How to use this calculator
- Choose a shape:
- Rectangle for beds, slabs, trenches, boxes and most areas you’d fill.
- Cylinder for post holes, round planters, tanks and tree pits.
- Triangle for a wedge-shaped area such as a corner bed.
- Enter each dimension and choose its unit. You can mix units, for example length in feet and depth in inches.
- Set the quantity if you have several identical pieces.
The result gives the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, the area covered, and the same volume as liquid capacity in gallons and liters, handy for ponds and tanks.
The formulas
Every shape becomes cubic feet first, then cubic yards:
- Rectangle: length × width × depth.
- Cylinder: π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth.
- Triangle: base × height ÷ 2 × depth, where the height is at a right angle to the base.
Unit conversions are exact by definition: 1 foot = 12 inches, 1 yard = 3 feet, and 1 foot = 0.3048 meters. That makes a cubic foot 0.0283168 cubic meters and a cubic yard 0.764555 cubic meters. A US gallon is 231 cubic inches, so a cubic foot holds 7.48 gallons.
Worked examples
A garden bed or slab. The default is 10 × 10 feet, 4 inches deep:
- Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
- Volume: 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.33 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 33.33 ÷ 27 = 1.23 cubic yards (0.94 m³).
Post holes. Eight holes, each 12 inches across and 4 feet deep: π × 0.5² × 4 = 3.14 cubic feet each, 25.13 cubic feet in all, or 0.93 cubic yards.
Raised beds. Two beds 8 × 4 feet, 12 inches deep: 32 cubic feet each, 64 cubic feet together, which is 2.37 cubic yards of soil.
A corner bed. A triangle with a 10 foot base and 8 foot height, 4 inches deep, covers 40 square feet and holds 13.33 cubic feet, about 0.49 cubic yards.
Metric. An area 3 × 2 meters, 10 centimeters deep is exactly 0.6 m³, which is 21.19 cubic feet or 0.78 cubic yards.
What one cubic yard covers
| Depth | Square feet | Square meters | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in (2.54 cm) | 324 | 30.1 | Top-dressing a lawn, compost |
| 2 in (5.08 cm) | 162 | 15.05 | Topping up mulch, gravel path |
| 3 in (7.62 cm) | 108 | 10.03 | New mulch bed, pea gravel |
| 4 in (10.16 cm) | 81 | 7.53 | Concrete patio, gravel driveway |
| 6 in (15.24 cm) | 54 | 5.02 | Driveway slab, new garden bed |
| 12 in (30.48 cm) | 27 | 2.51 | Raised bed, deep fill |
The rule behind the table: a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, and spreading it 1 inch thick (1/12 of a foot) covers 27 × 12 = 324 square feet. Halve the depth and the coverage doubles.
Cubic feet, cubic yards and cubic meters
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | Cubic meters |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 13.5 | 0.38 |
| 1 | 27 | 0.76 |
| 2 | 54 | 1.53 |
| 3 | 81 | 2.29 |
| 5 | 135 | 3.82 |
| 10 | 270 | 7.65 |
Choosing the right calculator
This calculator gives a pure volume, which suits anything sold by the cubic yard or cubic foot: topsoil, fill dirt, compost and sand, or the space inside a tank. For specific materials, the dedicated calculators add the details that matter when you buy:
- Concrete calculator: cubic yards plus 40, 60 and 80 lb bags for slabs, footings, columns and steps.
- Mulch calculator: up to three beds, with 2 and 3 cubic foot bag counts and bag versus bulk cost.
- Gravel calculator: converts cubic yards to tons for gravel, stone, sand and topsoil.
- Square footage calculator: when you only need the area.
Tips for accurate yardage
- Measure depth in several places. Use the average for gently uneven ground.
- Allow extra for settling. Loose soil and compost settle after watering, and fill compacts under a tamper, so order a little over the calculated volume.
- Round up when ordering. Suppliers often load in half or whole yards; buying slightly more saves a second delivery.
- Mind the weight. Volume tells you how much space material takes, not how heavy it is. A yard of wet soil or gravel can weigh more than a ton.
Assumptions and limitations
- Shapes are treated as perfect boxes, cylinders and wedges with flat bottoms. Irregular holes and sloped sites differ.
- The volume of anything placed inside (a post, pipe or rock) isn’t subtracted.
- Liquid capacity is the geometric volume; real tanks hold a little less below the rim.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length, width and depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. Convert inches to feet first by dividing by 12, so a 10 by 10 foot area 4 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. A cubic yard is also exactly 0.764554857984 cubic meters.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, 81 at 4 inches and 54 at 6 inches. In general, divide 324 by the depth in inches.
How do I calculate the volume of a hole?
A round hole is a cylinder, so its volume is π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth. Eight post holes 12 inches wide and 4 feet deep hold 25.13 cubic feet, or 0.93 cubic yards. Choose Cylinder and set the quantity to the number of holes.
How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?
Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646. To go from cubic meters to cubic yards, multiply by about 1.308. For example, 0.6 cubic meters is about 0.78 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards fit in a pickup truck?
It depends on the bed size and the material's weight, not just the volume. A cubic yard of gravel or soil weighs well over a ton, more than many pickups are rated to carry, so check your truck's payload rating before loading heavy material.
Updated November 2026. Results are estimates for educational purposes and depend on the inputs you provide.