Cubic Yard Conversion Calculator & Formula

A cubic yard conversion calculator converts a volume expressed in any common unit—cubic feet, cubic inches, cubic meters, gallons, liters, or tons—into cubic yards, or vice versa. You enter the numeric value and select the unit you have; the calculator returns the equivalent volume in cubic yards, plus often the reverse conversion. This is the tool you need when ordering mulch, soil, gravel, or concrete, where suppliers quote in cubic yards but your measurements are in feet or meters.

Formula

The core conversion is simple: 1 cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, which equals 46,656 cubic inches, approximately 0.7646 cubic meters, 202.0 US gallons, or 764.6 liters. The calculator uses the factor you select:

• From cubic feet: cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
• From cubic inches: cubic yards = cubic inches ÷ 46,656
• From cubic meters: cubic yards = cubic meters × 1.30795
• From US gallons: cubic yards = gallons × 0.00495113
• From liters: cubic yards = liters × 0.00130795
• From short tons (dry material): cubic yards = tons ÷ 1.35 (approximate, depends on material density)

In symbols: yd³ = V × f, where V is your input volume and f is the conversion factor for the unit you start with. The factor for cubic feet is 1/27, for cubic inches it is 1/46656, and so on. Every factor is exact except the ton conversion, which is an average bulk density and varies with moisture and particle size.

Worked Example

Using the default values: you enter a volume of 1 and select “cubic feet� as the starting unit. The calculation is:

1. Start with 1 cubic foot.
2. Divide by 27 (cubic feet per cubic yard): 1 ÷ 27 = 0.037037…
3. The calculator rounds to 4 decimal places, giving 0.0370 cubic yards.
4. For cubic feet output: 0.0370 × 27 = 1.00 ft³.
5. For cubic meters output: 0.0370 × 0.764554858 = 0.0283 m³.

So 1 cubic foot is 0.0370 cubic yards, which is just over 1/27th of a yard—a small fraction because a cubic yard is a large volume (3 feet × 3 feet × 3 feet).

When to Use a Cubic Yard Calculator

You need this conversion in landscaping, construction, and waste removal. Suppliers sell bulk materials by the cubic yard because it is a convenient unit for truckloads. Typical uses:

• Mulch or topsoil: measure your garden bed in square feet and depth in inches; the calculator converts the resulting cubic feet to cubic yards for ordering.
• Concrete: ready-mix concrete is ordered by the cubic yard. A slab 10 ft × 10 ft × 4 in thick is 100 sq ft × 0.333 ft = 33.3 ft³ = 1.23 yd³.
• Gravel or sand: driveways and foundations often quote in cubic yards; your measurements are in feet or meters.
• Dumpster rental: dumpster sizes are given in cubic yards; estimate your debris volume in feet to see which size fits.

The result tells you how much material to order. For most bulk materials, order slightly more (5–10%) to account for compaction, settling, and uneven surfaces.

How to Read the Result

The main output is cubic yards, a three-dimensional volume. One cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side—roughly the size of a washing machine or a small refrigerator. If you are ordering material, the number of cubic yards directly translates to the volume the truck will deliver. For example, 1.5 cubic yards of mulch will cover 150 square feet at 3 inches deep (150 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 37.5 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.39 yd³, plus a little extra).

The secondary outputs (cubic feet and cubic meters) help you cross-check or communicate with suppliers who use metric. If you see a decimal like 0.0370, that is less than one cubic yard—you would likely order a fraction of a yard, but many suppliers have minimum order quantities, often 1 cubic yard.

Common Mistakes and Unit Mix-Ups

The most frequent error is confusing cubic feet with square feet or linear feet. A cubic foot is a volume (length × width × height), while a square foot is an area (length × width). To get cubic feet, you must multiply by depth. For example, a 10 ft × 10 ft area at 6 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.5 = 50 cubic feet, not 100.

