Cubic Yard Calculator
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft). To calculate cubic yards, multiply length × width × depth in feet, then divide by 27. For example, 9 ft × 6 ft × 0.5 ft = 27 cu ft = 1 cubic yard.
Enter length, width and depth in feet, get the volume in cubic yards, with every step shown.
How to calculate cubic yards
Type the length, width, and depth in feet, then press Calculate. The calculator multiplies the three to get cubic feet, then divides by 27 to give cubic yards, the unit soil, mulch, concrete, and gravel are sold in, with both steps shown.
Depth is often the tricky input: 6 inches is 0.5 feet, 4 inches is 0.333 feet, 3 inches is 0.25 feet. Enter it in feet (decimals are fine) and the calculator handles the rest.
Cubic yard formula
A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, which holds 27 cubic feet. So the entire method is: volume in ft³ = L × W × D, then ÷ 27. That is it, every “cubic yard calculator” is this division wearing a friendly interface. The step panel shows the cubic-feet intermediate so you can verify the arithmetic.
When ordering, always round up: suppliers sell whole or half yards, and a short load means a second delivery fee. For 2.3 computed yards, order 2.5.
Worked example
Example: garden bed 10 ft × 8 ft, 6 in of soil
Step 1, Depth in feet: 6 in = 0.5 ft.
Step 2, Cubic feet: 10 × 8 × 0.5 = 40 ft³.
Step 3, Cubic yards: 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 yd³.
Ordering: round up to 1.5 cubic yards. A standard pickup truck bed holds roughly 2 cubic yards, so one trip covers it.
More examples: 20 × 15 ft at 4 in (0.333 ft) → 3.7 yd³; 6 ft diameter circle at 0.5 ft depth → 0.52 yd³.
Common mistakes
- Depth in inches instead of feet: entering 6 (inches) as if it were feet over-orders 12×. Convert: inches ÷ 12 = feet.
- Dividing by 3 instead of 27: a yard is 3 feet, but a cubic yard is 3³ = 27 cubic feet. This is the single most common error.
- Ordering the exact figure: round up to the nearest half yard, settling, spillage, and uneven ground eat the margin.
- Forgetting shape: for circles (tree rings, round planters) compute πr² × depth instead, or split the project into rectangles.
When to use it
Any bulk material sold by the yard: topsoil, garden soil, mulch, compost, concrete, crushed stone, and sand. Contractors think in cubic yards; bags at the garden center are usually 1–2 cubic feet each (27 one-cubic-foot bags ≈ one yard, bulk delivery is far cheaper past about a yard).
Need weight too? The gravel calculator adds tonnage estimates, and the asphalt calculator handles hot-mix by the ton.
Full walkthrough: a concrete footer
A footer 24 ft long, 1.5 ft wide, 1 ft deep: 24 x 1.5 x 1 = 36 ft3; 36 div 27 = 1.33 yd3. Concrete is ordered by the yard with a 1-yard minimum at most plants, so you would order 1.5 yards – the extra half yard covers form displacement and spillage.
Frequently asked questions
Twenty-seven. A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 ft³. To convert, divide cubic feet by 27, the calculator shows this step for every computation.
Multiply length × width × thickness (all in feet), then divide by 27. A 10×10 ft slab 4 inches (0.333 ft) thick is 33.3 ft³ ≈ 1.23 yd³, order 1.5 yards.
Always. Round up to the nearest half cubic yard. Materials settle, spill, and ground is never perfectly level, a short load costs a second delivery fee.
About 27 one-cubic-foot bags. Bulk delivery by the yard is much cheaper once you need more than roughly a cubic yard.
At 4 inches thick (0.333 ft): 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.3 ft³ ÷ 27 ≈ 1.23 yd³, order 1.5 yards. Enter your exact dimensions in the calculator above.
About 3.2 inches. One yard is 27 ft³; 27 ÷ 100 = 0.27 ft = 3.24 in. Handy for checking whether a delivery will give the depth you want.