Measurement
Cubic Yard Calculator
Convert length, width and depth into cubic yards — with feet and inches mixed freely.
Volume
cubic yards
- Cubic feet
- 120cu ft
- Cubic metres
- 3.4m³
- Area covered
- 240ft²
The working
Area = Length × Width
= 20 ft × 12 ft
= 240 ft²
Volume = Area × Depth
= 240 ft² × 0.5 ft
= 120 cu ft
Cubic yards = Cubic feet ÷ 27
= 120 ÷ 27
= 4.44 cu yd
1 cubic yard = 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet
Enter the area you are filling or digging and the depth, in whatever units the tape measure gave you. The calculator converts everything to cubic feet, divides by 27, and shows the arithmetic so you can check it against a supplier quote.
How this calculator works
- Formula version
- 1.0.0
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30
- External data
- None
This tool uses only your inputs and exact unit conversions. No benchmark, average or market figure is built into it. How we calculate
What this calculates
The volume of a rectangular or circular prism, expressed in cubic yards. It is the conversion that sits underneath almost every other quantity on a construction site: dirt removed, gravel delivered, concrete poured, topsoil spread.
The arithmetic
For a rectangular area the volume is length × width × depth. For a circular area it is π × diameter² ÷ 4 × depth. Both are computed in feet, then divided by 27 to reach cubic yards, because a cubic yard is a cube three feet on each side: 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
Every entry is converted to feet first, which is why you can enter a length in metres, a width in feet and a depth in inches in the same calculation without doing anything yourself.
Overage
The overage allowance multiplies the finished volume before it becomes an order quantity. It is optional and blank by default — there is no universal correct figure, because it depends on the material, the compaction you are specifying and how even your subgrade is.
Worked example
A 20 ft × 12 ft gravel pad, 6 in deep
- Length
- 20 ft
- Width
- 12 ft
- Depth
- 6 in
- Depth in feet= 6 in ÷ 12= 0.5 ft
- Area= 20 ft × 12 ft= 240 sq ft
- Volume= 240 sq ft × 0.5 ft= 120 cu ft
- Cubic yards= 120 ÷ 27= 4.44 cu yd
- The shape is a straight prism: constant depth across the whole area, vertical sides.
- Unit conversions are exact and definitional (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet).
- Density and price are only used if you supply them. Nothing is assumed about either.
- It does not model sloped or battered sides. Use the excavation calculator for a pit with battered walls.
- It does not apply swell or compaction factors — a cubic yard here is a neat geometric cubic yard, not a loose truck yard.
- Irregular areas need to be split into rectangles and circles and added together.
Common questions
- How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
- Twenty-seven. A cubic yard is a cube one yard — three feet — on every side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
- How do I enter a depth in inches?
- Type the number and switch the unit selector next to the depth field to "in". The calculator converts it to feet before doing any arithmetic, so you can mix inches, feet and metres in the same calculation.
- How many cubic yards does a dump truck hold?
- It depends entirely on the truck. Check the body capacity on the spec plate, then use the dirt hauling calculator, which also accounts for material swell and for trucks that reach their weight limit before the body is full.
Where people go next
All measurement tools →Ordered by what usually comes next in the same job, not by keyword.