Cubic Yard Calculator

1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. It covers 324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 108 sq ft at 3 inches, or 81 sq ft at 4 inches. Enter your area and depth below to get cubic yards, tons and bags for gravel, soil, mulch or concrete.

Project dimensions

Shape

Length

Width

Depth (in)

Waste / extra (%)

A small buffer for settling and spillage.

Material (optional)

Material

Choose a material to also estimate weight in tons.

Cubic yards needed

0.93cu yd

With 5% waste, order 0.97 cu yd.

Cubic feet

25 cu ft

Cubic meters

0.71 m³

Mulch bags (2 cu ft)

Soil bags (0.75 cu ft)

Gravel bags (0.5 cu ft)

Show the math

area = 100 sq ft

depth = 3 in = 0.25 ft

volume = 100 × 0.25 = 25 cu ft

cubic yards = 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cu yd

+ 5% waste = 0.97 cu yd

How to use this calculator

Pick the shape of your area: rectangle, circle or triangle.
Enter the dimensions in feet and inches.
Enter the depth of material in inches.
Choose a material to also get an estimated weight in tons.
Add a waste allowance (5% is a sensible default) and read your cubic yards.

Formula

volume (cu ft) = area (sq ft) × depth (ft)
cubic yards = volume (cu ft) ÷ 27
tons = cubic yards × material density (tons per cu yd)

Worked example

A 10 ft × 10 ft area, 3 inches deep:

area = 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft

depth = 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft

volume = 100 × 0.25 = 25 cu ft

cubic yards = 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cu yd

Cubic yard calculator diagram showing length, width and depth of an area

Reference tables

Coverage of 1 cubic yard by depth

Depth	Area covered
1"	324 sq ft
2"	162 sq ft
3"	108 sq ft
4"	81 sq ft
6"	54 sq ft
12"	27 sq ft

1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, so coverage = 324 ÷ depth in inches.

Tips & buying advice

Order about 5–10% extra for settling, uneven ground and spillage.
Bulk material is sold by the cubic yard; bagged material is sold by the cubic foot (commonly 2 cu ft for mulch, 0.75 cu ft for soil, 0.5 cu ft for gravel).
Many yards have a delivery minimum — buying in bulk usually beats bags above roughly 1 cubic yard.
A standard pickup bed holds roughly 2–3 cubic yards of mulch but only about 1 cubic yard of gravel or soil by weight.

Frequently asked questions

Is a cubic yard 3×3×3?

Yes. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. That is why you divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.

How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?

It depends on depth. One cubic yard covers 324 sq ft at 1 inch, 108 sq ft at 3 inches, and 81 sq ft at 4 inches. Divide 324 by the depth in inches to get the coverage.

How many bags of mulch are in a yard?

A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it equals 13.5 bags of 2-cubic-foot mulch. Round up to 14 bags to fully replace one bulk yard.

How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?

Divide the number of cubic feet by 27. For example, 54 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 2 cubic yards. To go the other way, multiply cubic yards by 27.

How much does a cubic yard weigh?

Weight depends on the material. A cubic yard is roughly 1.4 tons of gravel, 1.1 tons of topsoil, 2 tons of wet concrete, or just 0.3 tons of bark mulch. Moisture changes these figures.

Can a pickup truck carry a cubic yard?

Most half-ton pickups can safely carry about one cubic yard of soil or gravel by weight, or two to three cubic yards of lighter mulch. Check your truck's payload rating before loading.

Built and maintained by Sikander Mushtaq. Formulas checked against USDA bulk-density references, landscape-supply yard figures. See our methodology and sources, or learn about YardageMath.

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Estimates only. Confirm quantities with your supplier or contractor. Read the full disclaimer.