What Is a Cubic Yard?
A cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to a cube 3 feet on each side — 27 cubic feet, or about 0.76 cubic meters.
Get the yards for your job with the cubic yards calculator.
Cubic yard dimensions
A cubic yard measures 3 feet, 36 inches or 0.9144 meters on each edge.
| Unit | Each side | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Feet | 3 ft | 27 ft³ |
| Inches | 36 in | 46,656 in³ |
| Meters | 0.9144 m | 0.7646 m³ |
Cubic yard vs square yard vs yard
A cubic yard measures volume, a square yard measures area, and a yard measures length.
- Yard: a length of 3 feet.
- Square yard: an area 3 ft × 3 ft = 9 square feet. Carpet and sod are sold this way.
- Cubic yard: a volume 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. Gravel, soil, mulch and concrete are sold this way.
What one cubic yard weighs
One cubic yard weighs from under half a ton of mulch to about two tons of concrete, depending on the material and its moisture.
| Material | lb per yd³ | tons per yd³ | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulch | 450–620 | 0.23–0.31 | 2 cu ft, 3 cu ft, 1.5 cu ft |
| Topsoil | 1,600–2,200 | 0.8–1.1 | 0.75 cu ft, 1 cu ft, 1.5 cu ft |
| Gravel | 2,550–2,850 | 1.28–1.43 | 0.5 cu ft (50 lb) |
| Concrete | 3,780–4,050 | 1.89–2.03 | 80 lb, 60 lb, 50 lb, 40 lb |
Weight basis: mulch shredded wood, as sold; topsoil dry, loose; gravel dry, loose; concrete fresh, normal-weight. Sources: NRAES-54 (Cornell); Caterpillar; Mississippi State University Extension; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions; Penn State Extension; Lawn Love; ZonedGarden; U.S. Army; Do it Best; Shell Lumber; Graf's Garden Shop; Topsoil.com; Vulcan Materials; Quikrete; HomeGuide; NRMCA; ACI; Sakrete; GSI Concrete (PA); Townsend Concrete (CA).
Cubic yard basics FAQ
- Is a yard of dirt the same as a cubic yard?
- Yes, a yard of dirt is one cubic yard of dirt: 27 cubic feet of material. Landscape suppliers use "yard" as short for cubic yard.