Enter the length, width and depth in any units to get the volume in cubic yards, the unit soil, gravel, mulch and concrete are sold in.
How to calculate cubic yards
Convert every measurement to feet, multiply them together to get cubic feet, then divide by 27, because a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
Depth in inches: divide by 12 first
Worked example
A 10 × 10 ft area filled 4 inches deep: 10 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 33.33 cubic feet. 33.33 ÷ 27 = 1.235 cubic yards.
Quick reference
| Depth | Area one cubic yard covers |
|---|
| 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 |
Limitations
- Compaction: gravel and soil settle when compacted, so order 5 to 10% more for a firm base.
- Uneven ground: measure the depth in several places and use the average.
- Weight: suppliers often sell stone by the ton. Convert with the tons to cubic yards calculator.
Sources
How we checked this
Before every update, this calculator is run in a real browser with these known answers, and it must match all of them:
- 10 × 10 ft, 4 in deep: 1.235 cubic yards ✓
- 2 × 3 m × 10 cm: 0.6 m³ = 0.7848 cubic yards ✓
- Round, 10 ft across, 1 ft deep: 2.909 cubic yards ✓
- Edge: a 3 ft cube is exactly 1 cubic yard ✓
Last checked October 26, 2026. Spotted something wrong? The math is done in your browser with the formula shown on this page, so you can check any result by hand.
Questions people ask
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth in feet, then divide by 27. Convert inches to feet by dividing by 12 first.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27, because a cubic yard is 3 feet on each side.
How much does a cubic yard cover?
At 4 inches deep, 81 square feet. At 3 inches, 108 square feet. At 2 inches, 162 square feet.
How big is a cubic yard?
A cube 3 feet on each side, about the size of a washing machine. It's about 0.76 cubic meters.