How to calculate cubic yards
Multiply length, width and depth, all in feet, to get cubic feet. Then divide by 27:
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
The depth is the usual stumbling block, because it’s measured in inches. Divide inches by 12 first: 3 in is 0.25 ft, 4 in is 0.333 ft, 6 in is 0.5 ft.
Example: a garden bed 12 ft long and 4 ft wide, filled 8 in deep, is 12 × 4 × 0.667 = 32 cubic feet, which is 1.19 cubic yards.
For a round area, the volume is 3.1416 × radius² × depth. A circle 10 ft across and 3 in deep holds 3.1416 × 25 × 0.25 = 19.6 cubic feet, or 0.73 cubic yards.
How far a cubic yard goes
| Depth | Area one cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
Converting volume
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet, 0.7646 m³, 764.6 liters |
| 1 cubic foot | 1,728 cubic inches, 28.3 liters |
| 1 cubic meter | 1.308 cubic yards, 35.3 cubic feet |
Bulk landscape materials and ready-mix concrete are sold by the cubic yard in the US, and by the cubic meter or tonne in most other countries. Some suppliers sell stone and sand by weight instead: the gravel calculator converts the volume into tons for you. The topsoil and mulch calculators also count bags, and the concrete calculator counts bags of mix.