groundmath

Cubic yard calculator

Bulk materials are sold by the cubic yard. Measure each area in feet and set a depth — we'll show every step of the conversion.

✓ Formula v1.0 · exact unit definitions only — no measured material data
Areas to cover — measured in feet
Depth
inches
You should order

Enter at least one area and a depth to see the volume in cubic yards.

One yard covers
324 ft²at 1″
108 ft²at 3″
81 ft²at 4″

What a cubic yard is, practically

A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on a side — 27 cubic feet. It is the standard order unit for bulk landscaping and construction materials in the US: suppliers quote topsoil, mulch, compost, gravel, and sand per cubic yard, and dump trucks and skid loaders are rated in yards. When a supplier asks “how many yards?”, this is the number they mean.

One cubic yard equals

cubic feet 27 cu ft (exact: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft)
cubic meters 0.7646 m³
liters 764.6 L

One cubic yard covers

At this depthIt covers
1 in 324 sq ft
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

Unit conversions use the exact legal definitions — 1 yard = 0.9144 m and 1 foot = 0.3048 m exactly, per the NIST Guide to the SI (SP 811), Appendix B: Conversion Factors (accessed Jul 31, 2026).

Measuring irregular areas

Real yards are not rectangles. Split the space into simple shapes, measure each in feet, and add them as separate entries above — the totals are additive. For an L-shaped bed, use two rectangles; for a rounded island bed, a circle is usually close enough for a bulk order. Measure depth in inches at the depth you actually intend to fill, and remember the result is a geometric volume: how much settled or compacted material to order on top of that depends on the material, which is what the material-specific calculators on this site handle with cited factors — the crushed stone calculator shows a compaction allowance as its own line, and the fill dirt calculator varies one by soil type.

Frequently asked

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Exactly 27. A cubic yard is a cube measuring 3 feet on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
How many square feet does one cubic yard cover?
It depends on the depth: 324 sq ft at 1″, 162 sq ft at 2″, 108 sq ft at 3″, 81 sq ft at 4″, 54 sq ft at 6″, 27 sq ft at 12″. Divide 324 by the depth in inches for any other depth.
How many bags equal one cubic yard?
Pure arithmetic: a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 13.5 two-cubic-foot bags or 9 three-cubic-foot bags. Since you cannot buy half a bag, that means 14 or 9 bags. Check the bag size printed on the product — it varies by material and brand.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
That depends entirely on the material — a cubic yard of dry mulch and a cubic yard of wet gravel differ by well over a factor of two. There is no honest single number, which is why each material calculator on this site carries its own cited density range instead.

Quantities on this page are planning estimates, not engineering advice or a purchase guarantee — product sizes vary by producer, so confirm coverage with your supplier before ordering.