How to use the cubic yard calculator
Enter the size of the space you're filling and its depth. Each measurement has its own unit box, so you can mix feet for the length with inches for the depth and let the calculator do the conversions. Use How many of these? for several identical beds or holes.
This is a pure volume calculator. If you need tons, bags or a waste allowance tuned to a material, the gravel, mulch, topsoil and concrete calculators go further.
The formula
cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft)
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
The step people trip on is depth. Mulch and soil depths are given in inches, so divide by 12 first: 3 in is 0.25 ft, 4 in is 0.333 ft and 6 in is 0.5 ft.
Worked example: a 10 × 20 ft raised area, 6 inches deep
- Depth in feet: 6 ÷ 12 = 0.5 ft.
- Volume: 10 × 20 × 0.5 = 100 ft³.
- Cubic yards: 100 ÷ 27 = 3.70 yd³.
Quick reference: coverage of one cubic yard
| Depth | Area covered |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 ft² |
| 2 in | 162 ft² |
| 3 in | 108 ft² |
| 4 in | 81 ft² |
| 6 in | 54 ft² |
| 12 in | 27 ft² |
Unit conversions
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 46,656 cubic inches
- 1 cubic yard = 0.7646 cubic metres; 1 cubic metre = 1.308 cubic yards
- 1 cubic yard ≈ 202 US gallons
What a cubic yard looks like
A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side, about the size of a washing machine and a dryer side by side. Some everyday comparisons help when you're standing at a landscape yard:
- A standard 6 ft pickup bed filled level holds roughly 2 cubic yards of light material like mulch, but its payload limits heavy material like gravel to well under one.
- A typical contractor wheelbarrow holds 5 to 6 cubic feet, so a yard is about five loads.
- A front loader's bucket at a landscape yard is often sold as one "scoop", which may or may not be a full yard. Ask.
Tips for ordering by the yard
- Round up to what the supplier sells. Many yards sell in half or quarter yards. Concrete plants often have minimum loads.
- Know what fits your vehicle. A yard of mulch is light, but a yard of gravel weighs well over a ton, more than many pickups are rated to carry.
- Measure the depth in several places and use the average. Ground is rarely flat.
- Square yards are not cubic yards. A square yard is an area (9 ft²); a cubic yard is a volume (27 ft³).
Questions people ask
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 10 × 20 ft bed 6 inches (0.5 ft) deep is 100 cubic feet, which is 3.7 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
It depends on depth. One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, 81 at 4 inches and 54 at 6 inches. Divide 324 by the depth in inches.
How do I convert cubic meters to cubic yards?
Multiply by 1.308. One cubic meter is 1.308 cubic yards, and one cubic yard is 0.7646 cubic meters.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
That depends entirely on the material: about 400-800 lb for mulch, around 2,200 lb for dry topsoil, 2,700 lb for gravel or sand, and nearly 4,000 lb for concrete. Use the material calculators for weights.
Sources and assumptions
Last reviewed 27 October 2026. Every formula on this page is checked against the worked example above in our automated tests. Found a problem? Tell us.