A US plan calls for 6 cubic yards of topsoil
The supplier near you sells by the cubic meter.
6 yd³ × 0.764555 = 4.5873 m³
Order 4.75 or 5 cubic meters, depending on what the supplier sells.
Cubic Yards to Cubic Meters Converter
Multiply cubic yards by 0.764555 to get cubic meters. One cubic yard is about three quarters of a cubic meter, or 765 liters.
How to Convert Cubic Yards to Cubic Meters
A yard is defined as exactly 0.9144 meters. A cubic yard is that length cubed, 0.9144 × 0.9144 × 0.9144, which gives the exact factor below.
Cubic meters = cubic yards × 0.764555
Liters = cubic meters × 1,000
For a quick check in your head, take three quarters of the cubic yards (CY Calculator itself always uses the exact factor). The estimate comes out about 2% low: 10 cubic yards is really 7.6455 cubic meters, against 7.5 from the shortcut.
Cubic Yards to Cubic Meters Chart
| Cubic yards | Cubic meters | Liters |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.3823 m³ | 382 |
| 1 | 0.7646 m³ | 765 |
| 2 | 1.5291 m³ | 1,529 |
| 3 | 2.2937 m³ | 2,294 |
| 4 | 3.0582 m³ | 3,058 |
| 5 | 3.8228 m³ | 3,823 |
| 6 | 4.5873 m³ | 4,587 |
| 8 | 6.1164 m³ | 6,116 |
| 10 | 7.6455 m³ | 7,646 |
| 12 | 9.1747 m³ | 9,175 |
| 15 | 11.4683 m³ | 11,468 |
| 20 | 15.2911 m³ | 15,291 |
| 25 | 19.1139 m³ | 19,114 |
| 50 | 38.2277 m³ | 38,228 |
Comparing US and Metric Quotes
Prices follow the same factor. A price per cubic meter times 0.7646 gives the price per cubic yard, and a price per cubic yard divided by 0.7646 gives the price per cubic meter.
Price per yd³ = price per m³ × 0.7646
1 metric tonne = 1.1023 US tons
So 40 per cubic meter is the same as 30.58 per cubic yard, in any currency. Weight works differently: a metric tonne is 1,000 kg, a little more than a US ton of 2,000 pounds, so a quote in tonnes and one in tons are not quite equal.
Cubic Yards to Cubic Meters Examples
A 3 cubic yard concrete pour
Ready mix plants in metric countries batch by the cubic meter.
3 yd³ × 0.764555 = 2.2937 m³
To work out metric volumes from measurements in meters and centimeters, use the cubic meter calculator.
Cubic Yards to Cubic Meters FAQ
How many cubic meters are in a cubic yard?
0.7646 cubic meters, or exactly 0.764554857984 if you need every digit. A cubic yard is about three quarters of a cubic meter.
How many liters are in a cubic yard?
About 765 liters (764.55 to two decimals). That helps when bagged soil or compost is labeled in liters.
Which is bigger, a cubic yard or a cubic meter?
A cubic meter. It holds 1.31 cubic yards, so it is roughly 31% larger than a cubic yard.
Is a UK cubic yard the same as a US cubic yard?
Yes. Both countries use the international yard of exactly 0.9144 meters, so a cubic yard is the same size on either side of the Atlantic.
More Converters
Need it the other way round? Use the cubic meters to cubic yards converter. To work out the volume of a whole bed, slab or trench first, the cubic yard calculator handles nine shapes and any mix of units.
- Cubic Yards to Tonsyd³ → tonsWeight of gravel, sand, soil, mulch or concrete from its volume.
- Tons to Cubic Yardstons → yd³How much space a weight of material fills, by material.
- Square Feet to Cubic Yardsft² → yd³Cubic yards to order for an area spread at a chosen depth.
- Cubic Yards to Square Feetyd³ → ft²How many square feet a delivery covers at a chosen depth.
- Cubic Feet to Cubic Yardsft³ → yd³Divide by 27: bag sizes and small volumes in yards.
- Cubic Yards to Cubic Feetyd³ → ft³Multiply by 27: a delivery in cubic feet or bags.
- Cubic Meters to Cubic Yardsm³ → yd³Metric volume to US yards, for quotes and plans.