Cubic Yard Calculator
Find how many cubic yards of material you need to fill an area to a given depth. Enter each area's shape, size, and depth.
Add areas, or subtract openings such as a flower bed.
How to use this calculator
- Choose US or Metric. You can still change the unit of any single field, for example feet for the length and inches for the depth.
- Pick the shape of the area and enter its dimensions. For a shape that is not listed, choose Known area and enter the area directly.
- Enter the depth, which is how thick the layer of material will be. Use Quantity when several areas have the same size, such as four identical post holes.
- Use Add section for each extra area. Set a section to Subtract for parts inside an area that do not need material, such as a flower bed in a patio.
- Optionally, add a waste allowance and a price per cubic yard, cubic foot, or cubic meter to estimate the cost.
Dimension and depth fields accept these formats:
-
Whole numbers and decimals, such as
12or10.5 -
Fractions, such as
3/4 -
Mixed numbers, such as
6 1/2
Choose ft + in as the unit to enter a length such as 12 ft 6 in in two fields. Quantity takes a whole number, and the waste allowance and price take whole numbers or decimals.
Cubic yard formula
The volume of an area filled to an even depth is:
Volume = area × depth
Convert every dimension to the same unit before you multiply. With dimensions in feet, the result is in cubic feet. A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, so divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
- 1 yd³ = 27 ft³
- 1 yd³ = 0.764554857984 m³ (1 m³ ≈ 1.307951 yd³)
- 1 ft = 12 in = 0.3048 m, and 1 in = 2.54 cm
The area of each shape is calculated as follows.
| Shape | Area |
|---|---|
| Rectangle | length × width |
| Circle | π × diameter² ÷ 4 (or π × radius²) |
| Triangle (base and height) | base × height ÷ 2 |
| Triangle (three sides) | Heron's formula: √(s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)), where s = (a + b + c) ÷ 2 |
| Trapezoid | (parallel side A + parallel side B) ÷ 2 × height |
| Ring | π × (outer diameter² − inner diameter²) ÷ 4 |
| Rectangular border | outer length × outer width − (outer length − 2 × border width) × (outer width − 2 × border width) |
| Known area | the area you enter |
With several sections, the calculator adds the volumes of the sections set to Add, subtracts those set to Subtract, and then adds the waste allowance: total = net volume × (1 + waste % ÷ 100).
Examples
A rectangular slab or bed
An area of 10 ft × 10 ft filled 4 in deep: 4 in is 1/3 ft, so the volume is 10 × 10 × 1/3 = 33.33 ft³. Dividing by 27 gives 1.23 yd³ (0.94 m³). With a 10% waste allowance, the total is 1.36 yd³, and at $45 per cubic yard the cost is about $61.11.
A circle
A round area 6 ft across, 3 in deep: π × 6² ÷ 4 × 0.25 = 7.07 ft³, or 0.26 yd³.
Subtracting an area
A 20 ft × 15 ft area, 4 in deep, is 100 ft³. A round flower bed 4 ft across inside it, at the same depth, is 4.19 ft³. Subtracting it leaves 95.81 ft³, or 3.55 yd³.
Metric dimensions
An area of 5 m × 4 m, 10 cm deep: 5 × 4 × 0.1 = 2 m³, or 2.62 yd³.
Things to keep in mind
- The calculator assumes the same depth across each section. If the depth varies, split the area into sections or use an average depth.
- It does not account for compaction, settling, or material that expands when dug. How much these matter depends on the material, so use the waste allowance to add extra.
- Suppliers often sell bulk material by the cubic yard and may round an order up, for example to the next half or whole yard. The calculator does not round, so check your supplier's minimum and increments.
- The price you enter is only used for the estimate. Prices vary by material and location, and the calculator does not convert currencies.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
How do I convert a depth in inches?
Divide inches by 12 to get feet before multiplying, or simply choose in as the depth unit and the calculator converts it for you.
Is a cubic yard the same as a square yard?
No. A square yard measures area (length × width), and a cubic yard measures volume (length × width × depth). You need the depth to get cubic yards.
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