Use this cubic yard’s calculator to figure out how much dirt, sand, mulch, concrete, topsoil, or compost you might need for your project. We tend to overlook the weight of the goods we purchase in our everyday life. Pounds and Kilograms are the two main units of weight. Some brands express the weight in Pounds, while others list it in Kilograms. It's easy to convert from the Pounds to Kilograms.

How to figure out cubic yards

The formula for figuring out cubic yards is: Cubic yards = (feet) length x (feet) width x (feet) depth 27. Measure the area's length, width, and depth, then multiply those numbers together to get the area's volume in cubic feet. When you get the answer, divide it by 27 to get the total in cubic yards.

Cubic yards = (feet) length x (feet) width x (feet) depth 27

Example calculation

In the example we just used, we have a width of 6 feet, a length of 12 feet, and a depth or height of 6 inches. Since one foot is equal to 12 inches, we divide our depth number by 12 to get 0.5 feet. This means the way we measure is:

6 feet wide

12 feet long

0.5 feet deep

To figure out how many cubic yards there are, we multiply 6 by 12 by 0.5, which gives us 36 cubic feet. The answer is 1.33 cubic yards when we divide by 27.

How to turn square feet into cubic yards

To convert square feet to cubic yards, just multiply the number of square feet by the number of feet tall and deep. The answer is given in cubic feet. Divide your answer by 27 to get the number of cubic yards.

You can use the square feet to cubic yards calculator to convert between square feet and cubic yards.

How many cubic feet does a yard have?

One yard is equal to 27 feet cubed. So, if you want to go from cubic feet to cubic yards, you need to divide your number by 27.

In our article, "How Many Cubic Feet Are in a Yard?," we talk in depth about this topic.

The size of things in cubic yards

Things that are often measured in cubic yards are:

concrete

cement \ssand \saggregate \srock \sasphalt \sgravel \sdirt \scompost \smulch \stopsoil

How much will my stuff that takes up a cubic yard weigh?

You'll need to do a conversion if you want to know how much your cubic yard of materials might weigh in tonnes, kilogrammes, or pounds. This is because the cubic yard is a measure of volume and the tonne, kilogramme, or pound is a measure of weight. To change from one to the other, you'll need to know how dense the substance is. As an extreme example, a cubic yard of feathers will weigh a lot less than a cubic yard of sand.

If you want to figure out how many tonnes are in a cubic yard, I've made a handy cubic yards to tonnes calculator with estimates for the weight of common materials. It also shows how to change a cubic yard of topsoil into another unit.