CUBIC YARD CALCULATOR
How it works
An area 20 ft long and 10 ft wide, filled 6 inches deep.
- Convert the depth to feet: 6 in ÷ 12 = 0.5 ft.
- Volume in cubic feet: 20 × 10 × 0.5 = 100 ft³.
- Divide by 27: 100 ÷ 27 = 3.704 yd³.
3.704 cubic yards — 100 cubic feet.
Constants
| Constant | Value |
|---|---|
| Cubic feet per cubic yard | 27 ft³ |
| Cubic inches per cubic yard | 46,656 in³ |
| Cubic metres per cubic yard | 0.7646 m³ |
SOURCE — 1 yd³ = 27 ft³, by definition.
SOURCE — 36 in × 36 in × 36 in = 46,656 in³, by definition.
SOURCE — 1 yd³ = 0.764554857984 m³ exactly, since 1 in = 25.4 mm by definition.
Quick answers
A 20 ft × 10 ft area filled 6 inches deep is 3.7 cubic yards, or 100 cubic feet. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, not 9 — a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, so the conversion cubes rather than squares.
To find cubic yards from inches of depth, multiply length in feet × width in feet × depth in inches, then divide by 324.
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 81 square feet at 4 inches, and 54 square feet at 6 inches.
Ready-mix plants batch concrete in quarter-yard increments, so a 3.7-yard order will normally be written as 3.75 yards.
FAQ
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
Twenty-seven. A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, so the conversion is 3³ = 27, not 3² = 9. Getting this wrong by a factor of three is the single most common ordering mistake.
How do I calculate cubic yards of concrete?
Length × width × thickness, all in feet, then divide by 27. A 10 ft × 12 ft slab at 4 inches thick is 10 × 12 × 0.333 = 40 ft³, which is 1.48 cubic yards.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
324 square feet at 1 inch deep. Divide 324 by your depth in inches to get the coverage: 81 ft² at 4 inches, 54 ft² at 6 inches, 40.5 ft² at 8 inches.
How do I convert cubic yards to tons?
Multiply by the material's density in pounds per cubic yard and divide by 2,000. Gravel is about 2,835 lb/yd³, topsoil about 2,200, and bark mulch only about 506 — the same volume weighs very different amounts.
What is a cubic yard in metric?
0.7646 cubic metres, or 764.55 litres. The conversion is exact rather than approximate because an inch is defined as exactly 25.4 millimetres.
Should I round my cubic-yard order up?
Yes. Suppliers deliver in whole or quarter yards and running short mid-pour is far more expensive than a little surplus. Most crews order 5–10% over the calculated volume.