Cubic Yard Calculator
Work out cubic yards and cubic metres of topsoil, mulch, compost, sand or gravel for beds and paths, with bags needed and an optional cost.
Reviewed by Dany, RightSums team · Updated
Runs in your browser. Free, no sign-up.
home-energy · Daily life · UK & US
Add each bed, border or path as a rectangle, circle, triangle or L-shape, measured in feet, inches, metres or centimetres, and give each one a depth. The calculator adds the areas together and shows the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic metres, using the exact definition of 1 cubic yard as 27 cubic feet, or 0.764555 m³. Choose an allowance of up to 25% for settling and spillage. It then counts bags at 2 and 3 cubic feet or 40 and 50 litres, which you can change to match your bag, and prices them per bag or per bulk yard or cubic metre. A bed 10 ft by 12 ft and 4 in deep holds 1.48 cubic yards. Concrete has its own calculator.
Accepted inputs
- Material: topsoil, mulch, compost, sand, gravel or other
- Area shape: rectangle, circle, triangle or L-shape
- Lengths in ft, in, ft and in, m or cm
- Depth in inches, feet, mm, cm or m
- Allowance for settling and spillage
- Bag sizes in cubic feet or litres
- Optional price per bag, cubic yard or m³
Outputs
- Cubic yards
- Cubic feet
- Cubic metres and litres
- Volume of each area
- Bags needed for each bag size
- Cost by bag and in bulk
How to use the Cubic Yard Calculator
- Pick the material and add each area you want to fill, choosing a rectangle, circle, triangle or L-shape.
- Enter the sides in feet, inches, metres or centimetres and the depth of each area in inches, feet, millimetres, centimetres or metres.
- The calculator works out each area, multiplies it by its depth, adds the areas together and adds the allowance you chose for settling and spillage.
- It shows the total in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic metres, then divides by each bag size and rounds up to give the bags to buy and the cost.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27. A bed 10 ft by 12 ft and 4 inches deep is 10 × 12 × 0.333 = 40 cubic feet, which is 1.48 cubic yards. In metric, 4 m by 3 m at 5 cm deep is 0.6 m³, or 0.78 cubic yards.
How many bags of mulch make a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 14 bags of 2 cubic feet or 9 bags of 3 cubic feet. It is also 764.6 litres, which is 20 bags of 40 litres or 16 bags of 50 litres. The calculator rounds up to whole bags, and you can enter the size printed on your bag.
How much topsoil do I need for a raised bed?
Multiply the bed size by the depth you want to fill. A bed 4 m by 3 m filled 5 cm deep takes 0.6 m³, or 0.66 m³ with 10% extra. That is 14 bags of 50 litres, or £29.70 at £45 per m³ delivered. In the US, 10 ft by 12 ft at 4 in with 10% is 1.63 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet and cubic metres are in a cubic yard?
One cubic yard is exactly 27 cubic feet, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. It is also 0.764555 m³, since a foot is exactly 0.3048 m. Going the other way, 1 m³ is 1.308 cubic yards or 35.31 cubic feet.
How much extra soil or mulch should I order?
That is your choice, and the calculator lets you add from 0 to 25%. Loose materials settle after spreading and suppliers measure loads in different ways, so this is an estimate: check the quantity with your supplier. Adding 10% to a 1.48 cubic yard bed gives 1.63 cubic yards.
Sources
The rates and rules in this tool come from:
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