Cubic Yards Calculator

Enter length, width, and depth in any combination of feet, inches, or meters to calculate volume in cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, and gallons.

Estimate only — not professional advice. Always verify results independently before purchasing materials or beginning work. Terms of Use

What is Cubic Yards?

A cubic yards calculator converts length, width, and depth measurements into volume expressed in cubic yards, the standard unit for ordering bulk construction materials in the United States. Concrete, gravel, sand, topsoil, mulch, fill dirt, and asphalt are all sold and delivered by the cubic yard. One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet (3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet) and is roughly the volume of a standard washing machine. This calculator accepts each dimension in feet, inches, or meters independently, which is especially useful when measurements come from different sources. For example, a concrete slab might be 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 6 inches deep. Mixing units is one of the most common sources of ordering errors — forgetting to convert 6 inches to 0.5 feet before multiplying results in a volume six times too large. This calculator handles the conversion automatically. The conversion factors are exact: 12 inches per foot, 3 feet per yard (so 27 cubic feet per cubic yard), and 3.28084 feet per meter. For liquid capacity, one cubic foot holds 7.48052 US gallons, and one cubic yard holds 201.97 gallons. The cubic meter conversion factor is 0.0283168 cubic meters per cubic foot (or equivalently, one cubic yard equals 0.764555 cubic meters). Ordering the right quantity of bulk material prevents costly problems. Under-ordering concrete means a cold joint in a slab that compromises structural integrity. Over-ordering means paying for excess material and disposal. For delivered materials like gravel and topsoil, most suppliers charge per cubic yard with a minimum delivery (often 3 to 5 yards), and restocking is not possible once material is dumped. As a general rule, add 5 to 10 percent to the calculated volume for waste, spillage, and uneven subgrade. For concrete, order 10 percent extra because forms are never perfectly straight and subgrade is never perfectly level. For loose materials like mulch and gravel, settling after placement reduces volume by 10 to 15 percent, so order accordingly. Common reference volumes: a standard pickup truck bed holds about 1.5 to 2 cubic yards loosely piled. A 10-wheel dump truck carries 10 to 14 cubic yards. A concrete mixer truck delivers 8 to 10 cubic yards per load.

How to Calculate

1. Measure the length of the area and select the unit (feet, inches, or meters)
2. Measure the width of the area and select the unit
3. Measure the depth or thickness and select the unit (6 inches is common for slabs and base layers)
4. Review the volume in cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic meters, and gallons
5. Add 5-10% for waste when ordering bulk materials
6. For concrete, round up to the nearest half-yard when placing your order

Formula

Convert all dimensions to feet: - Inches to feet: value / 12 - Meters to feet: value x 3.28084 - Feet: no conversion needed Volume (cu ft) = Length (ft) x Width (ft) x Depth (ft) Volume (cu yd) = Volume (cu ft) / 27 Volume (cu m) = Volume (cu ft) x 0.0283168 Volume (gallons) = Volume (cu ft) x 7.48052 Where 27 = 3^3 (cubic feet per cubic yard), 0.0283168 = cubic meters per cubic foot, and 7.48052 = US gallons per cubic foot.

Example Calculation

An area 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, 6 inches deep: Length = 20 ft Width = 10 ft Depth = 6 in = 6 / 12 = 0.5 ft Volume (cu ft) = 20 x 10 x 0.5 = 100.00 cu ft Volume (cu yd) = 100 / 27 = 3.70 cu yd Volume (cu m) = 100 x 0.0283168 = 2.83 cu m Volume (gallons) = 100 x 7.48052 = 748.05 gallons

Frequently Asked Questions