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HaulOnce

Cubic Yard Calculator

Any area and depth to cubic yards, cubic feet, and cubic meters, for any landscape material.

Quick answer

Cubic yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (ft) / 27. For example, 10 x 10 ft at 3 inches deep is 25 cubic feet, or 0.93 cubic yards. One cubic yard covers 108 sq ft at 3 inches.

Measure

Units
Area 1
100 sq ft

Material and depth

Also called: screened topsoil, garden soil, dirt, black dirt, loam

Depth

5% is typical

Adds local climate notes and goes into your copied order.

1.43 cu yd of Topsoil. 52 bags or 1.5 cubic yards bulk.

You need

1.43cubic yards

= 39 cu ft of topsoil · about 1.57 tons

Area x depth100 sq ft x 4 in = 1.23 cu yd
Settling (+10%)+0.12 cu yd

Loose material settles after it is watered and walked on. 10% extra keeps the finished level where you want it.

Waste and uneven ground (+5%)+0.07 cu yd

5% extra covers spills, low spots, and the material that stays in the truck or wheelbarrow.

Weight2,850 lb to 3,850 lb

HaulOnce order ticket

Topsoil (screened)

Ticket no.

482395

Needed (with adjustments)1.43 cu yd
Weight, low to high2,850 lb to 3,850 lb
In tons (typical)1.57 tons

Option A: Bags

52 bags

0.75 cu ft bag, about 61 lb each

Example price, enter yours

Bags total$182

Option B: Bulk

Cheaper

1.5 cu yd

Rounded up to the nearest 0.5 yd, about 1.65 tons.

Example, enter yours

0 if you pick up

Ask your yard; many have a delivery minimum.

Bulk total$127.50

Bulk is cheaper above 0.9 cu yd. Bulk saves you $54.50 on this job.

Bags mean lifting 52 bags (about 3,180 lb in total). Bulk means about 16 wheelbarrow trips at 2.5 cu ft a load.

Estimate from haulonce.com. Weights vary with moisture and supplier. Prices are examples unless you entered your own.

Haul Check

Typical 1,500 to 2,300 lb. We use the low end until you enter yours.

Check the Tire and Loading Information sticker on your driver's door jamb for your exact payload.

Payload3,140 lb of 1,500 lb (209%)
Bed volume (level full)1.43 of 2.11 cu yd (68%)

Topsoil hits your payload long before your bed is full.

That is 1,640 lb over your payload. You need 3 trips.

Split it into 3 loads of about 0.48 cu yd (1,050 lb) each, or get it delivered instead. At this many trips, delivery usually costs less than your time and fuel.

Using the low end of the typical payload range. Enter your own for an exact answer.

What pros know

  • Wet topsoil can weigh a quarter more than dry. After a rainy week, the same yard may not fit your payload. Source
  • Ask whether it is screened. Unscreened topsoil is cheaper but full of rocks and roots. Source
  • Soil is sold by the ton at many yards. A ton of dry topsoil is a little under a yard. Source
1.4 cu yd
Drawn to scale: your pile is about 2.6 ft tall and 7.5 ft across, next to a full-size pickup and a 5 ft 9 in person.

Ready to text or email your supplier:

“I need 1.5 cubic yards of topsoil (screened) delivered.”

Add your ZIP code above to include it.

What did you pay? (optional)

Help other people near you. We store the material, price, and the first 3 digits of your ZIP. No names, no exact address. Local prices are shown only after at least 5 reports.

1.43 cu yd · 52 bagsSee order

The cubic yard formula

A cubic yard is a box 3 feet on each side: 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 cubic feet. To get cubic yards, find cubic feet (length x width x depth, all in feet) and divide by 27. Depth is usually measured in inches, so divide inches by 12 first: 3 inches is 0.25 feet.

Example: a bed 12 ft long and 4 ft wide, 3 inches deep. 12 x 4 x 0.25 = 12 cubic feet. 12 / 27 = 0.44 cubic yards.

In metric, one cubic yard is about 0.765 cubic meters, and one cubic meter is about 1.31 cubic yards.

How far a cubic yard goes

Coverage for topsoil, before any compaction or waste allowance.
Depth1 cu yd covers1 bag (0.75 cu ft) coversYards per 100 sq ft
1 in324 sq ft9 sq ft0.31
2 in162 sq ft4.5 sq ft0.62
3 in108 sq ft3 sq ft0.93
4 in81 sq ft2.3 sq ft1.23
6 in54 sq ft1.5 sq ft1.85
12 in27 sq ft0.8 sq ft3.7

How to measure

Measure the length and width in feet, multiply for square feet, then decide the depth in inches. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles, circles, and triangles and add them up; the calculator lets you add as many areas as you need and subtract cut-outs like a tree ring or an air-conditioner pad.

No tape measure? Open the Draw on satellite map tab, find your address, and trace the outline. Or use Pace it off: count steps along each side. Measure depth in a few spots, because ground is rarely flat.

Want the area on its own first? The lawn size calculator measures any part of your yard and carries it into the other calculators.

Cubic yards to weight

The same cubic yard can weigh 400 lb (mulch) or over 3,000 lb (crusher run). Pick the material in the calculator to see weight and tons, or use the tons to cubic yards converter.

MaterialLowTypicalHighTons per yd
Shredded hardwood mulch4006008000.3
Topsoil (screened)2,0002,2002,7001.1
Sand (dry, masonry or play)2,6002,7502,9001.38
#57 crushed stone2,4002,6002,8001.3
Crusher run (dense grade, with fines)2,8003,1003,4001.55

Pounds per loose cubic yard, as delivered. Wet material sits at or above the high end.

Questions people ask

How do I calculate cubic yards?

Multiply length x width x depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. Convert inches of depth to feet by dividing by 12.

How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

27 cubic feet (3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft).

How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?

It depends on depth: about 162 sq ft at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, and 81 at 4 inches.

How much does a cubic yard weigh?

Anywhere from about 400 lb for mulch to over 3,000 lb for dense crushed stone. Choose the material above for its weight.

How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?

Multiply cubic yards by 0.765. One cubic meter is about 1.31 cubic yards.

Sources

Last reviewed: . How we calculate

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