Cubic Yard Calculator - Volume for Feet, Meters, Inches

Cubic Yard Calculator

A cubic yard calculator finds the volume of a space in cubic yards from its length, width, and height. It is used to order the right amount of concrete, mulch, gravel, or soil for a construction or landscaping job.

What is a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to a cube measuring one yard (3 feet) on every side.

Suppliers of concrete, soil, mulch, and gravel sell these materials by the cubic yard because it produces manageable numbers for typical job sizes. Cubic feet would give very large figures, and cubic meters are less familiar to most U.S. contractors.

Key conversions:

• 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft)
• 1 cubic yard = 0.7646 cubic meters
• 1 cubic yard = 46,656 cubic inches (36 × 36 × 36)
• 1 cubic yard ≈ 202 U.S. gallons (0.7645549 m³ ÷ 0.003785412 m³ per gallon)

Cubic yard formula

Volume in cubic yards equals length times width times height, converted from the input unit:

From feet: $\text{Cubic Yards} = \frac{\text{Length (ft)} \times \text{Width (ft)} \times \text{Height (ft)}}{27}$

From meters: $\text{Cubic Yards} = \text{Length (m)} \times \text{Width (m)} \times \text{Height (m)} \times 1.30795$

From inches: $\text{Cubic Yards} = \frac{\text{Length (in)} \times \text{Width (in)} \times \text{Height (in)}}{46{,}656}$

The calculator treats negative entries as zero, since a space cannot have negative length, width, or height. Results are rounded to two decimal places, which matches how most suppliers quote material.

How to calculate cubic yards: example

A space measures 10 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 3 feet deep.

Cubic yards = (10 × 10 × 3) ÷ 27 = 300 ÷ 27 = 11.11 cubic yards

To use the calculator, choose a unit (feet, meters, or inches), enter length, width, and height, and read the result. The 3D visualization shows the relative shape of the entered dimensions; it is not drawn to a fixed scale.

Common uses

Mulch. A garden bed 20 ft × 10 ft with 3 inches (0.25 ft) of mulch needs (20 × 10 × 0.25) ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards.

Topsoil. A 1,000 sq ft lawn with 6 inches (0.5 ft) of new topsoil needs (1,000 × 0.5) ÷ 27 = 18.52 cubic yards.

Gravel. A driveway 50 ft × 12 ft with 4 inches (1/3 ft) of gravel needs (50 × 12 × 1/3) ÷ 27 = 7.41 cubic yards.

Concrete. A slab 30 ft × 40 ft × 6 inches (0.5 ft) needs (30 × 40 × 0.5) ÷ 27 = 22.22 cubic yards. Contractors usually order a little more to allow for spillage and an uneven subgrade.

Excavation. A basement dug 40 ft × 30 ft × 8 ft removes (40 × 30 × 8) ÷ 27 = 355.56 cubic yards of soil.

Swimming pools. A pool 20 ft × 40 ft with an average depth of 5 ft holds (20 × 40 × 5) ÷ 27 = 148.15 cubic yards, or about 148.15 × 202 ≈ 29,926 gallons.

Converting to other units

• Cubic feet: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. Useful for small projects.
• Cubic meters: 1 cubic yard = 0.7646 cubic meters, the standard unit outside the United States.
• Gallons: 1 cubic yard ≈ 202 U.S. gallons, useful for pools and liquid volumes.
• Weight: Some materials are sold by weight rather than volume. Weight per cubic yard depends on the material and its moisture, so a supplier's own figure is the one to use.

History

The yard is an old English unit of length. When Britain set up its imperial system of measures in 1824, it defined the Imperial Yard by a particular standard bar. Today the yard is defined as exactly 0.9144 meters. The cubic yard remains the standard unit for construction and landscaping in the United States, even though most other countries use the metric system.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate cubic yards from feet? Multiply length × width × height in feet, then divide by 27. A 10 ft × 10 ft × 3 ft space equals (10 × 10 × 3) ÷ 27 = 11.11 cubic yards.

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard? Exactly 27. Since 1 yard equals 3 feet, a cubic yard equals 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet.

How do I convert cubic meters to cubic yards? Multiply cubic meters by 1.30795. For example, 10 cubic meters × 1.30795 = 13.08 cubic yards.

How many cubic yards of concrete do I need for a slab? Multiply length × width × thickness in feet, then divide by 27. A 20 ft × 20 ft × 6 in (0.5 ft) slab needs (20 × 20 × 0.5) ÷ 27 = 7.41 cubic yards. Most buyers round up and order a little extra for waste.

How many bags of mulch equal a cubic yard? About 13 to 14 bags, if each bag holds 2 cubic feet, since 27 ÷ 2 = 13.5.

Can this calculator handle irregular shapes? Not directly. Split the area into rectangular sections, calculate each one separately, then add the results together.

How much extra material should I order? The calculator gives the exact volume with no allowance for waste. Buyers usually add a small margin for compaction, spillage, and uneven ground. Dug soil also loosens and takes up more space than it did in the ground, so hauling it away may need more truck loads than the calculated volume suggests.

References

1. National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically. NIST SP 811 Appendix B.8 — 1 yd³ = 0.7645549 m³, 1 yd = 0.9144 m, 1 U.S. gallon = 0.003785412 m³.
2. Lewis V. Judson, National Bureau of Standards. Weights and Measures Standards of the United States: A Brief History (Miscellaneous Publication 247). NBS MP 247 — the Imperial Yard established by Britain in 1824.