Cubic Yard Calculator
Convert any length × width × depth to cubic yards
Need to order any bulk material by the yard? Enter your length, width and depth to convert the volume into cubic yards and cubic feet. Below: what one cubic yard actually covers, the square-yards trap, a cubic yards to tons table for every common material, and how much fits on a truck.
How to calculate cubic yards
A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side, which is 27 cubic feet. The method never changes:
length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards
The trap is units. Depth is almost always given in inches while length and width are in feet, and mixing them is the single most common error in bulk ordering. A 4-inch layer is 0.333 ft, not 4 — get that wrong and you order twelve times too much. This tool takes depth in inches or feet and converts for you, so you never do that division by hand.
For a round area, switch the shape to Circle and enter the diameter; the calculator uses πr² rather than length × width.
What one cubic yard covers
This is the table most people actually want. One cubic yard spread evenly covers:
| Depth | Coverage from 1 yd³ | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 ft² | Compost topdressing |
| 2 in | 162 ft² | Light mulch, seed cover |
| 3 in | 108 ft² | Mulch, pea gravel path |
| 4 in | 81 ft² | Gravel base, slab, topsoil |
| 6 in | 54 ft² | Driveway base, deep beds |
| 12 in | 27 ft² | Raised beds, fill |
Because a cubic yard weighs a different amount for every material, the printable material coverage chart collects the densities, the tons-per-yard figures and the bag conversions into a single reference.
Read it in reverse to sanity-check a quote. If a supplier says three yards will cover your 400 ft² patio base at 4 inches, the table says one yard does 81 ft², so 400 ÷ 81 = 4.9 yards. Three would leave you a third short.
Square yards to cubic yards
These get confused constantly, and they are not convertible without a third number. A square yard is area (9 ft², the unit carpet is sold in). A cubic yard is volume (27 ft³). Going from one to the other requires a depth.
One square yard covered 4 inches deep is 9 × 0.333 = 3 ft³, which is 0.11 cubic yards. So nine square yards at 4 inches makes roughly one cubic yard. If you are working in square yards for flooring rather than bulk material, the carpet calculator is the right tool.
Cubic yards to tons by material
Bulk suppliers quote soil and mulch by the yard but stone by the ton, so you will need to convert. Weight per yard depends entirely on the material, and the spread is enormous — concrete is six times heavier than bark mulch for the same volume.
| Material | Density | Weight per yd³ | Tons per yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bark mulch | 20 lb/ft³ | 540 lb | 0.27 |
| Compost | 40 lb/ft³ | 1,080 lb | 0.54 |
| Topsoil (screened) | 90 lb/ft³ | 2,430 lb | 1.22 |
| Sand | 100 lb/ft³ | 2,700 lb | 1.35 |
| Pea gravel | 100 lb/ft³ | 2,700 lb | 1.35 |
| Crushed stone | 105 lb/ft³ | 2,835 lb | 1.42 |
| Paver base / crusher run | 110 lb/ft³ | 2,970 lb | 1.49 |
| Concrete | 150 lb/ft³ | 4,050 lb | 2.02 |
The rough rule "a yard of dirt is about a ton" holds for screened topsoil at 1.22 tons, and breaks badly for mulch (a quarter of a ton) and concrete (two tons). Wet material is heavier again: soaked topsoil can gain 20 to 30% in weight without gaining any volume.
Worked example: yards of dirt for a 12 × 20 ft bed
Filling a 12 by 20 ft bed with 4 inches of topsoil. Used as a yards of dirt calculator, that is 240 ft²:
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Volume in cubic feet | 240 × 0.333 ft | 80 ft³ |
| Convert to yards | 80 ÷ 27 | 2.96 yd³ |
| Plus 10% settling | 2.96 × 1.10 | 3.26 yd³, order 3.5 |
| Weight as topsoil | 3.26 × 1.22 | about 4.0 tons |
| Check against coverage | 240 ÷ 81 ft² | 2.96 yd³ ✓ |
Ordering bulk by the yard
- A standard tandem dump truck carries 10 to 14 cubic yards; a smaller single-axle truck carries 5 to 6.
- Weight limits bite before volume does on stone. A truck rated for 14 yards of mulch may only legally carry 7 or 8 yards of crushed stone.
- Most suppliers have a minimum delivery, often 1 to 3 yards, plus a flat delivery fee that makes small orders expensive per yard.
- A yard is a lot of shovelling. One cubic yard of soil is roughly 14 to 18 full wheelbarrow loads.
- Order 5 to 10% over. Bulk material settles and compacts, and the pile is never quite what the ticket says.
Where cubic yard estimates go wrong
- Forgetting to convert inches to feet. Multiplying by 4 instead of 0.333 is a 12× error.
- Confusing square yards with cubic yards. One is area, one is volume, and no conversion exists without a depth.
- Using one density for everything. Ordering mulch by weight at a soil density leaves you three times short.
- Measuring the finished depth instead of the loose depth. Gravel and soil compact by 10 to 20% once tamped or watered.
- Ignoring the delivery minimum and paying a full fee for half a yard.
How this cubic yard calculator works out its numbers
Volume is length × width × depth with depth converted from inches where needed, divided by 27 ft³ per cubic yard. Circular areas use πr² from the diameter. The waste percentage is applied before the conversion, so the displayed yardage is an order quantity.
- Densities used for the weight table are the same constants as the individual material calculators on this site, so the numbers agree across pages: mulch 20, compost 40, topsoil 90, sand 100, pea gravel 100, crushed stone 105, paver base 110, concrete 150 lb/ft³.
- Real densities vary by 15 to 30% with moisture, stone size and how screened the material is. Suppliers weigh what they load, so treat tonnage as an estimate and the volume as the firmer figure.
- Truck capacities and delivery minimums are common US practice, not standards. Confirm with your supplier.
Reviewed September 2026.
Figures reviewed . Every worked example on this page is checked against the calculator above.
Cubic Yard Calculator: frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Multiply the square footage by the depth in feet, then divide by 27. For 240 ft² at 4 inches: 240 × 0.333 = 80 ft³, and 80 ÷ 27 = 2.96 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard cover?
324 ft² at 1 inch deep, 162 ft² at 2 inches, 108 ft² at 3 inches, 81 ft² at 4 inches, and 54 ft² at 6 inches. Divide 27 by your depth in feet.
How many square yards are in a cubic yard?
They do not convert without a depth. A square yard is 9 ft² of area; a cubic yard is 27 ft³ of volume. One square yard spread 4 inches deep is only 0.11 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends entirely on the material: about 675 lb for bark mulch, 1,080 lb for compost, 2,430 lb for screened topsoil, 2,700 lb for sand or pea gravel, and 4,050 lb for concrete.
How many cubic yards is a dump truck?
A standard tandem dump truck holds 10 to 14 cubic yards and a single-axle truck 5 to 6. With heavy stone the legal weight limit is usually reached first, so a truck may only carry half its volume capacity.
Is a cubic yard of dirt a ton?
Close. Screened topsoil runs about 1.22 tons per cubic yard dry, and more when wet. The rule of thumb is fine for soil and badly wrong for mulch at 0.34 tons or concrete at 2.02.