Mixed units: 20 ft × 10 ft × 3 in
A thin layer over a rectangular area. The 3 inch depth is converted to 0.25 ft first.
200 ft² × 0.25 ft = 50 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³
CY Calculator
Free cubic yard (CY) calculator. Pick a shape, enter size and depth, and get cubic yards, feet and meters. Works with ft, in, yd, mm, cm and m.
Calculator
Enter your dimensions. The result appears here instantly.
How to Calculate Cubic Yards
- Pick the shape that matches your space: square, rectangle, circle, triangle, trapezoid, a border around a rectangle or circle, a ring (annulus), or a known area.
- Measure its dimensions and the depth (or height).
- Convert every measurement to feet: divide inches by 12, multiply yards by 3, and convert metric units (1 ft = 0.3048 m). The calculator does this when you choose a unit.
- Find the area, then multiply by the depth to get cubic feet.
- Divide the cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
Cubic Yard Formula
Cubic feet = Area × Depth
(Rectangle: Area = Length × Width)
Cubic yards = Cubic feet ÷ 27
Why 27? One cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, and 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. All three measurements must be in the same unit before multiplying.
How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need?
Measure the area to be filled and decide the depth. Multiply to get the volume, then divide by 27. For mulch, soil, gravel or sand, many suppliers sell by the cubic yard, so this result is usually the number to ask for. Add your own allowance if you expect uneven ground or spillage.
The table shows how much area one cubic yard covers at common depths (27 ÷ depth in feet).
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
Cubic Yard Examples
Garden bed: 12 ft × 4 ft × 6 in, with 10% allowance
A raised bed filled 6 inches deep. The optional 10% is your own allowance for settling and spillage.
48 ft² × 0.5 ft = 24 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.89 yd³
With 10% allowance: 0.98 cubic yards
Round planter: 8 ft diameter, 12 in deep
A circle’s area is π × (diameter ÷ 2)², here π × 4² ≈ 50.27 ft², then multiplied by the depth.
50.2655 ft² × 1 ft = 50.27 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.86 yd³
Metric: 3 m × 2 m × 10 cm
Metric units are converted to feet internally (1 m = 3.2808 ft). The result is 0.6 m³, shown in cubic yards, feet and meters.
64.5835 ft² × 0.3281 ft = 21.19 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.78 yd³
Using yards: 6 yd × 2 yd × 18 in
Each dimension is converted to feet (18 ft × 6 ft × 1.5 ft) before multiplying. It comes to exactly 6 cubic yards.
108 ft² × 1.5 ft = 162 ft³ ÷ 27 = 6 yd³
Cubic Yards to Cubic Feet
To convert cubic yards to cubic feet, multiply by 27. To go the other way, divide by 27. One cubic yard is also 46,656 cubic inches, or about 0.7646 cubic metres.
For lengths, the calculator uses 1 yard = 3 feet and 1 foot = 12 inches. Converting a length from inches or yards to feet is different from converting a volume, which is why volume uses 27 (3³) rather than 3.
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 6.75 |
| 0.5 | 13.5 |
| 1 | 27 |
| 2 | 54 |
| 5 | 135 |
| 10 | 270 |
Adding Waste Material
Real jobs rarely match the exact measurements. Material can settle, spill or fill low spots. The waste field lets you add your own percentage on top of the calculated volume. It starts at 0%, and the calculator makes no assumption about how much you need.
Formula: required yards = base yards × (1 + waste ÷ 100). For example, 10 cubic yards with a 10% allowance is 10 × 1.10 = 11 cubic yards.
Cubic Yard Calculator FAQ
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a cubic yard is a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high (3 × 3 × 3 = 27).
Can I use different units for length, width and depth?
Yes. Pick a unit for each field. The calculator converts everything to feet (1 yard = 3 feet, 1 inch = 1/12 foot, 1 meter = 3.2808 feet) before multiplying, so mixing feet, inches, yards, millimeters, centimeters and meters is safe.
What does the waste allowance do?
It is an optional percentage you choose yourself. The calculator multiplies the base volume by (1 + waste ÷ 100). It is 0% by default and is never applied unless you enter a value.
Why does the answer show only two decimals?
Only the display is rounded. Calculations use full precision, so 200 cubic feet is stored as 7.407407… and shown as 7.41 cubic yards.
How do I calculate cubic yards for a circle or a border?
Choose Circle, Circle Border or Annulus from the shape list. For a circle the calculator uses π × (diameter ÷ 2)² as the area, multiplies by the depth in feet and divides by 27. For irregular spaces, split the area into simple shapes, calculate each one and add the results.
Are my numbers stored or sent anywhere?
No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing you type is sent to a server.