Cubic Yard Calculator & Material Estimator
The most visual one on the web — 10 shapes, 11 materials, instant cost.
Calculate cubic yards for concrete, gravel, mulch and topsoil. 10 shapes, 11 material density presets, cost in 8 currencies, metric & imperial, plus waste & compaction — with a live 3D preview that renders as you type.
Cubic Yard Calculator
Pick a shape, enter dimensions in any unit, choose your material — get cubic yards, tons, bags and cost instantly.
Waste & compaction factors
How it's calculated
Live formula breakdown — the math updates as you change shape, dimensions, waste and compaction.
Apply the volume formula for this shape
Each geometry has its own equation — we pick it from your selected shape.
Plug your dimensions in (converted to feet)
Inches → feet by ÷ 12; meters → feet by × 3.281. Mixed units are normalised automatically.
Get cubic feet
Multiply through to get raw volume in cubic feet.
Convert ft³ → cubic yards (÷ 27)
Because 1 yd³ = 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 ft³.
Apply waste & compaction
Extra to cover spillage and settling. Slide between 0–20% waste and 1.0–1.3× compaction.
Total volume to order
The number we show in the result panel. Multiply by material density to get tons and bags.
How big is one cubic yard?
27 cubic feet — a cube 3 ft on every side. Here's what that looks like in the real world.
10 shapes — tap to load in the calculator
Each shape has a dedicated landing page with its own examples and conversion charts.
50+ dedicated calculators
One pillar tool per material, project, shape and conversion — all built on the same engine.
Materials
Density-aware calculators that output tons and bags.
Gravel sub-types
From pea gravel to gabion rock — exact densities included.
Projects
By job type.
Shapes
By geometry.
Conversions
One-tap unit swaps.
Material weights per cubic yard
The reason a yard of mulch and a yard of concrete are nothing alike.
6 worked examples
Common scenarios you can copy and tweak.
Concrete slab
10 ft × 12 ft × 4 in thick — typical garage pad or patio.
Mulch bed
200 sq ft flower bed, 3 in deep around shrubs.
Gravel driveway
30 ft × 10 ft × 6 in with +15% waste and ×1.2 compaction.
Round pond
8 ft diameter × 3 ft deep — cylinder calculation.
Lawn top-dressing
1,000 sq ft lawn at 2 in topsoil application.
Retaining wall backfill
25 ft × 2 ft × 4 ft of crushed stone behind a wall.
How much fits in your truck?
Safe load capacities for pickups, dump trucks and dumpsters.
Compact bed, light suspension.
Level load, no overhanging mound.
Long-bed, heavy-duty suspension.
Standard delivery for landscaping.
Common for bulk gravel and topsoil.
The 12 questions everyone asks
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
1 yd³ = 27 ft³ (3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft).
How many cubic yards in a ton of gravel?
Most gravel weighs about 1.4 tons/yd³, so 1 ton ≈ 0.71 yd³.
How many bags of mulch equal 1 cubic yard?
13.5 bags of 2 cu ft mulch; 27 bags of 1 cu ft; 9 bags of 3 cu ft.
How many cubic yards fit in a pickup truck?
0.5 yd³ small pickup, 1–1.5 yd³ half-ton, 2–3 yd³ full-size. A single-axle dump truck holds about 10 yd³.
How big is a cubic yard?
About the size of a standard household washing machine.
What depth of mulch should I use?
2–4 inches. Two inches around annuals, three to four inches around trees and shrubs.
How many 80 lb bags of concrete in a cubic yard?
45 bags of 80 lb premix. For 60 lb bags it takes 60 bags.
How many cubic yards in a dump truck?
Single-axle ≈ 10 yd³; tandem ≈ 15–18 yd³; tri-axle ≈ 20 yd³.
Cubic yards to square feet formula?
sq ft = (yd³ × 27) ÷ depth in feet. 5 yd³ at 4 in (0.333 ft) covers 405 sq ft.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly 2,000–2,400 lbs (1.0–1.2 short tons), more when wet.
Should I add a waste factor?
Yes — 5–10% for slabs, 10–15% for gravel and dirt, 15–20% for compacted base layers.
How many wheelbarrows are in a cubic yard?
9 loads from a 3 cu ft wheelbarrow, or 14 loads from a 2 cu ft contractor wheelbarrow.
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