Cubic yards calculator
An area 12 ft long and 10 ft wide, 4 in deep, is 1.48 cubic yards (40 cubic feet). Enter any size in feet, inches, yards, meters or centimeters.
The formula
A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft on each side: 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To find cubic yards, convert every measurement to feet, multiply them together, and divide by 27.
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
With the depth in inches: length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324
12 ft × 10 ft × 4 in = 40 cu ft
40 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.48 cu yd
For a circle, the area is π × (diameter ÷ 2)². A circle 10 ft across has an area of 78.5 sq ft, so at 4 in deep it holds 0.97 cubic yards. One cubic yard is 0.765 cubic meters, and one cubic meter is 1.308 cubic yards.
Cubic yards by area and depth
| Depth | 100 sq ft | 200 sq ft | 500 sq ft | 1,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 0.31 | 0.62 | 1.54 | 3.09 |
| 2 in | 0.62 | 1.23 | 3.09 | 6.17 |
| 3 in | 0.93 | 1.85 | 4.63 | 9.26 |
| 4 in | 1.23 | 2.47 | 6.17 | 12.35 |
| 6 in | 1.85 | 3.70 | 9.26 | 18.52 |
| 8 in | 2.47 | 4.94 | 12.35 | 24.69 |
| 12 in | 3.70 | 7.41 | 18.52 | 37.04 |
Turning yards into an order
Concrete, soil and mulch are sold by the cubic yard. Gravel, stone and sand are usually sold by the ton, so convert with the weight of the material: the cubic yards to tons calculator has published weights for each one. A yard of loose gravel is about 1.35 tons, a yard of topsoil about 1.2.
Sources
- How Much Compost, Soil or Mulch Do I Need to Purchase?, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Travis County, February 2010. Square feet times depth in inches, divided by 324, gives cubic yards.