How Big Is a Cubic Yard?
Compare one cubic yard with any volume and see what its dimensions and coverage mean.
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At a glance
How Big Is a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard is a volume equal to 27 cubic feet: a cube 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high. Its shape can change while its volume stays the same.
Guides
One cubic yard in familiar units
1 yd³ = 27 ft³ = 46,656 in³ = 0.764554857984 m³
The one yard cube has 36 inch edges. A wide, shallow bed can hold the same volume as that cube. For example, a 9 ft by 9 ft layer at 4 inches deep holds one cubic yard.
The illustration above compares cube edges at the same physical scale. Ten cubic yards do not make a cube ten times as wide. A cube’s side grows with the cube root of its volume.
Guides
Fractional yards and larger quantities
| Volume | Cubic feet | Equivalent cube edge |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 yd³ | 6.75 ft³ | 1.889882 ft |
| 0.5 yd³ | 13.5 ft³ | 2.381102 ft |
| 1 yd³ | 27 ft³ | 3 ft |
| 2 yd³ | 54 ft³ | 3.779763 ft |
| 3 yd³ | 81 ft³ | 4.326749 ft |
| 5 yd³ | 135 ft³ | 5.129928 ft |
| 10 yd³ | 270 ft³ | 6.463304 ft |
| 20 yd³ | 540 ft³ | 8.143253 ft |
| 50 yd³ | 1,350 ft³ | 11.052094 ft |
| 100 yd³ | 2,700 ft³ | 13.924767 ft |
| 1,000 yd³ | 27,000 ft³ | 30 ft |
Use the volume control for another quantity, including 4, 8, 12, 15, 18, or 30 cubic yards. The cube is one possible shape, not a prediction of the shape of a loose pile or a truck load.
Guides
The same yard spread over the ground
At 1 inch deep, one cubic yard covers 324 square feet. At 3 inches, it covers 108 square feet. At 4 inches, it covers 81 square feet. At 12 inches, it covers 27 square feet. Depth must always accompany a coverage figure.
Coverage (ft²) = volume (yd³) × 324 ÷ depth (in)
Change the depth above to see the selected volume spread differently. For irregular surfaces or variable depths, calculate separate sections.
Guides
Yards, square yards, scoops, and units
A linear yard measures length, a square yard measures area, and a cubic yard measures volume. Landscaping suppliers may shorten cubic yard to yard, but confirm what the quote means. CY, cu yd, and yd³ are common volume abbreviations.
A supplier’s scoop, bucket, load, or unit has no universal size. Ask for its volume or weight basis. There is also no single answer to ounces in a yard: ounces may describe mass, while fluid ounces describe a liquid volume, and a bare yard normally describes length. Clarify the intended units first. If you know a material volume and want a path length, supply its width and depth and use the path length calculation. A cubic volume can only determine a linear distance when the other dimensions are known.
Guides
Size, weight, and price are separate questions
The physical volume of a cubic yard is fixed. Its weight depends on material bulk density, and its price depends on the actual product, supplier, quantity, and delivery terms. A yard of mulch and a yard of gravel occupy the same bulk volume but need not have the same weight or cost.
Use the material calculators for a project quantity, the density based weight converter for tons, and the yard of dirt guide to compare a known volume with a supplier quote.
Common questions
Cubic yard size questions, answered.
What are the dimensions of one cubic yard?
One possible shape is a cube 3 ft by 3 ft by 3 ft. Other dimension combinations can hold the same 27 cubic feet, such as 9 ft by 9 ft at 4 inches deep.
How big is 3 cubic yards?
It is 81 cubic feet. At 4 inches deep it covers 243 square feet. An equivalent cube has an edge of about 4.327 feet.
How much is 10 cubic yards?
It is 270 cubic feet, or about 7.646 cubic meters. Its weight and cost depend on the material and supplier. Change the quantity above to compare its size.
How many yards are in a cubic yard?
A linear yard and a cubic yard measure different things, so there is no direct conversion. A one cubic yard cube has edges of one linear yard, but a different shape can hold the same volume.
Is a yard of soil always one cubic yard?
That is common bulk material shorthand, but confirm the supplier’s unit. If a quote says scoop, unit, bucket, or load, ask for its stated capacity rather than assuming it equals a yard.
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