Cubic Yard

A cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to 27 cubic feet, derived from a cube measuring 3 feet on each side. It is the standard unit used across the United States construction industry for ordering and pricing bulk materials such as ready-mix concrete, topsoil, gravel, sand, and mulch, since these materials fill three-dimensional space rather than being counted as discrete units. When a concrete supplier quotes a price "per yard," they mean per cubic yard of poured concrete.

Cubic yards matter for cost estimation and project planning because ordering too little material means a delayed second delivery mid-project, while ordering too much wastes money on unused material. The Cubic Yard Calculator takes a project's length, width, and depth, usually all measured in feet, and converts the result into cubic yards so you know exactly how much concrete, gravel, or soil to order from a supplier.

While cubic yards measure bulk material volume, dimensional lumber uses a different volume unit entirely, the Board Foot, which is scaled to individual board dimensions rather than large bulk quantities. Understanding both units helps when a single project involves both framing lumber and poured concrete or fill material.

The cubic yard formula is:

Cubic Yards = (Length in feet × Width in feet × Depth in feet) ÷ 27

Where:

• Length, Width, Depth = project dimensions, all measured in feet
• 27 = number of cubic feet in one cubic yard (3 × 3 × 3)

If depth is given in inches, first convert it to feet by dividing by 12.

Suppose you are pouring a concrete patio that is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 4 inches deep.

First convert depth to feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 feet

Cubic Feet = 20 × 10 × 0.333 = 66.7 cubic feet

Cubic Yards = 66.7 ÷ 27 = ~2.47 cubic yards

Most contractors would round this up to 2.5 or 3 cubic yards when placing the order with a concrete supplier to account for subgrade variance, a buffer the Cubic Yard Calculator can apply automatically.

• A cubic yard always equals 27 cubic feet. This conversion factor never changes and is the basis for converting any project's cubic footage into the units suppliers actually sell by.
• Depth is usually the smallest and trickiest dimension. Depth is often specified in inches while length and width are in feet, so converting depth to feet first avoids a common calculation error.
• Ordering a buffer prevents mid-pour shortages. Adding 5 to 10 percent extra to the calculated cubic yard total covers uneven ground and spillage that the raw formula does not account for.
• Lumber uses a different volume unit. Framing and hardwood lumber are measured and priced in Board Foot units rather than cubic yards, since boards are dimensional rather than bulk fill.
• Cubic yard pricing varies by material and delivery distance. Concrete, topsoil, and mulch all have different per-yard costs, and delivery fees can add significantly to bulk orders placed far from the supplier.