Cubic Yards Calculator

Cubic yards is a volume measurement from the United States Customary and Imperial systems. You can find cubic yards by measuring an area’s height, width, and length in yards and multiplying those numbers.

How to Calculate Cubic Yards

Cubic Yards Calculator and Formula

Enter the length, width, and height to calculate the cubic yards:












To use our cubic yards calculator, select yards or feet and enter the area’s height, width, and length in your chosen measurement. You can also use one of the cubic yard formulas below for manual calculations.

Cubic yards = height x width x length in yards

Cubic yards = height x width x length in feet ÷ 27

When to Use Cubic Yards

Since cubic yards measure volume, it helps determine how much mulch, gravel, topsoil, or concrete you’ll need for an area. The amount each item will cover depends on the thickness (height.) For example, the thicker you lay your mulch, the less area it will cover. You can plan for this by measuring your land space in cubic yards before ordering material.

Example: How to Measure Cubic Yards for a SandBox

Cubic Yards Calculator
To figure out the number of cubic yards of sand you need, start by measuring the length and width of your sandbox in feet. Then, decide how thick you’d like your sand.

If the length of your sandbox is 6 ft, the width is 6 ft, and desired sand thickness is 0.5 feet (6 inches), you’ll multiply those numbers by each other to determine the cubic feet.

Cubic feet: 6 x 6 x .5 = 18 cu. ft.

Then, you’ll convert your cubic feet to cubic yards by dividing by 27.

Cubic yards: 18 cu. ft. ÷ 27 = 0.6667

Now you know how many cubic yards of sand to purchase to fill your sandbox.

Converting Square Feet to Cubic Yards Formula

To convert square feet into cubic yards, first determine the cubic footage of the area. To do this, measure the thickness/height of the site in feet and multiply that number by your square footage. Then, to switch to cubic yards, divide the cubic feet by 27. 

Cubic Feet = Square Feet x Height (in feet)

Cubic Yards = Cubic Feet ÷ 27 

For example, if you’re looking for the cubic yards of a 120 square feet room with 8-foot ceilings, multiple 120 x 8. The result is 960 cubic feet. 

960 ÷ 27 = 35.56 cubic yards

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)FAQ

How do you calculate cubic yards of dirt?

To calculate how much dirt you need for an area, determine the cubic feet. To do this, measure the length and width of the site in feet and then decide how thick you’d like your dirt in feet. Once you have those numbers, multiply them by each other – L x W x H. That figure is your cubic feet. Finally, divide that number by 27 to determine cubic yards of dirt.

How many feet are three cubic yards?

Feet measure length, while cubic yards measure volume (length x width x height.) So you can’t go from feet to cubic yards. There are, however, 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard and 81 cubic feet in three cubic yards.

How big is a cubic yard?

The dimensions of a cubic yard are 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet deep. Therefore, an exact cubic yard would look like a 3-foot cube.

Will a truck bed fit one cubic yard of soil?

A regular-size truck bed can easily fit one cubic yard of soil. You might be able to fit up to 2 cubic feet of topsoil in a standard truck bed.