Cubic Yard Calculator
Ordering topsoil, mulch, gravel or sand? Enter the length and width of each area in feet and the depth in inches — the calculator converts it to cubic yards and cubic feet, shows how many bags that equals, estimates the weight in tons, and totals the cost if you add a price per yard. Add as many areas as you need.
Material (for weight estimate)
~2,000 lb per yd³ (dry)
You need
Cubic yards
1.11
Cubic feet
30
0.75 ft³ bags
40
Topsoil weight
1.11 tons
The cubic yard formula
A cubic yard is a 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft cube — 27 cubic feet. Because US landscaping depths are quoted in inches, the formula converts inches to feet first:
Worked example: a 10 ft × 12 ft bed filled 3 inches deep. Area = 10 × 12 = 120 sq ft. Depth = 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft. Volume = 120 × 0.25 = 30 cubic feet, and 30 ÷ 27 ≈ 1.11 cubic yards. Most suppliers sell in half-yard steps, so you would order 1.5 yards — a little extra is far cheaper than a second delivery.
Moving it by hand? A standard 4.5 cu ft wheelbarrow takes roughly 9–14 loads per cubic yard — closer to 14 with heavy material like wet soil or gravel, since you cannot fill it to the brim.
Cubic yards vs cubic feet vs bags
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | 0.75 ft³ bags | 2 ft³ bags | 3 ft³ bags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 yd | 13.5 | 18 | 7 | 4.5 |
| 1 yd | 27 | 36 | 13.5 | 9 |
| 2 yd | 54 | 72 | 27 | 18 |
| 3 yd | 81 | 108 | 40.5 | 27 |
| 5 yd | 135 | 180 | 67.5 | 45 |
Bag sizes vary by product: bagged soil and gravel are usually 0.75 cu ft, while mulch is commonly sold in 2 and 3 cu ft bags.
Related material calculators
Spreading mulch specifically? The mulch calculator adds coverage depths and bag-vs-bulk cost comparison. Start with the square footage calculator if your area is an irregular shape. For specific materials, see the gravel calculator, soil calculator and concrete calculator, the area calculator for plain area math, or the paint calculator for indoor projects.