How to use
- Choose US units or metric.
- For each area, pick a shape: rectangle, circle, or triangle. Enter its size and the depth you want to fill.
- Select "Add another area" if your space is made of several parts, like a bed plus a path. Use "Remove" to delete one.
- Set the extra percentage. Use 0 if you want the exact math.
- Select "Calculate". You'll see each area, the total, and a bag count for four common bag sizes.
What is a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is the volume of a cube that is 1 yard (3 feet) on every side. That is 27 cubic feet. Landscape suppliers, concrete plants, and mulch yards all use it. NIST lists a cubic yard as exactly 27 cubic feet, and as 0.764554857984 cubic meters. One cubic meter is about 1.308 cubic yards.
How the volume is calculated
- Rectangle: length × width × depth.
- Circle: π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth.
- Triangle: ½ × base × height × depth.
Length, width, diameter, base, and height are in feet. Depth is in inches, so the calculator divides it by 12. Then cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards.
Example: a path 20 ft long and 10 ft wide, plus a round bed 8 ft across, both 3 inches deep. The path is 20 × 10 × 0.25 = 50 cubic feet. The bed is π × 4² × 0.25 = 12.57 cubic feet. Together that is 62.57 cubic feet, or 2.32 cubic yards. With 5% extra it is 65.69 cubic feet, or 2.43 cubic yards. If you buy 2-cubic-foot bags, that is 33 bags.
How far does one cubic yard go?
One cubic yard fills 324 square feet at a depth of 1 inch. Divide 324 by your depth in inches to see the coverage.
| Depth | Square feet per cubic yard | Square meters per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 | 30.1 |
| 2 in | 162 | 15.1 |
| 3 in | 108 | 10.0 |
| 4 in | 81 | 7.5 |
| 5 in | 64.8 | 6.0 |
| 6 in | 54 | 5.0 |
| 7 in | 46.3 | 4.3 |
| 8 in | 40.5 | 3.8 |
| 9 in | 36 | 3.3 |
| 10 in | 32.4 | 3.0 |
| 11 in | 29.5 | 2.7 |
| 12 in | 27 | 2.5 |
Common mistakes
- Entering depth in feet. A 4-inch layer is 4 in this calculator, not 0.33.
- Measuring only one shape. If the space has a corner cut off or a curved edge, split it into parts and add each one as its own area.
- Ignoring compaction. Soil, sand, and gravel pack down once they are spread and tamped. A delivered cubic yard may not fill a full cubic yard of finished space. Add extra or ask your supplier.
- Mixing up volume and weight. A cubic yard of mulch and a cubic yard of gravel weigh very different amounts. Some suppliers price by the ton. Use the gravel calculator or topsoil calculator to get weight.
- Forgetting the truck. Check that the delivery truck, your driveway, and your trailer can handle the load.
Sources
Cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, 1 cubic yard = 0.764554857984 cubic meters, 1 cubic foot = 0.028316846592 cubic meters, and 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters exactly: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (General Tables of Units of Measurement). Foot, yard, and cubic yard in metric: NIST Special Publication 811, Appendix B.8. The coverage table and bag counts are arithmetic based on these values.
Related calculators
- Gravel Calculator - cubic yards, tons, and bags of gravel
- Topsoil Calculator - soil for lawns and garden beds
- Mulch Calculator - mulch by depth and bag size
- Concrete Calculator - cubic yards of concrete and bag counts
- Sand Calculator - sand for a base, a sandbox, or pavers
- Square Footage Calculator - measure the area first
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length by width by depth, with all three in feet, to get cubic feet. Then divide by 27, because one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. If your depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first. For example, 10 ft by 10 ft by 4 in is 10 × 10 × 0.3333 = 33.33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards of dirt do I need?
Measure the area and the finished depth, then enter them here. If the area has more than one shape, add each one as its own area and the calculator adds them up. Many people order a little extra for uneven ground and settling. The extra percentage box lets you choose how much. That figure is a planning allowance you set, not a standard.
How many square feet does one cubic yard cover?
It depends on the depth. Divide 324 by the depth in inches. At 2 inches deep one cubic yard covers 162 square feet, at 3 inches 108 square feet, and at 4 inches 81 square feet. The coverage table on this page lists depths from 1 to 12 inches.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. In metric, one cubic yard is exactly 0.764554857984 cubic meters, based on a yard of 0.9144 meters.
Should I order by the cubic yard or by the ton?
Ask your supplier. Some sell soil, mulch, and sand by the cubic yard. Quarries often sell gravel and crushed stone by the ton. This calculator gives volume only. For gravel or topsoil, use the gravel or topsoil calculators to convert volume to weight.
Is a cubic yard of loose material the same after it is packed down?
No. Loose soil, sand, and gravel shrink when you compact them, so a delivered cubic yard may fill less than a cubic yard of finished, packed space. If you plan to compact the material, order extra or ask your supplier how much to add.