Cubic Yard Calculator
Convert rectangle, circle, and triangle dimensions into cubic yards, cubic feet, and material weight in tons for soil, mulch, gravel, sand, and concrete.
Calculation Results
Volume in cubic yards for bulk supplier ordering.
Volume measured in cubic feet.
Metric volume measurement.
Total weight of material in tons for delivery truck sizing.
How This Calculator Works
Follow these simple steps to calculate your bulk materials:
- Select Shape: Choose Rectangular (driveways, flowerbeds), Circular (tree rings, round fire pits), or Triangular.
- Input Dimensions: Enter your surface measurements and desired layer depth in inches.
- Select Material: Choose gravel, topsoil, sand, or mulch to calculate total shipping weight in tons.
- Order Materials: Use the cubic yard output for bulk supplier quotes, and verify truckload weight capacity.
Formula & Calculations
A cubic yard is a standard unit of volume equivalent to a 3ft × 3ft × 3ft cube, equaling 27 cubic feet or 46,656 cubic inches.
1. Geometric Formulas
- Rectangles:
Cubic Feet = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft) - Circles:
Cubic Feet = π × (Diameter / 2)² × Depth (ft) - Triangles:
Cubic Feet = 0.5 × Base (ft) × Height (ft) × Depth (ft)
2. Conversion to Cubic Yards
Cubic Yards = Total Cubic Feet / 27
3. Bulk Density Estimations
- Crushed Gravel: ~2,800 lbs per cubic yard (1.4 tons/yd)
- Damp Sand: ~2,700 lbs per cubic yard (1.35 tons/yd)
- Moist Topsoil: ~2,200 lbs per cubic yard (1.1 tons/yd)
- Wood Mulch: ~600 to 800 lbs per cubic yard (0.3 to 0.4 tons/yd)
- Wet Concrete: ~4,050 lbs per cubic yard (2.02 tons/yd)
Step-by-Step Calculation Examples
Driveway Gravel Layer (20ft x 10ft x 4in depth)
Calculating crushed stone requirements with a 10% waste buffer.
- shape: rect
- length: 20
- width: 10
- depth: 4
- material: 2800
- waste: 10
- volume_yards: 2.72 cu yd
- volume_feet: 73.3 cu ft
- material_weight_tons: 3.80 ton
Circular Garden Feature (15ft Diameter x 3in Mulch)
Calculating dark bark mulch for a round centerpiece flower bed.
- shape: circle
- diameter: 15
- depth: 3
- material: 600
- waste: 10
- volume_yards: 1.80 cu yd
- volume_feet: 48.6 cu ft
- material_weight_tons: 0.54 ton
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you calculate cubic yards manually?
Multiply length (ft) by width (ft) by depth (ft) to get total cubic feet. Then divide that total by 27. For example, 10ft x 10ft x 0.5ft (6 inches) = 50 cu ft. 50 / 27 = 1.85 cubic yards.
How many square feet does 1 cubic yard cover?
At 1 inch deep, 1 cubic yard covers 324 square feet. At 2 inches deep, it covers 162 sq ft. At 3 inches deep, it covers 108 sq ft. At 4 inches deep, it covers 81 sq ft. At 6 inches deep, it covers 54 sq ft.
How many 2-cubic-foot bags are in a cubic yard?
Because 1 cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, it takes 13.5 bags (purchase 14 bags) of 2-cubic-foot mulch or soil to equal one cubic yard.
How many tons does a cubic yard weigh?
Weight depends entirely on the material: dry mulch weighs about 600 lbs (0.3 tons), topsoil weighs about 2,200 lbs (1.1 tons), gravel weighs 2,800 lbs (1.4 tons), and wet concrete weighs 4,050 lbs (over 2 tons) per cubic yard.
How many cubic yards can a standard pickup truck carry?
A standard 6.5ft short-bed pickup truck bed has a volume of about 2 to 2.5 cubic yards level-full. However, weight is the limiting factor: a half-ton pickup can only safely carry about 1 yard of soil or gravel before exceeding its payload rating.
What is the minimum order size for bulk delivery?
Most bulk landscape supply yards require a minimum delivery of 1 to 3 cubic yards, and typically deliver in tandem dump trucks that hold up to 10 or 15 cubic yards.