Cubic Yard Calculator
Convert length, width, and depth measurements to cubic yards instantly. Works for any material including mulch, gravel, concrete, topsoil, sand, and more. Enter your dimensions and choose your depth unit.
What Is a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. It contains 27 cubic feet and is the standard measurement used by suppliers for bulk materials like mulch, gravel, sand, topsoil, and concrete.
Cubic Yard Formula
To calculate cubic yards from dimensions in feet:
- Measure length, width, and depth (convert all measurements to feet first).
- Multiply: Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Depth (ft) = Cubic Feet.
- Divide by 27: Cubic Feet / 27 = Cubic Yards.
If your depth is in inches, divide by 12 first to convert to feet. If in yards, multiply by 3 to convert to feet.
How to Measure Irregular Areas
For non‑rectangular spaces, break the area into regular shapes (rectangles, triangles, circles), calculate each separately, then sum the results:
- Triangular area: (Base × Height) / 2 × Depth
- Circular area: π × Radius² × Depth (use π ≈ 3.14)
- L‑shaped area: Divide into two rectangles, calculate each, then add.
Always measure depth at several points and use the average if the depth varies across the area.
Cubic Yards Conversion Table
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
- 1 cubic yard = 46,656 cubic inches
- 1 cubic yard = 201.97 US gallons
- 1 cubic yard = 764.55 liters
- 1 cubic yard = 0.7646 cubic meters
Common Material Weights per Cubic Yard
- Mulch: 400-800 lbs (~0.5 tons) per cubic yard
- Topsoil: 2,000-2,400 lbs (~1.1 tons) per cubic yard
- Gravel: 2,500-3,000 lbs (~1.4 tons) per cubic yard
- Sand: 2,600-2,900 lbs (~1.35 tons) per cubic yard
- Concrete: 3,900-4,100 lbs (~2.0 tons) per cubic yard
- Crushed stone: 2,500-2,800 lbs (~1.35 tons) per cubic yard