Cubic Yard Calculator
Enter the length, width and depth of the area and get the cubic yards of material to order, with extra for waste and an optional cost estimate.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Private
5–10% is a common allowance.
- Exact cubic yards
- 1.8519
- Cubic yards with extra
- 2.037
- Cubic feet
- 50
- Cubic meters
- 1.416
How this was calculated
- Convert to feet: 20 ft × 10 ft × 0.25 ft = 50 cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 cubic feet per cubic yard: 50 ÷ 27 = 1.8519 cubic yards.
- Add 10% extra: 1.8519 × 1.1 = 2.037 cubic yards.
How this cubic yard calculator works
Landscape suppliers sell soil, mulch, gravel, sand and ready-mix concrete by the cubic yard. This cubic yard calculator turns the length, width and depth of the space you want to fill into the number of cubic yards to order. It converts everything to feet, multiplies to get cubic feet, and divides by 27, because one cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet.
Worked example
Say you are spreading mulch over a bed that is 20 ft long and 10 ft wide, 3 inches deep. Three inches is 0.25 ft, so the volume is 20 × 10 × 0.25 = 50 cubic feet. Divided by 27, that is 1.852 cubic yards. Add 10% for uneven ground and settling and you need about 2.04 cubic yards, so ordering 2.5 yards would leave a little to spare. The calculator does exactly this and shows each step.
Typical depths
The right depth depends on the material. Mulch is commonly laid 2 to 3 inches deep, topsoil for a new lawn 4 to 6 inches, and gravel for a path or driveway base 2 to 4 inches or more depending on traffic. A concrete slab for a patio is often around 4 inches thick. Check the recommendation for your specific product, since coverage rules differ by material and by supplier.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to convert inches to feet. Entering 3 for a depth in feet instead of inches makes the answer 12 times too big. Set the depth unit separately so you cannot mix them up.
- Dividing by 3 instead of 27. Cubic units scale with the cube of the length: 3 × 3 × 3.
- Skipping the extra. Spillage, uneven ground and compaction mean the exact figure is usually a little short. The waste field lets you add a percentage.
Irregular shapes and bulk orders
For an L-shaped or odd-shaped bed, split it into rectangles, calculate each one, and add the totals. Loose materials like soil compact once they are watered or walked on, so a pile that looks right at delivery can settle by several percent. Many suppliers deliver in half-yard steps, which is why the result also shows the amount rounded up to the next half yard; confirm the minimum with your supplier. For round beds or tanks, use the volume calculator, and for the surface alone use the area calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 20 ft × 10 ft area filled 3 inches (0.25 ft) deep is 50 cubic feet, or 1.85 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet, because 1 yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
How do I convert inches of depth to feet?
Divide by 12: 3 inches is 0.25 ft and 6 inches is 0.5 ft. The calculator lets you pick inches as the depth unit so you do not have to convert.
How much extra material should I order?
Adding 5–10% to cover spillage, uneven ground and settling is a common allowance. Enter it in the extra field and the result updates.
How do I calculate an irregular or L-shaped area?
Split it into rectangles, calculate the cubic yards of each, and add them up. For a round bed, use the volume calculator with the cylinder shape.