Cubic Yard Calculator
Suppliers sell mulch, soil, gravel and concrete by the cubic yard — but your tape measure reads feet and inches. Enter your measurements in any units and get cubic yards instantly, with weight estimates for common materials.
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How to calculate cubic yards
A cubic yard is a cube measuring one yard (3 feet) on each side — 27 cubic feet. To convert any rectangular space to cubic yards, get every measurement into feet, multiply, and divide by 27.
Formula: Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft) ÷ 27 = cubic yards
The classic stumbling block is depth: it's usually measured in inches, and inches must be divided by 12 first. A 12 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches deep is 12 × 10 × 0.25 = 30 cubic feet = 1.11 cubic yards.
| Depth | Cubic yards per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|
| 1" | 0.31 |
| 2" | 0.62 |
| 3" | 0.93 |
| 4" | 1.23 |
| 6" | 1.85 |
| 12" | 3.70 |
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends entirely on the material — from about 400 lb for dry mulch to over 4,000 lb for concrete:
| Material | lb/yd³ | US tons/yd³ |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch (hardwood) | 400–800 | 0.2–0.4 |
| Topsoil (dry) | ≈ 2,000 | ≈ 1.0 |
| River rock | ≈ 2,538 | ≈ 1.27 |
| Sand (dry) | ≈ 2,700 | ≈ 1.35 |
| Gravel (crushed) | ≈ 2,835 | ≈ 1.42 |
| Concrete | ≈ 4,050 | ≈ 2.0 |
This matters for hauling: a full-size pickup can hold 2 cubic yards of mulch by volume, but only about ⅓–½ yard of gravel before hitting its payload limit.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Exactly 27 cubic feet. A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Multiply the square footage by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12), then divide by 27. Example: 200 sq ft at 3 inches = 200 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards fit in a pickup truck?
A full-size bed holds about 2 cubic yards level-full by volume. By weight, most half-ton trucks max out around ⅓–½ yard of gravel or soil, but can carry 2 yards of light mulch.
How many wheelbarrow loads are in a cubic yard?
A standard 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow takes 4.5 heaped loads per cubic yard; a smaller 4 cu ft barrow takes about 7 loads.