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Cubic Yards Calculator

Choose a shape, enter its size and the depth of material, and get the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters. Use it as a dirt, mulch, gravel, topsoil or concrete calculator, and add a price to estimate the cost.

How to calculate cubic yards

Convert the length, width and depth to feet, multiply them to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A bed 20 ft long and 10 ft wide filled 4 inches deep is 20 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 66.6667 cubic feet, which is 2.4691 cubic yards.

One cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side. It holds 27 cubic feet, or about 0.7646 cubic meters.

Dirt, mulch, gravel and concrete

The volume is the same whatever fills the space. Depth is the part people most often guess, so measure it where the layer will sit. Mulch and topsoil are commonly spread 2 to 4 inches deep, while slabs and gravel bases depend on the load they carry.

Loose material settles after it is spread, and suppliers usually sell in fixed increments, so round up rather than down. Check the depth and any allowance for settling with your supplier or the project’s specification.

From square feet to cubic yards

If you already know the area, choose Known Area and enter it with the depth. A 500 square foot lawn topped 2 inches deep needs 3.0864 cubic yards.

To price the job, enter the cost per cubic yard, cubic foot or cubic meter. At $30 per cubic yard, the 2.4691 cubic yard bed above costs $74.07.