📦 Cubic Yard Calculator
Convert any length, width, and depth into cubic yards — for soil, mulch, gravel, sand, compost, or fill. Get cubic feet, cubic meters, material weight, bag count, and bulk cost. Free, no sign-up.
A cubic yard calculator converts the dimensions of an area into the volume of bulk material it needs — soil, mulch, gravel, sand, compost, or fill dirt. It gives you cubic yards (the US ordering unit), cubic feet, cubic meters, material weight, bag count, and estimated bulk cost. The standard volume formula for a rectangular area is:
How to calculate cubic yards in 3 steps:
- Measure the length, width, and depth of the area. Mulch is typically 2–3 inches deep; topsoil 4–6; garden beds 8–12.
- Pick a material type, waste factor, and bag size so the weight and cost estimates match your job.
- Click Calculate Volume to see total cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, weight, bag count, and bulk cost instantly.
For example, a 9 ft × 9 ft area at 4 inches deep works out to (9 × 9 × 4) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = exactly 1 cubic yard — that's 27 cubic feet, or about 0.76 cubic meters. As topsoil it weighs roughly 1.1 tons; as mulch it fills about 14 two-cubic-foot bags.
Cubic Yard Calculator
Pick a shape, enter dimensions, see cubic yards, weight, bag count and cost instantly.
One Calculator for Soil, Mulch, Gravel –
Every Bulk Material Sold by the Yard
Bulk landscape and construction materials are ordered by the cubic yard, but you measure your project in feet and inches. This free calculator bridges the gap — turning length, width, and depth into cubic yards, weight, bag count, and cost in seconds.
⚡ Try the Calculator NowThe Cubic Yard Is the Unit That Runs Every Bulk Order
A supplier quotes bulk material in cubic yards. You measured the job in feet and inches. Between those two facts sits a small conversion that, done carelessly, is behind almost every load that shows up short — or every leftover pile that sits in a driveway for a month.
The arithmetic is not hard. Area times depth, divided by 27. The trap is the depth: it is nearly always measured in inches while length and width are in feet, and an un-converted depth throws the answer off by a factor of twelve. That one slip — not bad math, just a forgotten unit — is behind most of the "I ordered way too much" and "I ran out halfway" stories you will hear at a landscape supply yard.
This Cubic Yard Calculator does the conversion for you. Enter a rectangle, circle, or triangle, pick a material, and it returns the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet, and cubic meters, along with weight, bag count, and an estimated bulk price.
How the Cubic Yard Calculator Works
Pick a shape, enter three dimensions, choose a material, and click once. The calculator returns the volume in three units plus weight, bags, and cost. Here is what each field does.
Pick the Area Shape
Rectangle covers most beds, lawns, and driveways. Circle handles round planters, tree rings, and fire-pit bases. Triangle covers corner beds and odd lots. The calculator swaps the input fields to match.
Enter the Length & Width
Measure the area in feet. For a rectangle, the long side and the short side. For a circle, the diameter. For a triangle, the base and the perpendicular height.
📐 An L-shaped bed splits into two rectangles — run each and add the results.Enter the Depth (in Inches)
Depth is where most estimates go wrong. Mulch is 2–3 inches, topsoil for a lawn 4–6, a garden bed 8–12, a gravel base 2–6. Decide the right depth before you calculate — the calculator converts inches to feet for you.
📊 Too deep wastes material; too shallow fails the job. Match depth to the purpose.Enter the Quantity
Filling several identical areas — four raised beds, three tree rings? Enter the count and the calculator totals them. For a single area, leave this at 1.
Pick Material, Waste & Bag Size
Material type sets the density that drives the weight estimate and the auto-filled price per cubic yard. Waste factor adds margin for settling and spillage. Bag size lets you see the bagged-equivalent count.
Hit Calculate — Read Every Number
Instantly see total cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, weight in tons, bag count, the order size with waste, and the estimated bulk cost.
✅ Formula: yd³ = (L × W × Depth_in ÷ 12) ÷ 27The Cubic Yard Formula, Explained
The whole calculation rests on one conversion and one common mistake. Get both right and the math is trivial.
The core formula: Volume in cubic yards equals length times width times depth — all in feet — divided by 27. The division by 27 converts cubic feet to cubic yards, because a cubic yard is a 3-foot cube and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
The inches trap: Length and width are usually measured in feet, but depth is usually measured in inches. Before you multiply, convert the depth to feet by dividing it by 12. A 3-inch mulch layer is 0.25 feet, not 3. Skipping this step overstates the volume twelvefold — the single most common bulk-order error. This calculator does the conversion for you, but it is worth understanding so you can sanity-check the result.
Other shapes: For a circle, the area is π times the radius squared (the radius is half the diameter); multiply that by the depth in feet and divide by 27. For a triangle, the area is half the base times the height; same final steps. The calculator picks the right area formula when you choose a shape.