Another common mistake is mixing US and imperial gallons. A US gallon is 231 cubic inches; a UK (imperial) gallon is 277.42 cubic inches. The calculator uses US gallons. If you have UK gallons, multiply by 1.20095 to get US gallons first, then convert.

Rounding errors also matter. If you round 1/27 to 0.037, you are off by 0.000037 per cubic foot—negligible for small volumes but significant for large ones. For a 100 yd³ order, that error becomes 0.0037 yd³, which is fine, but avoid rounding intermediate steps when you do manual calculations.

Limits of the Formula

The conversion itself is exact and universal—it is pure geometry. The only approximation is the ton-to-cubic-yard conversion. A “ton� is a weight, not a volume, so converting tons to cubic yards requires knowing the material’s density. The calculator uses an average bulk density of about 1.35 tons per cubic yard (2,700 lb/yd³), which is typical for dry sand or gravel. But wet soil, compost, or rock can be denser or lighter. For example, dry topsoil is about 1.2 tons per cubic yard, while wet clay can be 1.7 tons per cubic yard.

If you are converting tons to cubic yards for a specific material, look up the bulk density of that exact material (in pounds per cubic foot or tons per cubic yard) and use that factor instead. The calculator’s ton factor is a starting point, not a universal truth.

Alternatives to a Cubic Yard Calculator

If you do not have a calculator, you can do the math by hand using the 27 factor. For a rectangular area, measure length, width, and depth in feet, multiply them to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For a circular area, use π × radius² × depth. For irregular shapes, break them into rectangles and add the volumes.

You can also use a conversion app or a spreadsheet formula. In Excel, the CONVERT function can handle some units, but it does not have a direct cubic-yard option; you would use CONVERT(value, “ft³�, “yd³�) or CONVERT(value, “m³�, “yd³�). Many online calculators also offer the same conversion, but the one on this page is designed to show the formula so you can verify the result.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard? Exactly 27 cubic feet. Since 1 yard = 3 feet, a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. This is the most common conversion you will use.

How do I convert square feet to cubic yards? You cannot directly—square feet measure area, cubic yards measure volume. You need the depth (height) in feet. Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. For example, 100 sq ft at 3 inches (0.25 ft) deep is 25 ft³, which is 0.93 yd³.

How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel? It depends on the gravel’s density. Dry gravel typically has a bulk density of about 1.35 tons per cubic yard, so 1 ton is about 0.74 cubic yards. Wet or compacted gravel can be denser, so you might get only 0.6 cubic yards per ton. Always check the specific material’s density.

What is the difference between a cubic yard and a yard? A yard is a linear measure (36 inches), a square yard is an area (3 ft × 3 ft = 9 sq ft), and a cubic yard is a volume (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cu ft). They are completely different dimensions; do not confuse them when ordering materials.

How much does a cubic yard of concrete weigh? Standard concrete weighs about 4,050 pounds per cubic yard (about 2.4 tons). This is heavier than soil or mulch, so a full concrete truck carries about 10 cubic yards, which is why driveways are poured in sections.

Can I use the calculator for liquid volumes? Yes, but be careful with gallons. The calculator uses US liquid gallons. One cubic yard equals 202.0 US gallons. If you have liters, multiply by 0.00130795 to get cubic yards. For imperial gallons, convert to US gallons first (multiply by 1.20095).

Related

• Cubic Feet Calculator: L x W x H in Seconds
• Cubic Meter to Yard Calculator: Convert m³ to yd³
• Cubic Meters Calculator: How to Find m³

in v | Volume | - | 1 | 0
sel from | From unit | cubic feet=1, cubic inches=0.000578704, cubic meters=1.307950619, gallons (US)=0.004951132, liters=0.001307951, tons (short)=0.740740741
out cy | Cubic yards | yd³ | v * from | 4
out cf | Cubic feet | ft³ | v * from * 27 | 2
out m3 | Cubic meters | m³ | v * from * 0.764554858 | 4