How many cubic yards do I need?
Multiply length by width to get square feet, multiply by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard (3 × 3 × 3 ft).
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324
A 20 × 10 ft bed at 4 inches deep: 20 × 10 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.47 cubic yards. That's 66.7 cubic feet or 1.89 cubic meters. Suppliers usually sell bulk material by the half yard, so you'd order 2.5 yards.
The 324 comes from 27 cubic feet per yard × 12 inches per foot. If you measure depth in feet, use ÷ 27 instead.
Square feet to cubic yards
If you already know the area, pick "I know sq ft" above. Or divide your square feet by the coverage in this table. 500 sq ft at 3 inches is 500 ÷ 108 = 4.63 cubic yards.
| Depth | Sq ft covered by 1 cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 |
| 2 in | 162 |
| 3 in | 108 |
| 4 in | 81 |
| 6 in | 54 |
| 12 in | 27 |
Cubic yards to tons
Stone, sand and soil are often sold by the ton, so you need the material's weight per yard. Pick a material above to see tons. These are typical figures; moisture and the source change them, so the weight field is editable.
| Material | Typical tons per cubic yard | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wood mulch | 0.2–0.4 | Mulch calculator |
| Topsoil | 1.0–1.4 | Topsoil calculator |
| Gravel and crushed stone | 1.3–1.5 | Gravel calculator |
| Sand | 1.3–1.7 | Sand calculator |
| Concrete | About 2.0 | Concrete calculator |
The material calculators go further than this one: bag counts, gravel types, depth guides and settling allowances.
Cubic yard calculator in feet
For holes, trenches and deep fills it's easier to measure depth in feet. A 10 × 10 ft area filled 3 ft deep is 300 cubic feet, or 11.11 cubic yards.
Cubic feet, cubic meters and gallons
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, 0.765 cubic meters or about 202 US gallons. One cubic meter is about 1.31 cubic yards. To go from cubic feet to yards, divide by 27.
Cubic yards of mulch, soil and gravel
Mulch is usually spread 2–3 inches deep, topsoil 4–6 inches for a new lawn, and driveway gravel 4 inches per layer. A 300 sq ft bed of mulch at 3 inches is 2.78 cubic yards. Add about 10% to soil and gravel for settling and compaction.
Pricing a bulk material job
Landscapers usually price bulk material per yard plus markup, delivery at cost, and labor to spread it. Switch to contractor mode to add your markup and hours, then send it on a landscaping estimate.
Questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft high, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches and 81 at 4 inches.
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?
Divide cubic feet by 27. For example, 135 cubic feet is 5 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. Wood mulch is typically 400–800 lb, topsoil about 1 to 1.4 tons, gravel about 1.4 tons, and concrete about 2 tons.