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Cubic Yard Calculator

Cubic Yard Calculator

Convert length, width, and depth into cubic yards for mulch, soil, gravel, sand, or concrete, with cubic feet, cubic meters, and bag counts.

ft
ft
in
$/cu yd

Use your supplier's delivered price per cubic yard or cubic meter.

Results appear as you type.

How to use

  1. Choose US or metric units, then measure by length and width or by a known area.
  2. Enter the depth. In US units depth is in inches, in metric it is in centimeters.
  3. Read cubic yards for bulk orders, or the bag count for small jobs.
  4. Add a price per cubic yard to estimate the cost.

Formula

cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) / 12
cubic yards = cubic feet / 27
cubic meters = cubic yards × 0.7646
bags = cubic feet / bag size (rounded up)

Worked examples

Mulch bed

A 12 × 10 ft bed at 3 in deep is 30 cu ft, which is 1.11 cubic yards. In bags that is 15 bags of 2 cu ft or 10 bags of 3 cu ft.

Known area

400 sq ft of topsoil at 2 in deep is 66.67 cu ft, or 2.47 cubic yards. At $45 per cubic yard that is $111.11.

Metric

A 5 × 4 m area at 10 cm deep is 2 m³, or 2.62 cubic yards.

Assumptions

  • Areas are rectangles with an even depth. Measure a few spots and use the average depth.
  • Bulk material settles, so some people order a little extra.
  • Weight is not shown because it depends on the material. Use the Gravel Calculator for tons.

FAQ

How do I calculate cubic yards?

Multiply length and width in feet by depth in feet, then divide by 27. For depth in inches, divide the inches by 12 first.

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

A cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 feet, which is 27 cubic feet.

How much area does a cubic yard cover?

At 3 inches deep, one cubic yard covers 108 sq ft. At 2 inches it covers 162 sq ft, and at 4 inches it covers 81 sq ft.

How many bags of mulch make a cubic yard?

About 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, or 9 bags of 3 cu ft.

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