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Cubic Yard Calculator

Find how many cubic yards, cubic feet or cubic meters fill a space. Use length, width and depth in any mix of units, or an area and a depth.

Level: Grade 6

  • Common Core standard 6.G.A.2Find the volume of a right rectangular prism with fractional edge lengths by packing it with unit cubes of the appropriate unit fraction edge lengths, and show that the volume is the same as would be found by multiplying the edge lengths of the prism. Apply the formulas V = l w h and V = b h to find volumes of right rectangular prisms with fractional edge lengths in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
  • Common Core standard 6.RP.A.3.dUse ratio reasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividing quantities.
Printable worksheet

Cubic Yard Calculator

Know the answer you need? Pick an input to work backward.

Inputs
Measure by

Each measurement can use its own unit.

Result

Volume

1.48 yd³

That is 1.48 cubic yards (40 ft³, 1.133 m³).

In cubic feet
40 ft³
In cubic meters
1.13 m³
Area
120 ft²

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Step-by-step solution

  1. Find the area: convert the length and width to feet, then multiply them

    12×10=120 ft²

  2. Find the volume: multiply the area by the depth, after converting the depth to feet (4 in = 0.333333 ft)

    120×0.333333=40 ft³

  3. Divide by 27, because 1 yd³ = 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 ft³

    4027=1.481481 yd³

  4. For the metric figure, multiply by 0.028316846592, the cubic meters in one cubic foot

    40×0.028316846592=1.132674 m³

Test yourself

20 quick questions built from this calculator's formula: work out results, predict what happens when an input changes, and work backward from an answer. Every answer comes with the working.

What this calculator does

Find out how many cubic yards of soil, mulch, gravel or concrete your project needs. In the US, those materials are all sold by the cubic yard. But your measurements rarely come in yards. You might measure a garden bed in feet with a depth in inches. A plan might give square feet, and a product sheet might use meters. This calculator takes each measurement in its own unit. It gives the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters.

There are two ways to start. You can enter a length, width and depth for a rectangular space. Or you can enter an area you already know (in square feet, square yards or square meters) along with a depth. The second way is the usual way to turn a square-footage figure into cubic yards of material.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Topsoil delivery. A 12 × 10 ft area spread 6 in deep needs 60 ft³, which is 60 ÷ 27 ≈ 2.22 cubic yards of topsoil.
  • Digging trenches. A trench 20 ft long, 18 in wide and 2 ft deep becomes 20 × 1.5 × 2 = 60 ft³ once the inches are changed to feet.
  • Dumpster sizing. Renovators compare the debris they expect with dumpsters rated in cubic yards, such as 10 or 20 yd³.
  • Cubic units. Students see that a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 ft, so it holds 27 cubic feet, not 3.
  • Metric orders. A 4 m × 3 m bed filled 0.25 m deep needs 3 m³, which is about 3.9 cubic yards.

Grade level and standards: Grade 6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 6.G.A.2, 6.RP.A.3.d. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

How to use it

  1. Choose whether to measure by length × width × depth or by area × depth.
  2. Enter each measurement and pick its unit from the menu beside it. Each box can use a different unit.
  3. Read the volume in cubic yards, with cubic feet and cubic meters shown underneath.
  4. If you're ordering material that settles or spills, add a little extra (often 5–10%) before you order. Or use the material-specific calculators linked below.

What the inputs mean

Area
Any flat area you already know. For an odd-shaped yard, add up the areas of its rectangles, triangles and circles first.
Depth or thickness
How thick the layer is: for example 3 inches of mulch, 4 inches of concrete or 6 inches of topsoil. It can use a different unit from the length and width.

Formula and method

volume (ft³) = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft)
volume (ft³) = area (ft²) × depth (ft)
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
cubic meters = cubic feet × 0.028316846592
1 in = 1/12 ft;  1 yd = 3 ft;  1 ft = 0.3048 m;  1 yd² = 9 ft²;  1 m² = 10.7639 ft²

In the formulas, ft² means square feet (an area) and ft³ means cubic feet (a volume). The calculator first converts every measurement to feet, or square feet, using exact conversion values. That way all the numbers being multiplied are in the same unit. Multiplying them gives a volume in cubic feet.

A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side. So it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet, and dividing by 27 turns cubic feet into cubic yards. The metric figure uses the exact definition 1 ft = 0.3048 m, cubed.

Worked example

A garden bed 12 ft long and 10 ft wide needs 4 inches of soil.

  1. Area: 12 × 10 = 120 ft².
  2. Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.3333 ft.
  3. Volume: 120 × 0.3333 = 40 ft³.
  4. Cubic yards: 40 ÷ 27 = 1.4815 yd³.
  5. Cubic meters: 40 × 0.028316846592 = 1.1327 m³.

Result: The bed needs about 1.48 cubic yards (40 ft³ or 1.13 m³) of soil, before any extra for settling.

Understanding the result

Bulk suppliers usually sell in whole, half or quarter cubic yards. So round the result up to the next amount they offer. A little extra is cheaper than a second delivery.

Loose materials such as topsoil, mulch and gravel pack down after they're spread and watered or driven on. The volume here is the finished amount once it's in place. So for those materials, order a little more than this figure.

Assumptions and limitations

  • The space is a rectangular box, or a flat area with the same depth all over.
  • The volume is the space's size only. It doesn't include settling, packing down or waste.
  • Slopes and uneven depths aren't handled. Use an average depth, or split the area into parts with different depths.
  • It doesn't give a weight, because that depends on the material's density (how heavy it is for its size). Use the gravel, concrete or sand calculators when you need tons.
  • For concrete bags, blocks or pavers, use their own calculators, which add waste and count whole units.

Frequently asked questions

How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?

It depends on the depth. A cubic yard is 27 ft³, so it covers 27 ÷ the depth in feet. That's 324 ft² at 1 inch, 162 ft² at 2 inches, 108 ft² at 3 inches and 81 ft² at 4 inches.

How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?

Multiply the square feet by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For 200 ft² at 3 inches: 200 × 0.25 = 50 ft³, and 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³.

Is a yard of material the same as a cubic yard?

Yes. When a landscape or concrete supplier quotes a price per yard, they mean a cubic yard, a volume of 27 ft³. They don't mean a yard of length.

How many cubic meters are in a cubic yard?

Exactly 0.764554857984 m³, because a yard is exactly 0.9144 m by definition. Going the other way, one cubic meter is about 1.308 cubic yards.

How this calculator is checked

Method: Rectangular prism volume; 1 yd³ = 27 ft³ by definition; exact international yard and foot factors. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.

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