Cubic Yard Calculator
A 12 ft by 20 ft area at 4 inches is 2.96 cubic yards, 80.00 cubic feet, and 2.27 cubic meters.
Last updated . Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27. One cubic yard is 0.764555 m³. Depth of 4 inches is 4 ÷ 12 feet.
A universal cubic yard calculator for a rectangle, a circle, or a triangle. It does not assume a gravel density. Convert the yards to tons on the tons to yards calculator, or open the material page for the product you are ordering. What changes that ton when the gravel is wet, dry, loose, or in the bank is how much a yard of gravel weighs.
Rectangle, circle, or triangle
Volume
Cubic yards
0.00
Cubic feet
0.00
Cubic meters
0.00
Rectangle, circle, and triangle
Rectangle volume in feet is length × width × depth. Divide by 27 to get cubic yards. With the depth in inches and the other two sides in feet, divide by 324 instead. The default 12 × 20 × 4 ÷ 324 is 2.96 cubic yards. The foot line reads 80.00 and the meter line reads 2.27.
A circle uses π × radius² × depth. Switch the menu to Circle. A 10 ft diameter at the same 4 inch depth is 26.18 cubic feet, 0.97 cubic yards, and 0.74 cubic meters. A triangle is ½ × base × perpendicular height × depth. The filled triangle, base 12 ft and height 10 ft at 4 inches, is 20.00 cubic feet, 0.74 cubic yards, and 0.57 cubic meters.
Shaped gravel projects that already include a weight sit on the circular gravel calculator and the triangle gravel calculator. Both start at 1,600 kg/m³.
Material pages for the weight
One cubic yard is not one weight. #57 at 1,600 kg/m³ is 1.35 short tons. 304 at 1,920 kg/m³ is 1.62. Class 5 at 2,400 kg/m³ is 2.02. Take the yard line from this page to the matching calculator, or to the tons converter, which uses these same defaults.
- #57 gravel — 1,600 kg/m³
- 3/4 clean gravel — 1,600 kg/m³
- Pea gravel — 1,600 kg/m³
- Crushed stone — 1,700 kg/m³
- Crusher run — 1,700 kg/m³
- Quarry dust — 1,700 kg/m³
- Limestone — 1,700 kg/m³
- 304 gravel — 1,920 kg/m³
- Class 5 — 2,400 kg/m³
- Sand — 1,600 kg/m³
- Pool filter sand — 1,680 kg/m³
- Aquarium gravel — 1,500 kg/m³
- Fill dirt — 1,400 kg/m³
- Backfill — 1,400 kg/m³
- Topsoil — 1,300 kg/m³
- Concrete — 2,400 kg/m³
- Asphalt — 2,400 kg/m³
- River rock — 1,525 kg/m³
- Decomposed granite — 1,500 kg/m³
- #2 gravel — 1,500 kg/m³
- 1 inch gravel — 1,600 kg/m³
- 411 gravel — 1,700 kg/m³
- Riprap — 1,550 kg/m³
- Landscape rock — 1,500 kg/m³
- Lava rock — 720 kg/m³
Worked example
Leave the shape on Rectangle, length 12 ft, width 20 ft, and depth 4 in. The yard line reads 2.96, the foot line reads 80.00, and the meter line reads 2.27. The formula line shows 80.00 ft³ ÷ 27. Switch to Circle and the lines read 0.97, 26.18, and 0.74. Switch to Triangle and they read 0.74, 20.00, and 0.57.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate cubic yards?
For a rectangle, multiply length times width times depth, all in feet, then divide by 27. A 12 ft by 20 ft area at 4 inches is 12 × 20 × (4 ÷ 12) = 80.00 cubic feet. Divide by 27 and the yard line reads 2.96. The meter line reads 2.27.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. The 12 by 20 ft example is 80.00 cubic feet, and 80 ÷ 27 is 2.96 cubic yards. One cubic yard is 0.76 cubic meters. One cubic meter is 1.31 cubic yards.
How do I calculate a circle in cubic yards?
Use the diameter. A 10 ft diameter at 4 inches deep is π × (5 ft)² × (4 ÷ 12) = 26.18 cubic feet, which is 0.97 cubic yards and 0.74 cubic meters. Switch the shape menu to Circle. Diameter 10 ft and depth 4 in are already filled in.
How do I calculate a triangle in cubic yards?
Area is base times height divided by 2, then times depth. A base of 12 ft and a height of 10 ft at 4 inches is 20.00 cubic feet, 0.74 cubic yards, and 0.57 cubic meters. The height is the perpendicular height, so the triangle does not have to be a right triangle.
What is the inches formula for cubic yards?
When length and width are in feet and depth is in inches, cubic yards = length × width × depth ÷ 324. The 324 is 27 cubic feet per yard times 12 inches per foot. 12 × 20 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.96.
Can I enter meters?
Yes. Every dimension has a unit menu for feet, inches, yards, meters, and centimeters. Depth also takes millimeters. The results stay in cubic yards, cubic feet, and cubic meters no matter which unit you type.
How many tons is 2.96 cubic yards?
This page stops at volume. At 1,600 kg/m³ the same 12 by 20 ft by 4 in area is 4.00 short tons of #57, because the tons tools convert the full 2.96296 cubic yards. Use the tons to yards calculator for the material you are buying. Driveway, sand, and concrete pages do volume and weight together.
Is this the same as the circular gravel calculator?
The circular gravel calculator and the triangle gravel calculator turn that shape into yards and tons of gravel at 1,600 kg/m³. This page is volume only, for any material. Pick the material below when you need a weight.