Cubic Yard Calculator
Turn the measured length, width and depth of a space (or a known area and depth) into cubic yards. Add more sections if parts of the job are different sizes.
How cubic yards are calculated
Each measurement is converted to feet, then length × width × depth gives cubic feet. Dividing by 27 gives cubic yards. A 10 ft × 12 ft area that's 4 inches deep is 10 × 12 × 4/12 = 40 cubic feet, which is 40 ÷ 27 ≈ 1.481481 cubic yards. With a known area, the area in square feet times the depth in feet gives cubic feet the same way.
Adding sections of different sizes
Say a patio is 10 ft × 12 ft at 4 inches (40 ft³) and a path is 6 ft × 8 ft at 6 inches (24 ft³). Enter them as two sections and the total is 64 ft³, or 64 ÷ 27 ≈ 2.37037 cubic yards (about 1.812278 m³). The calculator adds the exact section volumes and rounds only for display, so the total doesn't drift from adding rounded numbers.
Depth starts in inches
Many layers are measured in inches, so depth starts in inches while length and width start in feet. 4 inches is 1/3 of a foot, 6 inches is half a foot, and 3 inches is a quarter of a foot. Change any unit to yards, centimeters or meters if that's how you measured.
Rounding and exports
Results show up to six decimal places, with ≈ when a value is rounded. The copied or downloaded worksheet is tab-separated, so it pastes into a spreadsheet, and it lists every section's measurements, units, square feet, cubic feet and cubic yards with nine decimal places.
Privacy
Everything is calculated in this browser tab. Your measurements, section names, price and results aren't saved by this page, added to the page address or sent in analytics; a copy or download happens only when you choose it. See our privacy policy and disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic yards do I need for an area?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 10 ft × 12 ft area 4 inches deep is 40 cubic feet, or about 1.48 cubic yards. Add a section for each differently sized part and the calculator totals them.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To turn cubic feet into cubic yards, divide by 27; 40 cubic feet is 40 ÷ 27 ≈ 1.48 cubic yards.
Can I get cubic yards from square feet?
Only if you also know the depth. Square feet measure area; cubic yards measure volume. Choose Area × depth, enter the area and how deep the layer is, and the calculator multiplies them. For example, 120 square feet at 4 inches deep is 120 × 4/12 = 40 cubic feet, or about 1.48 cubic yards.
What if I measured some sides in inches and others in feet?
Pick the unit next to each measurement. Every value is converted to feet before multiplying (12 inches = 1 foot, 3 feet = 1 yard, 1 foot = 0.3048 meters), so you don't have to convert anything by hand. If you change a unit after typing a number, the number is converted so the measurement stays the same, and the exact value is kept even when the display is rounded.
How do I add areas that are different sizes?
Use Add section for each part, such as a patio and a walkway, and give each its own measurements and units. The results table shows each section's cubic feet and cubic yards, and the total adds the exact values before rounding. Use How many only when a part repeats with the same measurements.
Should I add extra for waste?
That depends on the material, your supplier and the job, so the calculator doesn't add any. If you want a margin, enter your own overage percentage and it's shown separately from the measured volume. The same goes for price: enter your supplier's price per cubic yard to see a material subtotal.
Is this how much material I should order?
Not necessarily. The result is the volume of the space you measured. Materials can settle or compact, suppliers sell in set increments, and some materials are sold by weight. For material-specific planning, use a concrete, gravel, mulch or topsoil calculator, or ask your supplier.