 12 in |
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Twenty-seven. A cubic yard is a cube three feet on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. It is the one number worth memorising for bulk materials.
How many cubic yards are in a ton?
It depends on the material, and there is no single answer. A ton of gravel is about 0.71 cubic yards, sand 0.74, topsoil 0.95, concrete 0.56 and bark mulch 3.33. Divide 2,000 by the material’s pounds per cubic yard. The Tons tab does it either direction.
How much does a cubic yard cost?
It varies by material, region and how much you order, so use your own supplier’s price in the Cost tab rather than any figure quoted online. What matters is matching the unit: aggregate is usually priced per ton and soil and mulch per cubic yard, and converting between them is where the surprise comes from.
How do I calculate cubic yards from square feet?
Multiply the square footage by the depth in inches, then divide by 324. So 200 sq ft at 4 inches is 200 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.47 cubic yards. The 324 comes from 27 cubic feet × 12 inches.
Is a cubic yard the same as a yard?
No. A yard measures length, a square yard measures area and a cubic yard measures volume. When a supplier quotes “yards” of concrete, gravel or soil they mean cubic yards, the confusion mostly comes from that shorthand.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
Bark mulch about 600 lb, compost 1,100, topsoil 2,100, sand and river rock 2,700, gravel 2,835, concrete 3,591 and asphalt 3,915. Volume is fixed; weight is not. Wet material runs noticeably heavier than the same material dry.
How many bags make a cubic yard?
Fifty-four bags at 0.5 cubic feet, 36 at 0.75, 27 at 1 cubic foot, 18 at 1.5 and 14 at 2 cubic feet. Past roughly one cubic yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper than bagged even with the delivery fee.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3, 81 at 4, 54 at 6 and 27 at a foot. The shortcut is 324 divided by the depth in inches.
How many cubic yards does a truck hold?
A full ready-mix truck carries about 8 to 10 cubic yards. Dump trucks for landscape material vary widely, from around 5 yards for a small one to 15 or more. Ask your supplier, it decides whether you pay for one delivery or two.
Sources and assumptions
The volume arithmetic on this page is exact. A cubic yard is defined as 27 cubic feet, and the conversions between cubic inches, feet, yards, meters, liters and gallons are exact definitions rather than measurements.
Densities are mid-range values from aggregate and landscape supply charts: concrete at 133 lb/ft³ and asphalt at 145 lb/ft³ are standard trade figures, and the loose materials fall in the usual published bands. They are printed above so the arithmetic can be checked rather than taken on trust.
Weight is an estimate and volume is not. Moisture, compaction and source all move density, so confirm tonnage with your supplier before ordering by weight.