Cubic Yard Calculator

How It Works

The calculator turns your depth into feet, multiplies the three dimensions to get cubic feet, and divides by 27, the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard. NIST Handbook 44 lists that conversion in its tables of units of measurement.

The volume works for any material. Only the weight changes, so the buttons above use 1.6 tons per cubic yard for compacted gravel, 1.8 tons for compacted select crushed material, and 1.22 tons for dry soil. Other products can weigh more or less. The sections below show where those three figures come from.

See Methods and Sources

Worked Example

Here is the math for an area that is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 3 inches deep, filled with gravel at 1.6 tons per cubic yard.

1. 20 ft x 10 ft = 200 sq ft
2. 3 in / 12 = 0.25 ft
3. 200 sq ft x 0.25 ft = 50 cu ft
4. 50 cu ft / 27 = 1.85 cu yd
5. 50 cu ft / 27 x 1.6 = 2.96 tons

Cubic Yards by Area and Depth

Use this table for a quick check before you enter your own numbers.

Square Feet Covered by One Cubic Yard

One cubic yard spread 1 inch deep covers 324 square feet, so dividing 324 by the depth in inches gives the coverage. That means 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, 81 square feet at 4 inches, and 54 square feet at 6 inches.

Where the Weights Come From

Weight depends on the material and how tightly it is packed, so treat these as starting points.

The gravel figure comes from the Maine Gravel Road Maintenance Manual, which says a compacted cubic yard of gravel usually weighs around 1.6 tons. The crushed stone figure is the middle of the 1.70 to 1.9 tons per cubic yard that a Wisconsin Highway Research Program report lists for compacted select crushed material. The dirt figure converts an average bulk density of 1.45 grams per cubic centimeter, from a sampling study of 47 Oklahoma fields, reported in an Oklahoma State University fact sheet, into tons per cubic yard. Bulk density is based on dry weight, so that figure leaves out any water in the soil.

Ask your supplier for the weight of what they sell, since it can differ from any of these.

Finished Volume and Ordering

This calculator gives the finished volume of a flat area with an even depth, which is not always the amount to order. Loose material packs down, and a Wisconsin study reported expansion factors from compacted to loose of 27 to 60 percent for aggregates, so ask your supplier how much to order for your finished depth. If your area is uneven, split it into smaller rectangles, then add the results together.

Frequently Asked Questions

These cover the questions that come up most often.