Landscape yards, quarries and ready-mix plants sell bulk material by the cubic yard, but most of us measure our projects in feet and inches. This cubic yard calculator does the conversion for you: enter the length and width of the area and how deep you want the material, and it returns the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, with an allowance for waste and an optional cost estimate.
A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. That single fact is behind every conversion on this page. The calculator works for any loose or poured material; if you know the material, the dedicated pages add the right density and bag sizes — try the gravel calculator, mulch calculator, topsoil calculator or concrete slab calculator.
How to use the cubic yard calculator
- Choose the shape of the area. Use Rectangle for beds, slabs, driveways and lawns; use Circle for tree rings and round patios.
- Enter the length and width (or the diameter). Each field has its own unit menu, so you can mix feet, inches, yards and meters — the calculator converts the number for you when you switch units.
- Enter the depth. Depth is usually measured in inches; 3 inches is 0.25 ft.
- Add an allowance for waste, spillage and settling. 5–10% is typical for most bulk materials.
- Optionally enter a price per cubic yard to see the material cost. Results update instantly as you type.
Formula
For a rectangle:
For a circle, replace length × width with the area of the circle:
Then add waste: Order = Volume × (1 + Waste% ÷ 100).
The unit conversions used are exact definitions published by NIST: 1 ft = 12 in, 1 yd = 3 ft, 1 in = 2.54 cm, so 1 m ≈ 3.28084 ft and 1 yd³ ≈ 0.764555 m³.
Worked example
You want to cover a 12 ft × 10 ft area 4 inches deep.
- Convert depth to feet: 4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
- Area: 12 × 10 = 120 ft².
- Volume: 120 × 0.333 = 40 ft³.
- Cubic yards: 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 yd³.
- With 5% extra: 1.48 × 1.05 = 1.56 yd³, so you would order 1.5–2 yards depending on how your supplier sells it.
Quick reference: area covered by one cubic yard
| Depth | Coverage of 1 yd³ |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 ft² |
| 2 inches | 162 ft² |
| 3 inches | 108 ft² |
| 4 inches | 81 ft² |
| 6 inches | 54 ft² |
| 12 inches | 27 ft² |
Each figure is simply 324 ÷ depth in inches, because 27 ft³ × 12 in/ft = 324 ft²·in.
Caveats and assumptions
- Measure in several places. Real beds and slabs are rarely perfect rectangles; average a few length and width readings, or split an L-shaped area into rectangles and add the results.
- Loose materials compact. Gravel and soil settle after spreading and tamping, so many suppliers recommend ordering 10–15% extra. Use the waste field for this.
- Suppliers often sell in half- or whole-yard increments and may have a delivery minimum. Round up to the nearest increment they offer.
- Weight depends on the material. A cubic yard of mulch may weigh a few hundred pounds while a cubic yard of gravel weighs well over a ton; check your vehicle or trailer limit before picking up.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are exactly 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Square feet measure area, so you also need a depth. Multiply square feet by depth in feet (inches ÷ 12), then divide by 27. For example, 300 ft² at 3 inches is 300 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 2.78 yd³.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
Divide 324 by the depth in inches. At 3 inches deep, one cubic yard covers 108 square feet; at 2 inches it covers 162 square feet.
How do I calculate cubic yards for a circle?
Choose Circle, enter the diameter and depth. The calculator uses π × radius² for the area, multiplies by depth in feet and divides by 27.
What is a cubic yard in cubic meters?
One cubic yard is about 0.7646 cubic meters, and one cubic meter is about 1.308 cubic yards.
Sources
- NIST — Unit Conversion (U.S. customary and metric) — definitions of the foot, yard and inch
- NIST Special Publication 811 — Guide for the Use of the SI — conversion factors, including cubic yard to cubic meter
This calculator gives estimates for planning and education. Check measurements, local codes, supplier specs and your school's official policy before relying on a result. See our disclaimer and how we build and check calculators.