How to use this calculator
- 1Pick the shape that matches your area: rectangle, circle or triangle. Split an odd shape into several and add the answers together.
- 2Enter the length and width (or the diameter, or the triangle's base and height) in feet or metres.
- 3Enter the depth. It starts in inches or millimetres; switch the box to feet or metres for deep holes and ponds.
- 4Enter how many identical shapes you have, and add an extra percentage if you are ordering material.
- 5Optionally choose a material to see roughly how much it weighs.
The formula
- 01Rectangle = length × width × depth
- 02Circle (cylinder) = π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth
- 03Triangle = base × height ÷ 2 × depth
- 04Total = volume × how many × (1 + extra %)
- 05Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27 · 1 m³ = 1,000 litres ≈ 1.308 yd³
- 06Weight = volume × density
- 07Digging out: loose volume = volume × (1 + swell %)
Volume is simply area × depth. The trap is units: lengths are usually measured in feet or metres but depths in inches or millimetres, so everything has to be in the same unit before you multiply. The calculator converts for you — 4 in is 1/3 ft, and 100 mm is 0.1 m.
A cubic yard is a cube 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft high, so it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. That is why you divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. A cubic metre is a cube 1 m on each side: it holds 1,000 litres, which is about 1.31 cubic yards or 35.3 cubic feet.
Suppliers of soil, gravel and sand often sell by weight (US tons or metric tonnes) rather than by volume. Weight is volume × density, and density changes with moisture and grading, so the weight here is an estimate. Ask your supplier for their figure if you are ordering by weight.
Worked example
A 12 ft × 10 ft area filled 4 in deep holds 40 ft³.
Divide by 27 to get cubic yards: 1.48 yd³. In metric that is 1,133 L.
Tips before you buy
- If the ground slopes or the depth varies, measure the depth in several places and use the average.
- Split L-shaped and odd areas into rectangles, circles and triangles, work out each one and add them up — or get the total area from the square footage calculator first.
- Material you will compact, such as a driveway sub-base, shrinks: order 15–20 % extra, or ask your supplier for their compaction figure.
- Hiring a skip for dug soil? Tick "digging out": a hole of 4 m³ fills about 5 m³ of skip, and skips must not be loaded above the rim.
- Bulk suppliers often have a minimum order or sell in set steps. Round up to the next step, never down — a second delivery costs far more than a little spare.
- A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 US tons — a heavy load for a pickup. Check the payload before you collect it yourself.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth, all in feet, to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For example, a 10 × 10 ft area 3 in (0.25 ft) deep is 10 × 10 × 0.25 = 25 ft³, which is 25 ÷ 27 ≈ 0.93 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27, because a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft. One cubic yard is also about 0.765 m³, or roughly 765 litres.
How do I convert cubic yards to cubic metres?
Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646 to get cubic metres. To go the other way, multiply cubic metres by 1.308. So 2 yd³ is about 1.53 m³, and 1 m³ is about 1.31 yd³.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
It depends on the depth. One cubic yard covers 324 ft² at 1 in deep, 162 ft² at 2 in, 108 ft² at 3 in and 81 ft² at 4 in. In metric, 1 m³ covers 20 m² at 50 mm deep or 10 m² at 100 mm.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material and how wet it is. Using typical figures, a cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 1.1 US tons, sand or gravel about 1.35–1.4 tons, concrete about 2 tons (roughly 4,000 lb) and bark mulch only about 600 lb. Your supplier can give you an exact figure.
How much bigger is soil once it is dug?
Loose soil takes up about 25 % more room than it did in the ground — sand and gravel less (5–15 %), clay 30–40 % more. So a hole of 4 m³ (about 5.2 yd³) gives about 5 m³ (6.5 yd³) of loose soil to take away. Tick "digging out" to add the swell.
How do I work out the volume of a round hole or planter?
Use π × radius² × depth, where the radius is half the diameter. A hole 2 ft across and 3 ft deep is 3.1416 × 1 × 1 × 3 ≈ 9.4 ft³, or about 0.35 cubic yards. Choose "Circle" above and the calculator does it for you.
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Sources
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C – exact definitions of the yard, foot and inch (1 yd = 0.9144 m)
- The Gardenmakers – bulk densities of quarry products and landscape materials (sand, gravel, soil, mulch)
- Engineering ToolBox – bulking factors of soil and rock: earth 20–30 %, clay 20–40 % (the Gardenmakers table above gives clay 1.30, sand 1.05, sand and gravel 1.15)
- Engineering ToolBox – density of normal-strength concrete, 2,240–2,400 kg/m³ (140–150 lb/ft³)
Formulas last reviewed: September 30, 2026 ·How we check our formulas