To find cubic yards, multiply length × width × depth in feet and divide by 27. One cubic yard is a 3 × 3 × 3 ft cube, 27 cubic feet. It covers 108 square feet at 3 inches deep. Dry dirt weighs roughly 0.95–1.1 tons per yard and gravel 1.35–1.5 tons.
This dirt calculator works for topsoil, fill dirt, pea gravel, crusher run, river rock, sand, mulch and concrete. Enter the area and depth; it returns cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, the estimated weight in US tons and metric tonnes, bags needed and wheelbarrow loads.
How to use this calculator
- Pick the area shape: rectangle, circle (enter the diameter), triangle (base and height) or a known area in square feet, yards or meters.
- Enter the depth in inches, feet or centimeters.
- Add a percentage for waste or settling if you want extra (leave 0 for the exact volume).
- Choose the material. Pick "Other" to enter your supplier's weight per cubic foot.
- Read cubic yards, weight, bag counts and wheelbarrow loads. The chart compares what the same volume weighs in each material.
How it's calculated
Volume = area × depth. Area is length × width for a rectangle, π × (diameter ÷ 2)² for a circle, and base × height ÷ 2 for a triangle. Everything is converted to meters first (1 ft = 0.3048 m and 1 in = 0.0254 m exactly), then divided by 0.764 554 857 984 m³, the exact size of a cubic yard in NIST Handbook 44. Weight = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard; US tons = pounds ÷ 2,000 and tonnes = pounds × 0.45359237 ÷ 1,000.
How much is a yard of dirt?
When a landscape yard sells you "a yard" of dirt, soil or gravel, it means a cubic yard of volume, not a linear yard. It's enough to fill a 3 ft cube, or to spread over 108 ft² at 3 inches, 81 ft² at 4 inches or 54 ft² at 6 inches. Price is set by the supplier; weight depends on the material and how wet it is.
| Depth | Area covered by 1 yd³ |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 ft² |
| 2 in | 162 ft² |
| 3 in | 108 ft² |
| 4 in | 81 ft² |
| 6 in | 54 ft² |
| 12 in | 27 ft² |
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
These are loose, as-delivered ranges from government sources. The calculator uses the midpoint and shows the range. Moisture, grain size and compaction all move the number, so for a truck-weight limit ask the supplier for their figure.
| Material | lb per yd³ | US tons per yd³ | Tonnes per yd³ | yd³ per US ton | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil or fill dirt, dry | 1,900–2,200 | 0.95–1.1 | 0.86–1 | 0.91–1.05 | US Army FM 5-434 |
| Topsoil or fill dirt, wet | 2,800–3,200 | 1.4–1.6 | 1.27–1.45 | 0.63–0.71 | US Army FM 5-434 |
| Pea gravel or river rock | 2,700–3,000 | 1.35–1.5 | 1.22–1.36 | 0.67–0.74 | US Army FM 5-434 |
| Crusher run, loose | 2,430–2,808 | 1.22–1.4 | 1.1–1.27 | 0.71–0.82 | WisDOT 0092-22-05 |
| Crusher run, compacted | 3,500–4,200 | 1.75–2.1 | 1.59–1.91 | 0.48–0.57 | WisDOT 0092-22-05 |
| Sand, dry | 2,600–2,900 | 1.3–1.45 | 1.18–1.32 | 0.69–0.77 | US Army FM 5-434 |
| Sand, wet | 2,800–3,100 | 1.4–1.55 | 1.27–1.41 | 0.65–0.71 | US Army FM 5-434 |
| Mulch or wood chips | 243–473 | 0.12–0.24 | 0.11–0.21 | 4.23–8.23 | US EPA 2016 |
| Concrete (fresh) | 3,780–4,185 | 1.89–2.09 | 1.71–1.9 | 0.48–0.53 | FHWA (PCA data) |
Topsoil and fill dirt use FM 5-434's "earth (loam or silt)" row. Pea gravel and river rock use its "gravel, dry" row. Crusher run loose uses WisDOT's measured loose dry unit weights for dense-graded base (90–104 lb/ft³); compacted uses WisDOT's statewide conversion factors of 1.75–2.1 tons per cubic yard.
