Free Contractor Tool
Cubic Yard Calculator
Enter length, width, and depth to instantly get cubic yards and cubic feet for concrete, gravel, sand, or topsoil. Add multiple areas, convert to tons by material, and estimate total material cost.
Built by SubcontractorHub — the software contractors use to quote, finance, and run every job.
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Calculate Cubic Yards & Cubic Feet
Enter length and width in feet and depth in inches or feet. Add as many areas as you need — the tool sums the total. Optionally pick a material for tonnage and a price for estimated cost. Results update instantly.
Area 1
This area: 1.23 yd³ • 33.33 ft³
Pick a material to estimate weight in tons. Densities are typical averages.
Enables an estimated total material cost.
Volume results
Cubic yards
1.23
Cubic feet
33.33
Estimated tons
Select a material
Total cost
Enter a price
Areas summed
1
Cubic yards + 10% waste
1.36
Cubic feet per yard
27
Cubic Yard Reference Table for Common Projects
Typical slab, driveway, and fill jobs with their cubic feet and cubic yard totals — useful for sanity-checking a number before you order. Multiply length × width × depth with every measurement in feet, then divide by 27.
The cubic yard formula
Cubic yards = (length in feet × width in feet × depth in feet) ÷ 27. The divide-by-27 step is the key: a cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on every side, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
Because most slabs, driveways, and fill projects are measured in inches of depth, convert depth to feet first by dividing inches by 12. For example, a 4-inch pour is 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 feet deep. This calculator’s depth toggle does that conversion for you.
Cubic yards vs cubic feet
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. Suppliers sell concrete, gravel, sand, and topsoil by the cubic yard, but you often measure a project in feet — so both units matter on the same job.
To go from cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27; to go the other way, multiply by 27. To convert volume to weight, multiply cubic yards by the material density: about 2.03 tons/yd³ for concrete, 1.4 for gravel, 1.35 for sand, and 1.1 for topsoil. Add 5–10% for waste before you order.
From Material Takeoffs to a Signed Proposal
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How to Calculate Cubic Yards
The formula
Cubic yards = (length ft × width ft × depth ft) ÷ 27
Measure length and width in feet
Measure the area's length and width in feet. For an irregular area, break it into rectangles, calculate each one separately, and add the results together — the calculator above lets you add multiple areas and sums them for you.
Convert depth to feet
Depth is usually specified in inches. Divide inches by 12 to get feet — 4 inches becomes 0.333 feet, 6 inches becomes 0.5 feet. All three dimensions must be in feet before you multiply. The calculator has an inches/feet toggle so you can skip this step.
Multiply to get cubic feet
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet. A 10 ft × 10 ft area at 4 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.333, which equals 33.3 cubic feet.
Divide by 27 to get cubic yards
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on every side (3 × 3 × 3 = 27). Divide your cubic feet by 27 — 33.3 cubic feet ÷ 27 is about 1.23 cubic yards.
Add a waste allowance and order
Add 5–10% for spillage, compaction, and uneven subgrade before you order. Suppliers sell bulk aggregate and ready-mix in fixed increments, so round up to the next increment rather than down — a short load costs far more in a return trip than the extra material does.
Cubic Yard Coverage & Conversion Reference
The arithmetic is the easy part. What actually decides whether an order is right is knowing how far a yard goes at your spread depth, what it weighs on the truck, and how many trips it takes to move it. These are the numbers worth checking before you call the supplier.
