Free calculator
Cubic yard calculator: any shape, any material
Cubic yards = length × width × depth in feet ÷ 27. A 12 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches of mulch is 1.1 cubic yards. Add as many areas as the job has, pick the material for tons, and switch on excavation mode for loose yards and truckloads.
Areas
Material
Cubic yards
1.11
Cubic feet
30
0.85 m³
Tons of mulch
0.33
2 cu ft bags
15
Bagged mulch and soil
Quantities are half a bid. Send these to the free estimate builder to add labor, burden and markup, then hand the customer a proposal.
Every field takes arithmetic — type 24+18+12 and it adds. Nothing is sent anywhere; the math runs in your browser.
The formula and the conversions
Cubic yards = sq ft × depth (ft) ÷ 27. A circle’s area is π × (diameter ÷ 2)²; a triangle’s is base × height ÷ 2. Measure awkward shapes as several simple ones and add them.
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet |
| 1 cubic yard | 0.7646 cubic meters |
| 1 cubic meter | 1.308 cubic yards |
| 1 cubic foot | 0.037 cubic yards |
Coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | Sq ft per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1" | 324 |
| 2" | 162 |
| 3" | 108 |
| 4" | 81 |
| 6" | 54 |
| 12" | 27 |
Weight per cubic yard
Typical dry figures; suppliers publish their own and moisture adds weight.
| Material | Tons / cu yd | Lb / cu yd |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57 / #3) | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| Pea gravel | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| Crusher run / road base | 1.50 | 3,000 |
| River rock | 1.35 | 2,700 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.40 | 2,800 |
| Sand | 1.35 | 2,700 |
| Topsoil (dry) | 1.10 | 2,200 |
| Fill dirt | 1.20 | 2,400 |
| Mulch | 0.30 | 600 |
| Concrete | 2.00 | 4,000 |
Bank, loose and compacted yards
Dirt grows when you dig it. The swell factor converts bank yards (in the ground, how excavation is usually measured and paid) to loose yards (in the truck, how it is hauled). Figures below are typical midpoints of commonly quoted ranges — a geotechnical report or your own haul tickets beat them.
| Material | Typical swell | 1 bank yard hauls as |
|---|---|---|
| Sand / gravel | 12% | 1.12 loose cu yd |
| Common earth / loam | 25% | 1.25 loose cu yd |
| Clay | 35% | 1.35 loose cu yd |
| Blasted rock | 60% | 1.60 loose cu yd |
Worked example: a 30 × 40 ft basement dug 8 ft deep is 9,600 cubic feet — 355.6 bank yards. In common earth at 25% swell that is 444 loose yards, or 45 loads in 10-yard trucks.
Related calculators and pricing
For stone by the ton use the gravel calculator; for lawns and beds, the topsoil calculator; for pours, the concrete calculator. To turn yards into a bid, BuiltSum’s excavation estimating software and landscaping estimating software price equipment, trucking and labor per unit.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, and divide by 27. Depth in inches goes in as inches ÷ 12, so a 12 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches is 12 × 10 × 0.25 = 30 cubic feet, or 1.11 cubic yards.
How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?
324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, 81 at 4 inches and 54 at 6 inches. The rule is 324 ÷ depth in inches.
How do I convert cubic yards to tons?
Multiply by the material's weight per yard: roughly 1.4 tons for crushed stone, 1.35 for sand, about 1.1 for dry topsoil, and 0.3 or less for mulch. Suppliers publish their own figures, and moisture changes them.
How many bags of mulch make a cubic yard?
Thirteen and a half of the common 2 cubic foot bags, since a yard is 27 cubic feet. Three-cubic-foot bags work out to 9 per yard.
What is the difference between bank, loose and compacted yards?
Bank yards are material as it sits in the ground; loose yards are the same material dug out, which swells — common earth by roughly 25%, clay by 30–40%. Compacted yards are what is left after rolling. Excavation is measured in bank yards but hauled in loose yards, so the truck count comes from the bigger number.
Quantities are half the bid.
BuiltSum prices them from trade assemblies, sends the proposal, and bills the job monthly — unlimited projects from $49/mo.
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