Cubic Yard Calculator
Use this cubic yard calculator to quickly convert length, width and depth into cubic yards — the standard unit suppliers use to price concrete, gravel, mulch and topsoil. Enter an optional price per cubic yard to get an instant cost estimate for your project.
Your answer
- Cubic Feet
- 33.33
How it works
Formula
Cubic Feet = Length × Width × (Depth ÷ 12) • Cubic Yards = Cubic Feet ÷ 27
Worked example
A 10 ft × 10 ft slab at 4 in deep = 10 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 33.33 cu ft. Divide by 27 → 1.23 cubic yards. At $140/yd³ that is about $172.
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How to calculate cubic yards
Cubic yards measure three-dimensional volume — how much material fits inside a space. To find cubic yards from real-world dimensions, first make sure every measurement is in feet (divide inches by 12), multiply length × width × depth, then divide the result by 27. That 27 is the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard: a yard is 3 feet on a side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. This formula works identically for concrete, gravel, mulch, topsoil, sand, dirt fill and any other material sold by the cubic yard.
Worked examples
Driveway slab: 20 ft × 10 ft × 4 in → 20 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 66.67 ft³ ÷ 27 = 2.47 yd³. Round up and order 3 yd³. Garden bed: 12 ft × 4 ft × 8 in → 12 × 4 × (8 ÷ 12) = 32 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.19 yd³. Order 1.5 yd³ from a bulk supplier. Circular fire-pit base 6 ft across × 6 in deep → area is π × 3² = 28.27 ft², volume is 28.27 × 0.5 = 14.14 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.52 yd³. Order 0.75 or 1 yd³.
Common depth guidelines
Residential concrete slab, patio or walkway: 4 in. Heavy-vehicle concrete driveway or shed floor: 5–6 in. Concrete footing: 8–12 in below frost line. Gravel driveway base: 4–6 in (2 in coarse under 2 in finer). Mulch: 2–3 in for established beds, 3–4 in for weed suppression. Topsoil for a new lawn: 4–6 in. Fill dirt below topsoil: as deep as the excavation requires.
How much material is a cubic yard, really?
One cubic yard fills the bed of a standard pickup truck up to (but not over) the sidewalls for most 6-foot beds. It is about 9 loads of a 3 cu-ft contractor wheelbarrow, or roughly 27 five-gallon buckets. Bulk delivery is almost always cheaper than bags above 1 yd³ — 45 × 80-lb bags of concrete or 14 × 2-cu-ft bags of mulch equal one cubic yard.
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