How far one cubic yard spreads
| Spread depth | Coverage per yd³ | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 ft² | Topdressing, thin mulch refresh |
| 2 in | 162 ft² | Mulch beds, sand leveling course |
| 3 in | 108 ft² | Standard mulch, paver bedding |
| 4 in | 81 ft² | Slabs, sidewalks, driveway base |
| 6 in | 54 ft² | Driveway slab, compacted subbase |
| 8 in | 40 ft² | Footings, heavy-load aggregate |
| 12 in | 27 ft² | Trench backfill, deep fill |
What a cubic yard weighs and costs by material
| Material | Weight per yd³ | Tons per yd³ | Typical price per yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ready-mix concrete | ~4,050 lb | 2.03 | $125–$175 delivered |
| Crushed stone / gravel | ~2,800 lb | 1.40 | $15–$75 |
| Sand | ~2,700 lb | 1.35 | $15–$50 |
| Screened topsoil | ~2,200 lb | 1.10 | $20–$60 |
| Asphalt (hot mix) | ~3,900 lb | 1.95 | $80–$160 |
| Bark / wood mulch | ~800 lb | 0.40 | $30–$60 |
Weights are dry-material averages. Wet sand and saturated topsoil can run 15–25% heavier, which matters when a load is priced by the ton or a truck is near its axle limit.
Moving a cubic yard: real-world equivalents
| Container | Capacity | Per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Contractor wheelbarrow (6 ft³) | 0.22 yd³ | ~5 loads |
| Half-ton pickup bed, level full | ~2 yd³ mulch / 1 yd³ soil | Under one load |
| Single-axle dump truck | 5–7 yd³ | Multiple yards per trip |
| Tandem dump truck | 10–14 yd³ | Bulk delivery |
| 2 ft³ bagged mulch | 0.074 yd³ | 13.5 bags |
| 0.5 ft³ bagged soil | 0.019 yd³ | 54 bags |
| 80 lb concrete bag | 0.022 yd³ | 45 bags |
A pickup rated for a cubic yard by volume is often over its weight rating long before the bed is full — one yard of wet soil is more than a ton. Check payload, not just bed volume.
Common Questions About Cubic Yards
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Cubic yards = (length in feet × width in feet × depth in feet) ÷ 27. Convert all measurements to feet first — if depth is in inches, divide by 12. Multiply length × width × depth to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 because a cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet. This calculator does it all automatically.
How much is a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet — a cube 3 feet on every side. Spread out, one cubic yard covers about 324 ft² at 1 inch deep, 162 ft² at 2 inches, 81 ft² at 4 inches, or 54 ft² at 6 inches. On price, a cubic yard of ready-mix concrete runs roughly $125–$175 delivered, gravel $15–$75, screened topsoil $20–$60, and mulch $30–$60 — all with wide regional variation and a separate delivery fee on most bulk orders.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard — a cube 3 feet on each side (3 × 3 × 3 = 27). To convert cubic feet to cubic yards divide by 27; to go the other way multiply by 27.
How do I convert cubic yards to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the material's density in tons per cubic yard. Concrete is about 2.03 tons/yd³ (roughly 4,050 lb/yd³), gravel about 1.4, sand about 1.35, and topsoil about 1.1. Select a material in this calculator to see estimated tons automatically.
How many cubic yards of concrete do I need for a slab?
Multiply slab length × width × thickness in feet and divide by 27. A 10 ft × 10 ft slab at 4 inches thick is 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.3 cubic feet ÷ 27 = about 1.23 cubic yards. Order 5–10% extra for spillage and uneven subgrade.
How do I measure depth in inches for a cubic yard calc?
Measure depth in inches, then divide by 12 to convert to feet before applying the formula — for example 6 inches ÷ 12 = 0.5 feet. This calculator has an inches/feet toggle so you can enter depth in inches directly and let the tool convert it.
How much material should I add for waste?
Add 5–10% to your calculated volume for waste, spillage, compaction, and uneven ground. Concrete slabs and footings usually need 5–10%; for compacting aggregates and landscape fill over irregular terrain, lean toward 10%. Extra material is cheaper than a second delivery.
Quote, Finance, and Run Every Job in One Platform
SubcontractorHub helps contractors turn field measurements into accurate proposals, present financing, and close jobs on-site — built for the way contractor sales actually works.
Book a Free DemoVolume results are based on the dimensions you enter and divide cubic feet by 27 to produce cubic yards. Tonnage estimates use typical average material densities and will vary with moisture, compaction, and aggregate mix. Verify quantities against supplier data and site conditions before ordering. All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.