Construction Calculator - Construction Converters

Cubic Yard Calculator

Convert project dimensions into cubic feet, cubic yards, tons, and cost.

Reviewed: August 26, 2026

Calculate Cubic Yard

For the Cubic Yard Calculator, enter length, width, depth, waste allowance, material density, and material price. It multiplies length, width, and installed depth, converts to cubic yards, applies allowance once, and converts volume to tons through the entered bulk density.

Gravel, river rock and sand arranged with measuring and installation tools

Formula used

Cubic yards = [length × width × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27] × (1 + waste ÷ 100); tons = cubic yards × density

Cubic Yard Calculator measurement plan showing Length feet, Width feet, Depth inches

Worked cubic yard example

Cubic Yard Calculator example: 27.6 ft × 12 ft × (4 in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 4.09 yd³ before allowance. After 10% allowance, the order basis is 4.5 yd³, or 6.3 short tons at 1.4 tons/yd³.

Volume, density, and supplier units

Use cubic yards for volume-based orders and the density-derived tonnage only after replacing the default with the exact material's bulk density.

Field conditions that change tonnage

Excavation irregularity, settlement, compaction, moisture, and supplier density affect weight and delivered volume.

Questions specific to this calculation

Which bulk density belongs in the cubic yard tons estimate?

Enter length and width in feet and depth in inches for a rectangular layer; calculate varying depths as separate zones or use a measured average cautiously.