Cubic yards to tons and tons to cubic yards
Using the midpoint weight of each material:
| Material | 1 yd³ | 2 yd³ | 5 yd³ | 10 yd³ | 1 ton = | 10 tons = |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil or fill dirt, dry | 1 tn | 2.1 tn | 5.1 tn | 10.3 tn | 0.98 yd³ | 9.8 yd³ |
| Topsoil or fill dirt, wet | 1.5 tn | 3 tn | 7.5 tn | 15 tn | 0.67 yd³ | 6.7 yd³ |
| Pea gravel or river rock | 1.4 tn | 2.9 tn | 7.1 tn | 14.3 tn | 0.7 yd³ | 7 yd³ |
| Crusher run, loose | 1.3 tn | 2.6 tn | 6.5 tn | 13.1 tn | 0.76 yd³ | 7.6 yd³ |
| Crusher run, compacted | 1.9 tn | 3.9 tn | 9.6 tn | 19.3 tn | 0.52 yd³ | 5.2 yd³ |
| Sand, dry | 1.4 tn | 2.8 tn | 6.9 tn | 13.8 tn | 0.73 yd³ | 7.3 yd³ |
| Sand, wet | 1.5 tn | 3 tn | 7.4 tn | 14.8 tn | 0.68 yd³ | 6.8 yd³ |
| Mulch or wood chips | 0.2 tn | 0.4 tn | 0.9 tn | 1.8 tn | 5.59 yd³ | 55.9 yd³ |
| Concrete (fresh) | 2 tn | 4 tn | 10 tn | 19.9 tn | 0.5 yd³ | 5 yd³ |
How many yards are in a gravel truck depends on the truck's legal payload, not its bed size, because gravel is heavy. A load ticketed at 10 tons of dry gravel is 6.7–7.4 yd³; the same 10 tons of mulch would be a huge pile.
Worked examples
Topsoil for a raised bed: 20 × 10 ft, 6 in deep
20 × 10 × 0.5 = 100 ft³ ÷ 27 = 3.7 yd³. Dry, that's 3.52–4.07 tons; wet, 5.19–5.93 tons.
Pea gravel path: 30 × 3 ft, 3 in deep
30 × 3 × 0.25 = 22.5 ft³ = 0.83 yd³, about 1.13–1.25 tons, or 45 bags if you buy 0.5 cu ft bags.
Mulch for 200 ft² of beds at 3 in
200 × 0.25 = 50 ft³ = 1.85 yd³. In bags: 25 × 2 cu ft or 17 × 3 cu ft. Penn State Extension advises 2–4 inches of organic mulch and no more, and 1–2 inches for fine or double-shredded mulch or poorly drained soil.
Crusher run driveway: 40 × 10 ft, 4 in compacted
4.94 yd³ in place. At WisDOT's compacted factors that is 8.64–10.37 tons to order. Loose, the same stone fills more room: WisDOT measured 34–52% expansion from compacted to loose for dense-graded base, which is why you order compacted jobs by weight.
Concrete slab: 12 × 10 ft, 4 in thick
1.48 yd³, weighing about 2.8–3.1 tons at 140–155 lb/ft³. For bagged mix, divide 40 ft³ by the yield printed on your bag.
Circle around a tree: 8 ft across, 3 in of mulch
π × 4² × 0.25 = 12.6 ft³ = 0.47 yd³, or 7 bags of 2 cu ft.
Bags, wheelbarrows and trucks
- Bags per cubic yard: 13.5 × 2 cu ft, 9 × 3 cu ft, 18 × 1.5 cu ft, 54 × 0.5 cu ft. Bags are sold by volume, so this holds for mulch, soil and gravel.
