How it works
Volume in cubic feet = length in feet × width in feet × depth in feet. In area mode, volume = area in sq ft × depth in feet. Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards, or multiply by 0.3048³ for cubic meters.
This is geometric volume with no waste or compaction allowance. Results display two decimal places; calculations retain full precision.
Worked example
For a 12 × 10 ft area filled 3 in deep, depth is 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft. Volume is 12 × 10 × 0.25 = 30 cu ft.
30 ÷ 27 = 1.11 cu yd, or 0.85 m³. Area mode gives the same result with 120 sq ft and the same depth.
Tips and common mistakes
- Select the depth unit carefully. If a depth above 24 in is entered, the calculator asks you to check whether you meant inches.
- Divide irregular spaces into rectangles, calculate each volume and add them.
- Ask the supplier whether you need an allowance for settling or compaction.
- Need weight? Use Cubic Yards to Tons with a density supplied for your material.
Questions about this calculator
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet, because a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.
Why do you divide by 27 for cubic yards?
When length, width and depth are all in feet, the result is in cubic feet. One cubic yard holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet, so dividing by 27 turns cubic feet into cubic yards.
How do I calculate cubic yards?
Convert all three measurements to feet (inches ÷ 12), multiply length × width × depth, then divide by 27.
Example: 12 ft × 10 ft × 3 in = 12 × 10 × 0.25 = 30 cu ft, which is 1.11 cu yd.
How big is a cubic yard?
It is a cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, or 27 cubic feet. It is about 0.76 cubic metres.
Sources
Values marked with a link come from the linked source, which opens in a new tab. Unit conversions and our own defaults are listed separately. Every value the site uses is in the methodology source register.
Where the numbers come from 1
- Meters per international foot
- 0.3048 m/ft
- NIST, international foot conversion (opens in a new tab)nist.gov
Unit conversions and our defaults7
- Inches per foot
- 12 in/ft
- Unit definition: one foot contains twelve inches
- Cubic feet per cubic yard
- 27 cu ft/cu yd
- Geometry: 3 × 3 × 3 feet
- Square inches per square foot
- 144 sq in/sq ft
- Geometry: 12 × 12 inches
- Centimeters per meter
- 100 cm/m
- Metric prefix definition: centi is one hundredth
- Cubic yard calculator starting dimensions
- 12, 10, 3 ft length, ft width, in depth
- Owner worked example; editable starting measurements
- Cubic yard depth unit-check threshold
- 24 in
- Owner specified unit-check warning, not a recommended depth
- Volume and weight display precision
- 2 decimal places
- Owner specification: display volume and tons to two decimals