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Cubic Yards Calculator

Volume in cubic yards from area and depth.

Your measurementsEvery assumption editable01
VolumeCalculated live02

Result

2.96cu yd

2.96 cubic yards — 80 cu ft

Area
240 sq ft
Depth0.3333 ft
4 in
Volume
80 cu ft
In cubic yards27 cu ft per cu yd
2.963 cu yd
In cubic metres
2.265 m³

There are twenty-seven cubic feet in a cubic yard, not three. Cubing the linear conversion is where volume arithmetic usually goes wrong, and it produces an answer nine times out.

Bulk materials are ordered by the cubic yard almost everywhere in the US, which is why that figure leads. Suppliers who quote by weight need a density to convert — the individual material calculators carry those.

Depth is entered in inches because that is how it is specified and measured. The conversion to feet happens internally so you never have to divide by twelve in your head on site.

Bulk material is ordered by the cubic yard almost everywhere in the US. Enter the area and a depth in inches — the units people actually measure in — and this handles the conversion.

Why use this tool?What it does differently03

Why use this tool?

Depth in inches

Because that is how it is specified and measured. The conversion to feet happens internally.

Three units

Cubic feet for checking, cubic yards for ordering, cubic metres for metric suppliers.

The twenty-seven

There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. Cubing the linear factor is where volume arithmetic fails.

Material-agnostic

Pure geometry, so it works for concrete, aggregate, soil, mulch or anything else sold by volume.

How this worksThe method04

How this cubic yards calculator works

Length times width times depth gives cubic feet, with the depth converted from inches by dividing by twelve. Dividing by twenty-seven gives cubic yards.

Twenty-seven is three cubed. A yard is three feet in each of three dimensions, so a cubic yard holds twenty-seven cubic feet — and using three instead produces an answer nine times out.

This is volume only. Converting to weight needs the material's density, which the individual material calculators carry because it varies so much between products.

How to use itStep by step05

How to use it

  1. Step 1: Measure the area

    Length and width in feet.

  2. Step 2: Enter the depth

    In inches — the unit the specification will be in.

  3. Step 3: Order by the yard

    Cubic yards is what a supplier quotes against.

  4. Step 4: Convert to weight if needed

    Use the gravel, sand or topsoil calculators, which carry the densities.

Example usageWorked figures06

Example usage

A patio slab
20 by 12 ft at 4 in deep is 80 cu ft, or 2.96 cubic yards.
A mulch bed
20 by 12 ft at 3 in is 60 cu ft, or 2.22 cubic yards — right at the point where bulk delivery beats bags.
A deep excavation
20 by 12 ft at 24 in is 480 cu ft, or 17.78 cubic yards. That is several truckloads.
Frequently asked questionsCommon questions07

Frequently asked questions

How many cubic feet in a cubic yard?

Twenty-seven. A yard is three feet, and three cubed is twenty-seven — using three instead of twenty-seven is the classic volume error.

How do I calculate cubic yards?

Length times width in feet, times depth in feet, divided by twenty-seven. Enter depth in inches here and the division by twelve is handled.

How many cubic yards is a truckload?

It varies by truck and by material. Small dump trucks carry a few cubic yards; larger ones ten or more. Ask your supplier what a load holds before ordering.

How do I convert cubic yards to tons?

Multiply by the material's density in tons per cubic yard — roughly 1.4 for crushed stone, 1.35 for sand, 1.1 for topsoil. The individual material calculators carry these.

Why is depth entered in inches?

Because that is how depths are specified and measured on site. Converting in your head is an unnecessary chance to be wrong.

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