How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a cubic yard is a 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft cube (3 × 3 × 3 = 27). That is why the formula divides cubic feet by 27 — and why one yard of material fills thirty-six 0.75 cu ft bags.

How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?

A cubic yard of dry topsoil weighs roughly 2,000 lb — about one US ton. Wet or clay-heavy soil can reach 2,500–3,000 lb per yard. For comparison, mulch is much lighter (~900 lb/yd) while gravel and sand run 2,700–2,800 lb and concrete about 4,000 lb per cubic yard.

How many bags equal a cubic yard?

It depends on the bag size: a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it equals 36 bags of 0.75 cu ft, 27 bags of 1 cu ft, 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft, or 9 bags of 3 cu ft. The calculator shows the 0.75 cu ft count, which is the most common size for bagged soil and gravel at US home centers.

Should I buy bags or order bulk delivery?

As a rule of thumb, bulk wins once you need about 1 cubic yard or more. Bagged material typically costs 2–4× more per yard than bulk, but bulk delivery adds a flat fee ($30–100). For a fraction of a yard, bags are cheaper and easier to move; for a full yard or more, a bulk delivery almost always costs less.

How many wheelbarrows are in a cubic yard?

A typical 4.5 cu ft contractor wheelbarrow takes about 9–14 loads per cubic yard depending on how full you load it (27 ÷ 4.5 = 6 heaping loads in theory, but realistic loads are smaller, especially with heavy material like gravel).

Cubic Yard Calculator

Name: Cubic Yard Calculator
Author: Miikka

Ordering topsoil, mulch, gravel, sand, stone or concrete? Pick the material, enter each area as length × width in feet (or as square feet) and the depth in inches — the calculator converts it to cubic yards and cubic feet, rounds up to the half-yard you would order, counts bags, estimates the weight in tons and the typical delivered cost. Add as many areas as you need.

By Miikka · CalcBrew · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Material

~2,000 lb per yd³ dry (2,500+ wet). Typical: 4–6 in for new beds, 1–2 in top-dressing a lawn. Bulk price typically $25–50/yd³ delivered.

Measure by:

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Depth (inches)

Your price per cubic yard ($, optional)

You need (topsoil / dirt)

Cubic yards

1.11

order 1.5 yd³

Cubic feet

120 sq ft covered

0.75 ft³ bags

Weight

1.11 tons

2,222 lb

Typical bulk cost: $28–56 ($25–50/yd³, before delivery fee)

Cubic yards ↔ tons quick converter

yd³ =1 t topsoil0.45 t mulch1.4 t gravel1.35 t sand2 t concrete1.5 t crushed stone

1 ton of gravel ≈ 0.71 yd³ · 1 ton of topsoil ≈ 1 yd³ · 1 ton of mulch ≈ 2.22 yd³. Suppliers who sell by the ton use these factors.

📌 Weights are typical dry values — wet material can weigh 20–50% more. Suppliers usually sell in half-yard increments, so round up when ordering; add 5–10 % for settling and uneven ground.

The cubic yard formula

A cubic yard is a 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft cube — 27 cubic feet. Because US landscaping depths are quoted in inches, the formula converts inches to feet first:

cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × (depth (in) ÷ 12) ÷ 27

Worked example: a 10 ft × 12 ft bed filled 3 inches deep. Area = 10 × 12 = 120 sq ft. Depth = 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft. Volume = 120 × 0.25 = 30 cubic feet, and 30 ÷ 27 ≈ 1.11 cubic yards. Most suppliers sell in half-yard steps, so you would order 1.5 yards — a little extra is far cheaper than a second delivery.

Moving it by hand? A standard 4.5 cu ft wheelbarrow takes roughly 9–14 loads per cubic yard — closer to 14 with heavy material like wet soil or gravel, since you cannot fill it to the brim.

Cubic yards vs cubic feet vs bags

Cubic yards	Cubic feet	0.75 ft³ bags	2 ft³ bags	3 ft³ bags
0.5 yd	13.5	18	7	4.5
1 yd	27	36	13.5	9
2 yd	54	72	27	18
3 yd	81	108	40.5	27
5 yd	135	180	67.5	45

Bag sizes vary by product: bagged soil and gravel are usually 0.75 cu ft, while mulch is commonly sold in 2 and 3 cu ft bags.

Cubic yards to tons by material

Many quarries and landscape yards sell gravel, sand and stone by the ton, not by the yard. Multiply cubic yards by the density factor for your material — or use the quick converter above. These are typical dry weights; wet material is heavier.

Material	lb per yd³	Tons per yd³	yd³ per ton	Typical depth
Topsoil / dirt (dry)	2,000	1.0	1.0	4–6 in beds, 1–2 in lawn top-dressing
Mulch (bark, hardwood)	900	0.45	2.2	3 in (2–4 in)
Gravel (¾" crushed)	2,800	1.4	0.71	4 in base + 2–3 in top
Sand (dry)	2,700	1.35	0.74	1 in paver base, 6–12 in sandbox
Crushed stone / rock	3,000	1.5	0.67	2–3 in decorative, 6–12 in drainage
Concrete (cured)	4,000	2.0	0.5	4 in slab, 5–6 in driveway

How many cubic yards do common projects take?

Mulching a 200 sq ft bed 3 in deep: 200 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³ — order 2 yards (about 25 two-cubic-foot bags).
Gravel driveway 12 × 50 ft, 4 in base: 600 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 7.4 yd³ ≈ 10.4 tons of crushed gravel.
Concrete patio 10 × 12 ft, 4 in slab: 120 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 1.48 yd³ — order 1.5–2 yards ready-mix, or about 67 eighty-pound bags.
Raised bed 4 × 8 ft, 12 in deep: 32 × 1 ÷ 27 = 1.19 yd³ of soil, roughly 43 bags of 0.75 cu ft.
Top-dressing a 2,000 sq ft lawn ½ in deep: 2,000 × 0.0417 ÷ 27 = 3.1 yd³ of screened compost.

Frequently asked questions

Cite this calculator

APACalcBrew. (2026). Cubic Yard Calculator. https://calcbrew.com/cubic-yard-calculator

MLA“Cubic Yard Calculator.” CalcBrew, 2026, calcbrew.com/cubic-yard-calculator.

Link to https://calcbrew.com/cubic-yard-calculator. Results are estimates; cite the underlying formula or data source for academic work.

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