Free material volume tool
Cubic Yard Calculator
Calculate concrete, gravel, mulch, dirt, sand, and rock in cubic yards. Enter your dimensions to get volume, weight, cost, and a 10 percent overage recommendation.
Calculate Cubic Yards
How to Use
- Enter the length and width of the project area.
- Enter the depth or thickness, using inches for most slab, driveway, garden, and landscape projects.
- Select the material and optional price per cubic yard, then calculate the volume, weight, cost, and overage.
What is a Cubic Yard
A cubic yard is a three dimensional measurement used for bulk materials. One cubic yard is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, which equals 27 cubic feet. Suppliers use cubic yards because concrete, soil, gravel, mulch, and sand are delivered by volume.
How to Calculate Manually
Use this formula: length in feet x width in feet x depth in feet divided by 27. For a 12 ft by 10 ft area at 4 inches deep, convert 4 inches to 0.333 feet. The math is 12 x 10 x 0.333 = 40 cubic feet, then 40 / 27 = 1.48 cubic yards.
Material Weight Reference Table
| Material | Approx. lbs per cubic yard | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete | 4,050 | Slabs, footings, patios |
| Gravel | 2,800 | Driveways, drainage, paths |
| Dirt | 2,200 | Fill, grading, backfill |
| Topsoil | 2,400 | Lawns, beds, garden prep |
| Mulch | 800 | Landscape beds |
| Sand | 2,700 | Pavers, pools, masonry |
| Rock | 4,500 | Large drainage or decorative stone |
Common Use Cases
FAQ
Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide the total cubic feet by 27. If depth is in inches, divide the inches by 12 before using the formula.
A cubic yard is a volume that measures 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. It equals 27 cubic feet.
There are 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard. Multiply cubic yards by 27 to convert to cubic feet.
Multiply square feet by depth in feet, then divide by 27. For example, 300 square feet at 3 inches deep is 300 x 0.25 / 27, or 2.78 cubic yards.
A 10x10 slab at 4 inches thick needs about 1.23 cubic yards before overage. Ordering 10 percent extra brings the recommendation to about 1.36 cubic yards.
Weight depends on the material. Concrete is about 4,050 lbs per cubic yard, gravel is about 2,800 lbs, and mulch can be about 800 lbs.
The answer depends on density. One ton of gravel is about 0.71 cubic yards, while one ton of concrete is about 0.49 cubic yards.
A cubic yard of concrete takes about 45 bags if using 60 lb bags. It takes about 34 bags if using 80 lb bags.
The formula is length x width x depth in feet divided by 27. The result is cubic yards.
Yes, most projects should include about 10 percent extra. This covers compaction, uneven ground, spillage, and small measuring differences.
Divide inches by 12. A 4 inch depth is 0.333 feet, and a 3 inch depth is 0.25 feet.
Minimum delivery varies by supplier and material. Many landscape yards set minimums from 1 to 3 cubic yards, so confirm before ordering.