From volume to weight: Weight depends on the material's density. The calculator multiplies your cubic yards by a typical density for the material you select — about 2,200 lb per yard for topsoil, 2,800 for gravel, but only 800 for wood mulch. That is why a yard of mulch is easy to move and a yard of gravel needs a serious trailer.
Volume, Coverage & Weight Tables
A few constants do all the work. The most important — 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard — is worth committing to memory.
| Conversion | Multiplier | When You Use It |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic feet → cubic yards | ÷ 27 | Converting calculated volume into the unit suppliers quote |
| Cubic yards → cubic feet | × 27 | Working out a bagged-equivalent count |
| Cubic yards → cubic meters | × 0.7646 | Working with metric specs or non-US suppliers |
| Cubic feet → cubic meters | × 0.02832 | Direct conversion for international jobs |
| Inches of depth → feet | ÷ 12 | The step people most often forget |
| Cubic yards → US tons | × density ÷ 2,000 | Estimating haul weight for trailers and trucks |
The formula in plain language: Multiply length by width by depth in inches, divide by 12 to put the depth in feet, then divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. A 9 × 9 area at 4 inches deep is (9 × 9 × 4) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = exactly 1 cubic yard.
Coverage: How Far One Cubic Yard Goes
| Depth | Coverage Per Cubic Yard | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 ft² | Light top-dressing |
| 2 inches | 162 ft² | Mulch refresh, thin gravel |
| 3 inches | 108 ft² | Full mulch layer |
| 4 inches | 81 ft² | Topsoil for a new lawn, gravel base |
| 6 inches | 54 ft² | Deep topsoil, driveway base |
| 12 inches | 27 ft² | Raised bed, deep fill |
The rule behind the table: coverage in square feet equals 324 divided by the depth in inches. It is the fastest way to sanity-check an order without a calculator on hand.
Approximate Weight of One Cubic Yard
| Material | Weight Per Cubic Yard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🪵 Wood mulch | 400–800 lb | Light and easy to move; heavier when wet |
| 🍂 Compost | 1,000–1,200 lb | Varies widely with moisture |
| 🟫 Topsoil | 2,000–2,400 lb | Screened, slightly moist |
| ⛰️ Fill dirt | 2,000–2,700 lb | Unscreened, variable |
| 🏖️ Sand | 2,600–3,000 lb | Heavier when wet |
| 🪨 Gravel | 2,400–2,900 lb | Depends on stone size and type |
Factors That Affect How Much Material You Need
The formula gives a clean theoretical number. The real world reliably uses more. Here are the variables that move your order — and what each costs if you ignore it.
Recommended Depth by Application (2026 best practice)
| Application | Recommended Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🍂 Mulch refresh | 1 – 2 inches | |
| 🪵 Full mulch layer | 2 – 3 inches | |
| 🌱 Topsoil for new lawn | 4 – 6 inches | |
| 🪨 Gravel walkway base | 2 – 4 inches | |
| 🚗 Gravel driveway base | 4 – 6 inches | |
| 🥕 Raised garden bed | 8 – 12 inches | |
| ⛰️ Grade-raising fill | Per site need |
Material Types Compared: Weight, Cost & Use
"Bulk material" covers a wide range of products that all share the cubic yard as their unit but differ sharply in weight, price, and purpose.
| Material | Bulk Price/yd³ | Weight/yd³ | Best For | Watch Out For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | $20–$50 | ~2,200 lb | New lawns, garden beds, leveling | Quality varies — ask if it is screened |
| Mulch (wood) | $30–$50 | ~400–800 lb | Beds, weed suppression, moisture retention | Settles and breaks down — refresh yearly |
| Gravel | $40–$60 | ~2,400–2,900 lb | Driveways, paths, drainage, bases | Heavy — check trailer ratings before hauling |
| Sand | $30–$50 | ~2,600–3,000 lb | Paver bedding, sandboxes, leveling | Match the sand type to the job |
| Compost | $35–$50 | ~1,000–1,200 lb | Soil amendment, enriching beds | Often mixed into topsoil rather than used alone |
| Fill dirt | $15–$30 | ~2,000–2,700 lb | Raising grade, filling voids and holes | Not for planting — no nutrients |
How to Order Bulk Material: A Phase-by-Phase Roadmap
A clean bulk order is mostly planning. Here are the four phases that separate a single, correctly-sized delivery from a second trip or a leftover pile.
Measure the area and decide the correct depth for the job. Run the calculation, then add a waste factor for settling and uneven ground. For irregular spaces, split them into simple shapes and total the pieces. End with one cubic-yard number you can defend.
Ask each supplier for the material price per cubic yard and the delivery fee as separate line items — never accept a blended number. Confirm the minimum order, the delivery window, and whether they can place the pile where you want it.