- Wheelbarrows per yard: 27 ÷ capacity. Stone is heavy: a full 6 ft³ load of dry gravel is roughly 633 lb, so you may need part loads. The calculator shows the weight per load.
- Bulk vs bagged: bags are easier for small jobs; above a yard or two, compare the bag count with the price of a bulk delivery.
Common mistakes
- Entering depth in inches as feet. 3 inches is 0.25 ft, not 3 ft. Use the depth unit selector.
- Forgetting settling and compaction. Loose soil and gravel settle after spreading and raking. Add a percentage, or order compacted base by weight.
- Using one weight for every material. A yard of mulch weighs a fraction of a yard of sand. Weight only matters for delivery limits, trailers and pay-by-ton pricing.
- Mixing up tons. A US (short) ton is 2,000 lb; a metric tonne is 1,000 kg, about 2,204.6 lb.
- Measuring the average of a sloped area wrong. For uneven depth, measure several spots and use the average.
Related calculators
Need volume for boxes, tanks or rooms instead? Use the cubic feet calculator. For edging, fencing or boards along the bed, try the linear feet calculator, and for liquids by the gallon, the weight per gallon calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a yard of dirt?
A yard of dirt means one cubic yard: a cube 3 ft on each side, or 27 cubic feet. Spread 3 inches deep it covers 108 square feet. Dry loose topsoil or fill dirt weighs about 1,900–2,200 lb per cubic yard and wet dirt 2,800–3,200 lb, per US Army FM 5-434.
How big is a cubic yard?
3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, which is 27 cubic feet, 46,656 cubic inches or 0.7646 cubic meters.
How many bags of mulch are in a yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it equals 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft (buy 14), 9 bags of 3 cu ft, or 18 bags of 1.5 cu ft.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard of mulch?
27 cubic feet. A cubic yard is a volume, so it is the same for mulch, soil, gravel or anything else.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
Dry loose gravel weighs about 2,700–3,000 lb per cubic yard, or 1.35–1.5 US tons (US Army FM 5-434, Table 1-2). Wet gravel is a little heavier.
How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel?
About 0.67–0.74 cubic yards per US ton for dry loose gravel, using 2,700–3,000 lb per cubic yard.
How do you convert cubic yards to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the material's weight in pounds per cubic yard, then divide by 2,000. Tons to cubic yards is the reverse: tons × 2,000 ÷ pounds per cubic yard.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
EPA volume-to-weight factors put wood chips at 243 lb per cubic yard dry and 473 lb green (fresh, wet). Bark and shredded mulches vary, so weigh or ask your supplier if weight matters.
How many wheelbarrows are in a yard?
Divide 27 by your wheelbarrow's capacity in cubic feet. With a 6 cu ft barrow that is 4.5 level loads, so 5 trips; with a 4 cu ft barrow, 6.75 loads, so 7 trips.
How do you figure concrete in yards?
Multiply length × width × thickness in feet and divide by 27. A 12 × 10 ft slab 4 in thick is 12 × 10 × 0.333 = 40 ft³, or 1.48 cubic yards.
How much topsoil do I need?
Multiply the area in square feet by the depth in feet and divide by 27. A 20 × 10 ft bed filled 6 inches deep needs 3.7 cubic yards.
Sources & method
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C — 1 yd³ = 27 ft³ = 0.764 554 857 984 m³; short ton = 2,000 lb
- US Army FM 5-434 Earthmoving Operations (2000), Table 1-2 — loose weights of earth, gravel and sand
- Wisconsin DOT research report 0092-22-05 (2023) — weight-volume conversion factors for aggregates
- US EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016) — wood chips
- FHWA HIF-19-067 Lightweight Concrete Bridge Design Primer (2021) — normal-weight concrete 0.140–0.155 kcf
- Penn State Extension — Mulching Landscape Trees (2–4 in depth)
Results are estimates for general information. Found an error? It helps everyone — see our methodology.