How many cubic yards is that?
A circle 10 ft across and 3 inches deep is about 19.63 cubic feet, or 0.73 cubic yards (0.56 cubic meters).
A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on a side, 27 cubic feet. This page turns a rectangle, circle, or triangle plus a depth into cubic feet, cubic yards, and cubic meters. Pick a material only if you also want tons.
- Choose the shape under More options. Rectangle uses length and width. Circle uses diameter. Triangle uses base and height.
- Enter depth. Leave it in inches for a thin layer of soil or stone. Switch the depth unit to feet for a deep hole.
- Read cubic yards first. That is the unit most dump trucks and landscape yards use.
- Optionally pick gravel, soil, sand, mulch, or concrete so the tons line fills in from that material’s typical density.
- To price a load, open Estimate cost and use per cubic yard unless your hauler sells by the ton.
Cubic feet = area × depth in feet. Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27. Cubic meters = cubic feet ÷ 35.315. Tons = cubic yards × the density you entered. A triangle’s area is base × height ÷ 2. A circle’s area is π × (diameter ÷ 2)².
A pickup bed is not a cubic yard unless the load is about 3 × 3 × 3 ft after you account for the wheel wells. Most half-ton trucks safely hold about half a yard of wet soil or gravel, sometimes less. If a contractor says “two yards of dirt,” that is 54 cubic feet. That is not the same as two pickup beds you already filled. Use the calculator to get cubic yards, then figure truck trips from that yardage.
How to calculate cubic yards
Multiply the area by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A circle uses π × (diameter ÷ 2)² for the area. The default 10 ft circle at 3 inches is 78.54 × 0.25 = 19.63 cubic feet, or 0.73 cubic yards.
Worked example: 10 ft circle, 3 inches deep
Worked example
Diameter 10 ft, depth 3 in, no material selected.
Radius is 5 ft. Area is π × 5 × 5 = 78.54 square feet. Depth is 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft. Volume is 78.54 × 0.25 = 19.63 cubic feet. 19.63 ÷ 27 = 0.73 cubic yards. In cubic meters that is 0.56.
Those figures are the default on this calculator. The same circle in gravel at 1.40 tons per yard is (π × 5 × 5 × 0.25 ÷ 27) × 1.40 = 1.02 tons. Switch the material dropdown to gravel to see that tons line.
A 10 × 10 ft rectangle at the same 3 inch depth is 25 cubic feet, 0.93 cubic yards. The circle holds less because the corners are missing.
Square feet covered by one cubic yard
| Depth | Square feet per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 2 in | 162 |
| 3 in | 108 |
| 4 in | 81 |
| 6 in | 54 |
| 8 in | 40.5 |
| 12 in | 27 |
To go the other way: square feet × depth in feet ÷ 27. A 500 square foot bed at 4 inches is 500 × (4 ÷ 12) ÷ 27 = 6.17 cubic yards.
Questions
How do I calculate cubic yards from square feet?
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
How do I convert cubic yards to tons?
How do you calculate a cubic yard of dirt?
How many square feet will one cubic yard cover?
How do I calculate cubic yards for a circle?
What is the difference between cubic yards and tons?
How do I calculate cubic yards of soil or rock?
How big is a cubic yard?
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Written by The BuildMath team. Formulas tested against worked examples. Updated October 21, 2026.