About the Cubic Yard Calculator
When ordering bulk materials like fill dirt, gravel, mulch, topsoil, or sand, suppliers price and deliver by the cubic yard. Accurately calculating the volume you need prevents costly over-ordering or frustrating shortages that delay your project. This calculator converts your area dimensions in feet and depth in inches directly to cubic yards.
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet and covers approximately 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, or 162 square feet at 2 inches deep. For most residential landscaping projects, depths of 2-4 inches are typical for mulch and topsoil, while gravel driveways and base materials often require 4-6 inches or more.
A practical tip: order about 10% more than calculated to account for settling, spillage, and irregular terrain. For irregularly shaped areas, break the space into rectangles, calculate each separately, and add the totals. This calculator gives you both cubic yards and cubic feet so you can work with whichever unit your supplier prefers.