Cubic yards calculator: the formula
Cubic yards = length × width × depth ÷ 27, with every measurement in feet. Depth is the one people get wrong because it's usually given in inches — divide by 12 first, so 4 inches is 0.333 ft and 3 inches is 0.25 ft.
Bulk yards sell soil, mulch, gravel and ready-mix by the cubic yard, but most will only load in quarter- or half-yard steps. The calculator shows the exact volume, then rounds up to the next quarter yard so you know what to ask for.
For a circle — a tree ring, a round fire-pit pad — the area is π × radius², and the rest of the math is the same. If you already know the volume in cubic feet (from a bag label or a plan), switch the shape to I know cu ft and the calculator just divides by 27.
Cubic yard calculator for dirt, topsoil and fill
Soil is where the volume and the weight part ways. A cubic yard of screened topsoil weighs about 1.1 tons (2,000–2,200 lb according to Roseville Rock Supply), so a half-ton pickup rated for about 1,000 lb of payload can carry less than half a yard safely.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Pounds per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Wood mulch | 0.3 | ~600 |
| Compost | 0.5 | ~1,000 |
| Topsoil | 1.1 | ~2,200 |
| Fill dirt | 1.2 | ~2,400 |
| #57 stone | 1.35 | ~2,700 |
| Sand | 1.4 | ~2,800 |
| Pea gravel | 1.4 | ~2,800 |
| Concrete (placed) | 1.96 | ~3,915 |
Loose dirt also settles. Spread 4 inches of new topsoil and you can expect it to sink after the first good rain, which is why the calculator adds 5% by default. For a raised bed or a hole you are backfilling, raise that to 10–15%.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard spread evenly covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep. Divide 324 by your depth in inches for any other depth:
| Depth | Area one cubic yard covers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft | Top-dressing a lawn |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | Refreshing mulch |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | New mulch beds, pea-gravel paths |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | Topsoil for seed or sod, gravel base |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | Raised beds, driveway base |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft | Filling a hole or a deep bed |
Bags or bulk delivery?
A cubic yard is 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet. Up to about 2 yards, bags can be cheaper once you count the delivery fee; beyond 3 yards, bulk almost always wins — and nobody wants to carry 40 bags of soil from the car. Our topsoil, mulch and gravel calculators compare both options with real bag sizes and prices.
Need the weight first because your supplier sells by the ton? The tons to cubic yards converter works it in both directions for 14 materials. To get the area to multiply, start with the square footage calculator.
