Cubic Yard Calculator
Enter the length, width, and depth for each area. Cubic yards update as you type. Add a price per cubic yard to estimate delivery cost.
| Length | Width | Depth | $/yd³ | Yd³ |
|---|
Depth defaults to inches, since that's how most mulch, soil, and gravel jobs get specified. Switch to feet for deep excavations. Price is optional.
How to calculate cubic yards
A cubic yard is a volume 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. To find how many cubic yards a space holds, multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27:
Depth is usually the smallest measurement and often gets specified in inches. Convert it to feet first by dividing by 12, or measure length and width in feet and depth in inches and let the calculator handle the mixed units.
Cubic yard conversions
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet |
| 1 cubic yard | 46,656 cubic inches |
| 1 cubic yard | ≈ 0.765 cubic meters |
| 1 cubic yard at 3″ deep | covers 108 sq ft |
What a cubic yard weighs, by material
Weight per cubic yard depends on what you're hauling. These are typical dry figures; wet soil, sand, or mulch weighs more because water adds mass without adding volume.
| Material | Weight per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Topsoil | ≈ 2,000 lb |
| Sand | ≈ 2,700 lb |
| Gravel | ≈ 2,800 lb |
| Mulch | 400–800 lb |
| Concrete | ≈ 4,000 lb |
How much fits in a pickup truck
Truck beds run out of weight capacity before they run out of room, and that changes the answer depending on material. A full-size pickup bed holds about 2 cubic yards of mulch, since mulch is light enough to fill the bed without hitting the payload limit. Soil and gravel are dense enough that the same truck usually tops out around 1 cubic yard before the suspension and payload rating say stop. Check your truck's payload sticker, not just the bed dimensions, before loading dense material.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet. A cubic yard is 3 feet on every side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Multiply the square footage by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For 200 sq ft at 4 inches deep: 200 × (4 ÷ 12) = 66.67 cubic feet, divided by 27 is 2.47 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends on the material. Topsoil runs about 2,000 lb per cubic yard, sand about 2,700 lb, gravel about 2,800 lb, mulch 400 to 800 lb, and concrete around 4,000 lb. Moisture adds weight, so wet soil or sand weighs more than the dry figure.
How many cubic yards fit in a pickup truck?
A full-size pickup bed holds about 2 cubic yards of mulch by volume, but only around 1 cubic yard of soil or gravel, because those materials hit the truck's weight limit before the bed fills up.
How do I measure an irregular area for cubic yards?
Split the area into rectangles, measure each one's length, width, and depth separately, and add a row per rectangle in the calculator. The total updates automatically.
Why do suppliers sell by the cubic yard instead of by weight?
Bulk materials like mulch, gravel, and soil are measured by volume because that's what a delivery truck or dump trailer hauls. Weight varies with moisture and compaction, so volume gives a consistent unit for pricing and delivery.
Figuring a specific material? Try the mulch calculator, gravel calculator, or topsoil calculator for material-specific coverage rates, or the square footage calculator to get your area measured first.