Cubic Yards Calculator and Landscaping Estimator
Enter the length, width, and depth, or area and depth of the space below to calculate the volume in cubic yards.
Using the Cubic Yards Calculator
Calculate the cubic yardage of any volume using this easy calculator, which is especially useful for construction and landscaping projects such as concrete, landscape material, fill, dirt, gravel, or containers.
Estimate the price of the material by including the price per cubic yard.
If you’re measuring for landscaping material, be sure to check out our gravel, soil, mulch, and concrete calculators.
To calculate the cubic yard using imperial measurements, metric measurements, or a mix of both, simply enter inches, feet, yards, centimeters, or meters into the calculator and get the cubic yardage back and estimated material price back.
How to Calculate Cubic Yardage
Cubic yardage is just a volume, measured in yards. Calculating cubic yardage is just like finding a volume, by multiplying the width times the length times the height(W x L x H).
To find the cubic yardage of inches or another unit of measure, first convert the width, length, and height measurements to feet, then multiply to find volume in cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get the volume in cubic yards.
- Measure the width, length, and height of the space in feet. If measurements are in inches, then be sure to convert to feet.
- If the area is complex, it may be simplest to break the area into manageable parts and calculate the cubic yards of each part separately. For instance, a complicated flower bed can be broken up into several geometric areas, and then the cubic yardage of each of those areas could be found first, then added together.
- Multiply the width times the length times the height in feet (W × L × H) to get the volume in cubic feet.
- Finally, convert the cubic feet measurement to cubic yards by dividing the result by 27. Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27. When in doubt, use a conversion calculator for this step.
For example, let’s solve the cubic yards for a space that is 12 ft long by 14 ft wide by 9 inches deep.
Since the space has been measured, the next step is to convert all measurements to feet. Note that the depth measurement is in inches.
depth = 9 inches ÷ 12
depth = 0.75 feet
Next, calculate the volume in cubic feet
cu ft = 12 ft × 14 ft × 0.75 ft
cu ft = 126 cu ft
Finally, convert the volume in cubic feet to cubic yards.
cu yds = 126 cu ft ÷ 27
cu yds = 4.67 cu yds
If you are calculating yardage for a concrete or landscaping project, understand that suppliers may not sell fractions of a yard of material. You may need to round up to the nearest yard and order that amount.
It is always worthwhile to ask your supplier if they will sell a partial yard of material.
To estimate the cost of materials, simply multiply the cubic yardage found above by the price per yard.
Cubic Yards Volume Formulas
The formula for calculating yards is different for various shapes. Refer to the formulas below for the appropriate volume formula.
Square Formula
Calculate the cubic yards of a rectangular cuboid using the formula e3
yds3 = edge x edge x edge
Rectangular Formula
Calculate the cubic yards of a rectangular cuboid using the formula w × l × h
yds3 = length × width × height
Round or Cylinder Formula
Calculate the cubic yards of a circle or cylinder volume using the formula πr2h
yds3 = ( π × (diameter ÷ 2)2 ) × height
yds3 = π × r2 × h
π = 3.14159265359
To estimate the yardage of more shapes, try out our volume calculator.
Tips For Calculating Yardage for Landscaping Material
Consider buying slightly more material than you estimate you will need if you are calculating yards for landscaping, fill, or concrete.
It is always a good idea to have more material than estimated to account for material settling or spilling, and also to compensate for potential mishaps.
