Cubic Yard Calculator

Work out how many cubic yards of soil, fill dirt, sand, compost, mulch or gravel an area needs, or how much ground a delivery will cover. Rectangles, circles and triangles, several areas at once, and the same amount in cubic feet, cubic meters, bags and truckloads. Your inputs stay in your browser.

Your area and depth

What do you want to know?

The area

Shape

Measured straight out from the base to the far corner.

For several identical beds, holes or planters.

Loose soil, compost and mulch settle; 5% to 10% is common, more for fill that will be compacted.

Ordering (optional)

Check the bag label; 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 cubic feet are common.

Ask your supplier; it depends on the material and how wet it is.

1.17 cu yd to order. See full results

Example: a 12 × 10 ft bed filled 3 inches deep, with 5% extra, in 2 cu ft bags. Enter your numbers to update.

Your cubic yard estimate

Cubic yards to order
1.17 cu yd
3 in deep, including 5% extra
Area
120 sq ft
One area
Coverage per yard
108 sq ft
One cubic yard at 3 in deep, before the extra

What to order

MeasureAmount
Cubic feet 31.5 cu ft
Cubic meters 0.89 m³
Bags of 2 cu ft 16

Add the weight per cubic yard from your supplier to see tons. Suppliers round deliveries, often to the half or whole yard, and may have a minimum order.

How to calculate cubic yards

A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet (NIST: tables of units of measurement). Measure length and width in feet and depth in inches, then:

Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27

For the example bed: 12 × 10 = 120 square feet; × 3 ÷ 12 = 30.0 cubic feet; ÷ 27 = 1.11 cubic yards. With 5% extra that is 1.17 cubic yards, or 16 bags of 2 cubic feet.

Circles, triangles and irregular areas

  • Circle: area = π × (diameter ÷ 2)². A round bed 6 ft across is 28.3 square feet, or 0.26 cubic yards at 3 inches deep.
  • Triangle: area = base × height ÷ 2, where the height is measured straight out from the base. A corner bed with an 8 ft base and 6 ft height is 24 square feet, or 0.22 cubic yards at 3 inches.
  • Several identical areas: enter how many. Eight post holes 10 inches across and 2 feet deep hold 8.7 cubic feet, or 0.32 cubic yards.
  • Irregular shapes: split the area into rectangles, circles and triangles, work out each one and add them. For an L-shaped bed, use two rectangles.

How much does a cubic yard cover?

One cubic yard spreads over 27 ÷ (depth in feet) square feet: 108 square feet at 3 inches deep. Deeper layers cover less. Choose “How much area a number of cubic yards covers” above to check a delivery you have already ordered.

Area one cubic yard covers, before settling or waste

DepthArea coveredAbout the size of
1 in 324 sq ft18 × 18 ft
2 in 162 sq ft13 × 13 ft
3 in 108 sq ft10 × 10 ft
4 in 81 sq ft9 × 9 ft
6 in 54 sq ft7 × 7 ft
8 in 41 sq ft6 × 6 ft
12 in 27 sq ft5 × 5 ft

Cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters and bags

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet or 0.765 cubic meters (a yard is exactly 0.9144 meter). Bagged soil, compost and mulch are sold by the cubic foot, so divide the cubic feet by the bag size and round up.

Bags in one cubic yard

Bag sizeBags per cubic yard
0.75 cu ft 36
1 cu ft 27
1.5 cu ft 18
2 cu ft 13.5
3 cu ft 9

Bulk material from a landscape supplier is sold by the cubic yard and is usually cheaper than bags for more than a yard or two; compare the price per cubic yard, including delivery.

Settling, compaction and waste

Loose material settles after it is spread and watered, and fill that is compacted shrinks further, so order a little more than the measured volume. The example bed needs 1.11 cubic yards as measured, 1.17 with 5% extra, or 1.28 with 15%. How much a material settles depends on what it is, how wet it is and how it is compacted, so ask your supplier for their guidance.

From cubic yards to tons

Some materials, especially stone and sand, are sold by weight. Multiply the cubic yards by the material's weight per cubic yard, which your supplier can give you; a US ton is 2,000 pounds. Weight varies with the material and its moisture, so this calculator does not assume one.

For project-specific estimates, use the gravel calculator (tons of stone), the concrete calculator (premix bags or ready-mix for slabs and post holes), the mulch calculator or the asphalt calculator.

Assumptions and limits

  • The depth is the same across the whole area. For a slope, measure the depth in several places and use the average.
  • Results are the volume to order, not a quote: suppliers round deliveries, often to the half or whole yard, and may have a minimum order.
  • Bag counts use the bag size you enter; check the label, as sizes vary by product.
  • Excavation, grading, edging, fabric and labor are not included.

Methodology and testing

Volume = area × depth ÷ 12 in cubic feet, then ÷ 27 for cubic yards and × 0.764554857984 for cubic meters; coverage runs the same formula in reverse. Automated tests check every shape against an independent calculation, confirm that a 9 × 9 ft area 4 inches deep is exactly one cubic yard, and check that coverage and volume give back the same numbers. How we build and test calculators.

Sources

  • Gravel Calculator

    Cubic yards and tons of gravel for rectangular or round areas, with density, compaction allowance and cost.

  • Mulch Calculator

    Cubic yards and bags of mulch for rectangular and round beds, coverage by depth, and bags vs. bulk cost.

  • Concrete Calculator

    Cubic yards and bags of concrete for slabs, footings and post holes, with a waste allowance and a bags-vs-ready-mix cost check.

  • Square Footage Calculator

    Square feet of a rectangle, circle, triangle or trapezoid in any unit, with square yards, square meters, acres and cost.