Cubic Yard Calculator

There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, because a cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.

Multiply length × width × depth in feet, then divide by 27. For depths given in inches, divide the inches by 12 first to convert to feet.

Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27. Fill dirt and screened topsoil run around 80 lb per cubic foot, so a cubic yard weighs roughly 2,160 lb — just over a ton. Excavated dirt is heavier when wet, which matters more for hauling than for ordering.

Take the bed area in square feet, multiply by the fill depth in feet, and divide by 27. A 4 by 8 raised bed filled 12 inches deep needs 32 × 1 ÷ 27, about 1.19 cubic yards. Soil settles, so order to the rim and expect to top up after the first watering.

Length × width × thickness, all in feet, divided by 27. The step people miss is the thickness: 4 inches is 0.333 feet, not 4. A 12 by 12 slab at 4 inches is 144 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 1.78 cubic yards, so you would order two.