Cubic Yards Calculator

About Cubic Yards Calculator

This cubic yards calculator converts length, width, and depth measurements into cubic yards. Enter dimensions in feet, inches, meters, or centimetres, and the tool outputs volume in cubic yards, cubic feet, and cubic metres. It supports multiple areas with individual and combined totals, and includes material presets with recommended depth guidelines.

How Cubic Yards Are Calculated

A cubic yard is a volume of 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet, or 27 cubic feet. The calculator converts your measurements to feet, multiplies length x width x depth, then divides by 27:

Step	Formula	Example (10 ft x 12 ft x 4 in deep)
Convert depth to feet	Inches / 12	4 / 12 = 0.333 ft
Volume in cubic feet	L x W x D	10 x 12 x 0.333 = 40 cu ft
Volume in cubic yards	Cu ft / 27	40 / 27 = 1.48 cu yd

Volume Conversion Reference

Unit	Equals
1 cubic yard	27 cubic feet
1 cubic yard	46,656 cubic inches
1 cubic yard	0.7646 cubic metres
1 cubic metre	1.308 cubic yards
1 cubic yard	~202 US gallons

Material Depths and Coverage

Different materials require different depths depending on the application. One cubic yard covers the following area at various depths:

Depth	Coverage per Cubic Yard	Common Materials
1 inch	324 sq ft	Decorative stone top-dressing
2 inches	162 sq ft	Mulch (light coverage), sand levelling
3 inches	108 sq ft	Standard mulch, gravel pathways
4 inches	81 sq ft	Concrete sidewalks, thick mulch beds
6 inches	54 sq ft	Concrete driveways, raised bed fill
12 inches	27 sq ft	Raised garden bed (full depth), retaining wall backfill

Material Weight per Cubic Yard

Weight matters for delivery truck capacity and load limits. Most dump trucks can carry 10-14 cubic yards by volume but may hit their weight limit sooner with heavy materials:

Material	Weight per Cubic Yard (approx.)	Notes
Mulch (wood chips)	400-800 lbs	Varies by moisture content; wet mulch is much heavier
Topsoil	1,800-2,200 lbs	Dry topsoil is lighter; screened topsoil is denser
Sand	2,400-2,700 lbs	Wet sand weighs more than dry sand
Gravel (pea gravel)	2,500-2,800 lbs	Smaller stones pack more densely
Crushed stone	2,700-3,000 lbs	Angular pieces interlock and weigh more per yard
Concrete (mixed)	3,600-4,000 lbs	About 2 tons per cubic yard when mixed
Fill dirt	2,000-2,600 lbs	Depends on clay content and moisture

Dump Truck Capacity Reference

Truck Type	Volume Capacity	Typical Weight Limit
Pickup truck bed	1-2 cubic yards	~1,000-2,000 lbs
Single-axle dump truck	5-6 cubic yards	~13,000 lbs
Tandem-axle dump truck	10-14 cubic yards	~26,000 lbs
Tri-axle dump truck	14-18 cubic yards	~40,000 lbs

Multiple Areas

Add as many sections as you need - garden beds, pathways, driveways - and the calculator totals them. Each area shows its individual cubic yardage alongside the combined total. Name each area to keep your project breakdown clear.

Buying Tips

Quantity	Best Source	Why
Under 1 cubic yard	Bags from garden centre	Convenient; no delivery fee
1-3 cubic yards	Pickup truck load from landscape supplier	Cheaper per yard than bags; one trip
3+ cubic yards	Bulk delivery	Significantly cheaper per yard; delivered directly

Always order 5-10% extra for uneven ground, compaction, and spreading losses.

For concrete-specific quantities with bag counts, the concrete calculator estimates ready-mix or bags needed. For garden bed materials, the mulch calculator includes material-specific depth recommendations. All calculations run in your browser with no data stored.