Level and, if needed, compact the area so it does not absorb extra material. Clear a spot for the delivery pile and lay down a tarp so cleanup is easy and you lose less to the ground. Have wheelbarrow, rake, and shovel ready before the truck arrives.
Move material in manageable loads and spread it to a consistent depth. For deep fill or a gravel base, place and compact in 4–6 inch lifts rather than one deep layer — a single deep pour never compacts properly and keeps settling for months.
2026 Bulk Material Cost Breakdown
A bulk order has two cost buckets — the material and the delivery. On small orders, the flat delivery fee is often the larger of the two.
The calculator's material cost uses a typical 2026 price per cubic yard for the material you select. Delivery is separate: a flat haul fee that does not scale with order size, which is why a one-yard order can cost far more per yard than a five-yard one.
| Project | Volume | Bagged Cost | Bulk + Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch one flower bed (120 ft², 3") | ~1.1 yd³ | $60–$105 | $95–$155 |
| Topsoil for a small lawn (400 ft², 4") | ~5 yd³ | not practical | $200–$350 |
| Gravel walkway base (200 ft², 4") | ~2.5 yd³ | not practical | $170–$300 |
| Two raised beds (64 ft², 10") | ~2 yd³ | $110–$190 | $110–$200 |
| Grade-raising fill (10 yd³) | ~10 yd³ | not practical | $320–$500 |
Example Cubic Yard Calculations
Three jobs, three materials — all worked through with verified math so you can sanity-check your own results. Each assumes a 10% waste factor.
How to Save Money on a Bulk Material Order
Bulk material is cheap per yard, but how you buy it can double or halve the real cost. These six moves are where the savings come from.
The biggest lever is the delivery fee. Because it is flat, it punishes small orders and rewards consolidation. A one-yard delivery and a five-yard delivery pay the same haul charge — so the per-yard cost of a tiny order can be triple that of a full one. Planning around that single fact saves more than hunting for a lower per-yard rate.
The second lever is matching the material to the job. Fill dirt at $22 a yard does everything a grade-raising job needs; paying $48 a yard for gravel to fill a void nobody will see is wasted money. The reverse is also true — cheap fill where you needed planting topsoil means doing the job twice.
Six Cost-Cutting Moves
When This Calculator Is the Wrong Tool
Area times depth covers the large majority of bulk-material jobs, but not every one. Here are the situations where the output will mislead you.
1. Irregular, free-form shapes. A curving bed or a kidney-shaped area is not a rectangle, circle, or triangle. Forcing it into one shape will be off by a wide margin. Break the area into simple shapes, run the calculator once per piece, and add the results.
2. Material sold strictly by weight. This calculator works in volume and estimates weight using an average density. If your supplier sells only by the ton and the material is wet, the weight you pay for includes water. For weight-billed material, ask the supplier for their loaded density that day rather than relying on an average.
3. Engineered fill and structural bases. A road base, a structural backfill, or a compacted sub-base is governed by compaction specs and lift requirements in the project documents. The volume math is the same, but the depth, compaction, and material gradation are dictated by an engineer — follow the spec.
4. Concrete and mixed materials. Concrete is a volume job, but it is ordered as ready-mix and priced very differently from loose aggregate. For a concrete pour, use a dedicated concrete calculator that accounts for bag yields, PSI grades, and ready-mix delivery.
Where to go instead: For a specific material, a dedicated calculator can add detail this general tool does not — sand types, gravel grades, concrete mixes. For the flat area before you pick a depth, a square footage calculator is the first step. This tool's strength is being the fast, universal answer to "how many cubic yards."
Cubic Yard Terms You'll See On This Page
Quick reference for the volume and bulk-material terms used throughout this calculator.
- Cubic Yard (yd³)
- The volume of a cube three feet on each side, equal to 27 cubic feet. The standard US ordering unit for bulk landscape and construction materials.
- Cubic Foot (ft³)
- The volume of a cube one foot on each side. Bagged materials are measured in cubic feet; divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
- Cubic Meter (m³)
- The metric volume unit, equal to about 1.308 cubic yards or 35.31 cubic feet. The standard bulk unit outside the US.
- Density
- The weight of a material per unit of volume. Density is what turns a volume into a weight, and it varies enormously between mulch, soil, and gravel.
- Depth
- How thick the layer of material will be. Usually measured in inches and converted to feet (divided by 12) before the volume math.
- Waste Factor
- A percentage added to the raw calculated volume to cover settling, compaction, spillage, and uneven ground. Ten percent is the standard default.
- Topsoil
- Screened, nutrient-bearing soil used for lawns, garden beds, and leveling. Heavier than mulch, lighter than gravel.
- Mulch
- A loose covering — usually shredded wood — spread over beds to suppress weeds and retain moisture. The lightest common bulk material.
- Fill Dirt
- Unscreened soil with no nutrient value, used for raising grade and filling voids. The cheapest bulk material.
- Compost
- Decomposed organic matter used to enrich soil. Often mixed into topsoil rather than used on its own.
- Bulk vs Bagged
- Bulk material is delivered loose by the cubic yard; bagged material is sold in pre-measured bags, usually 1–3 cubic feet, at a higher cost per yard.
- Delivery Fee
- A flat charge, typically $50–$150 per load, that bulk suppliers add for hauling. It does not scale with order size.
- Lift
- A single layer of material, usually 4–6 inches deep, placed and compacted before the next layer goes down. Deep fills are built up in lifts.
- Settling
- The reduction in volume as loose material compacts after placement. Soil and mulch settle most; the waste factor accounts for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common questions about calculating, buying, and placing bulk material by the cubic yard.
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length by width by depth, with every measurement in feet, then divide by 27. For example, a 10 ft × 10 ft area at 6 inches (0.5 ft) deep is 10 × 10 × 0.5 = 50 cubic feet, and 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards. If your depth is in inches, divide it by 12 first to convert it to feet. This calculator does every step and the unit conversions automatically.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard. A yard is 3 feet, so a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27; to convert cubic yards to cubic feet, multiply by 27. This single number is the core of almost every bulk-material calculation.
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
It depends entirely on the material. A cubic yard of dry topsoil weighs roughly 2,000–2,400 lb, gravel about 2,400–2,900 lb, sand about 2,600–3,000 lb, and wood mulch only about 400–800 lb. Compost falls near 1,000–1,200 lb. Moisture adds significant weight to any of them. Always check a trailer or truck rating before hauling a full yard yourself.
How much does a cubic yard cost in 2026?
Bulk material prices in 2026 vary by type: fill dirt is the cheapest at roughly $15–$30 per cubic yard, topsoil $20–$50, sand $30–$50, mulch $30–$50, compost $35–$50, and gravel $40–$60. Delivery is usually a separate flat fee of $50–$150 per load, so small orders cost much more per yard once hauling is included.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard of mulch?
A cubic yard of mulch contains 27 cubic feet, the same as any cubic yard. Since bagged mulch is usually sold in 2-cubic-foot bags, one cubic yard equals about 13.5 bags. Buying mulch in bulk by the cubic yard is almost always cheaper than bags once you need more than about 10 bags' worth.
How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?
Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646 to get cubic meters. To go the other way, multiply cubic meters by 1.308 to get cubic yards. For example, 5 cubic yards is 5 × 0.7646 = 3.82 cubic meters. The US sells bulk material by the cubic yard; most other countries use the cubic meter.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard (27 cubic feet) covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, 81 square feet at 4 inches, or 54 square feet at 6 inches. The rule is simple: coverage in square feet equals 324 divided by the depth in inches. The deeper the layer, the less ground a yard covers.
What waste factor should I use for bulk material?
A 5–10% waste factor is standard. Use 5% for a flat, well-prepared area with clean edges; 10% (the recommended default) for typical jobs; and 15–20% for uneven ground, irregular shapes, or settling materials like mulch and soil. Ordering slightly more than the raw calculation prevents a second delivery and its separate fee.
Should I buy material in bags or in bulk?
Use bags for small jobs under about half a cubic yard — roughly 7 bags of 2-cubic-foot mulch or soil. Use bulk delivery for anything larger. Bagged material costs far more per cubic yard than bulk once you account for the price per bag. The crossover is around 10–15 bags: beyond that, a bulk delivery, even with the delivery fee, is cheaper and faster.
How deep should I apply mulch, topsoil, or gravel?
Typical depths differ by material and purpose: mulch is applied 2–3 inches deep, topsoil for a new lawn 4–6 inches, garden-bed soil 8–12 inches, and a gravel base 2–4 inches for walkways or 4–6 inches for driveways. Always decide the target depth before calculating, since depth is the input people most often get wrong.
How do I calculate cubic yards for a circular area?
Find the area of the circle first: π (about 3.14159) times the radius squared, where the radius is half the diameter. Multiply that area by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. For a 14-foot-diameter circle at 4 inches deep, the area is π × 7² ≈ 154 square feet, times 0.333 ft = 51.3 cubic feet, which is about 1.9 cubic yards. Select the Circle shape and the calculator does it for you.
Why does my bulk material order need a delivery fee?
Bulk suppliers charge a flat delivery fee, usually $50–$150 per load, to cover the truck, fuel, and driver time regardless of order size. This is why small bulk orders have a high effective cost per cubic yard. The material itself may only be $25–$50 per yard, but a 1-yard delivery still pays the full haul fee. Combining materials on one delivery spreads the fee across more volume.
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