Volume converter
Cubic feet to cubic yards calculator
Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards: one cubic foot is 0.037037 cubic yards, and one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. For example, 50 ft³ is 1.8519 yd³. Use the calculator to convert between cubic feet, yards, inches, metres and litres, to find the yards in an area at a given depth, or to see how much area a volume covers. Last updated October 12, 2026.
Cubic feet and cubic yards
Exact unit conversion: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.
Convert cubic feet and cubic yards
Convert units, find yards from area and depth, or see what a volume covers.
Exact unit conversion, no rounding until display.
THE SAME VOLUME IN EVERY UNIT
Unit conversions are exact. Area × depth gives a geometric volume and does not include waste, compaction or ordering minimums unless you add an extra percentage.
The formula
A cubic yard is 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet
A yard is 3 feet long, so a cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side: 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. That is why the conversion factor is 27 and not 3.
For a flat layer such as a slab, patio, gravel bed or topsoil, multiply area by depth in feet, then divide by 27. With depth in inches, divide it by 12 first, or use the shortcut below.
Metric values follow from exact definitions. NIST states the inch is exactly 25.4 mm, so a foot is exactly 0.3048 m, a yard exactly 0.9144 m, and a cubic yard exactly 0.76455 cubic metres.
Worked examples
Six conversions, calculated step by step
- 50 cubic feet to cubic yards. 50 ÷ 27 = 1.8519 yd³.
- 3 cubic yards to cubic feet. 3 × 27 = 81 ft³.
- A 12 ft × 12 ft slab, 4 inches thick. Area 144 ft² × (4 ÷ 12) ft = 48 ft³; ÷ 27 = 1.7778 yd³. With 10% extra: 52.8 ft³ = 1.9556 yd³.
- How far does one cubic yard go at 4 inches? 27 ft³ ÷ (4 ÷ 12) ft = 81 ft². Equivalent shortcut: 324 ÷ 4 = 81.
- 2.5 cubic metres to cubic yards. 2.5 ÷ 0.76455 = 3.2699 yd³.
- 5,000 cubic inches to cubic feet. 5,000 ÷ 1,728 = 2.8935 ft³.
These are unit conversions and geometric volumes. Ordering minimums, waste and compaction are separate decisions.
Cubic feet to cubic yards conversion table
| Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Cubic metres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.037037 | 0.028317 |
| 5 | 0.18519 | 0.14158 |
| 10 | 0.37037 | 0.28317 |
| 27 | 1 | 0.76455 |
| 50 | 1.8519 | 1.4158 |
| 100 | 3.7037 | 2.8317 |
| 200 | 7.4074 | 5.6634 |
| 500 | 18.5185 | 14.1584 |
| 1,000 | 37.037 | 28.3168 |
Cubic yards to cubic feet conversion table
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet | Cubic metres |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 13.5 | 0.38228 |
| 1 | 27 | 0.76455 |
| 2 | 54 | 1.5291 |
| 3 | 81 | 2.2937 |
| 5 | 135 | 3.8228 |
| 10 | 270 | 7.6455 |
| 20 | 540 | 15.2911 |
Cubic yards for an area at a given depth
| Depth (in) | yd³ per 100 ft² | ft² covered by 1 yd³ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.30864 | 324 |
| 2 | 0.61728 | 162 |
| 3 | 0.92593 | 108 |
| 4 | 1.2346 | 81 |
| 5 | 1.5432 | 64.8 |
| 6 | 1.8519 | 54 |
| 8 | 2.4691 | 40.5 |
| 12 | 3.7037 | 27 |
To use the table, multiply the yd³ per 100 ft² by your area ÷ 100. A 400 ft² area at 4 inches needs four times 1.2346, or 4.9383 cubic yards.
Using yards for concrete and other materials
Concrete, gravel, soil and mulch are all sold by the cubic yard in the United States, so the same conversion applies. For concrete bags, the quantity depends on each product’s yield: dividing 27 cubic feet by the yield gives 45 bags of 80 lb, 60 bags of 60 lb, 72 bags of 50 lb, 90 bags of 40 lb per cubic yard at the approximate yields listed in the QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101 datasheet. See how many bags of concrete are in a yard for the full comparison.
Gravel and stone are often quoted in tons, so convert with the tons to cubic yards calculator. For the step-by-step method for a whole project, read how to calculate concrete volume, and see the concrete ordering checklist for allowances and supplier minimums.
Common questions
Cubic feet and cubic yards questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. It is also 46,656 cubic inches, since 36 × 36 × 36 = 46,656.
How many yards are in a cubic foot?
One cubic foot is 1 ÷ 27 = 0.037037 cubic yards. Ten cubic feet is 0.37037 cubic yards.
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?
Divide the cubic feet by 27. For example, 50 ft³ ÷ 27 = 1.8519 yd³. To go the other way, multiply cubic yards by 27: 3 yd³ × 27 = 81 ft³.
Why can’t I divide cubic feet by 3?
Dividing by 3 converts a length: 3 feet make 1 yard. Volume multiplies three lengths together, so the factor is cubed: 3 × 3 × 3 = 27. Dividing 54 ft³ by 3 would give 18, but 54 ft³ is only 2 cubic yards.
How many yards are in a square foot of concrete?
A square foot has no volume until you give it a thickness. At 4 inches thick, one square foot is 1/3 ft³, which is 0.012346 cubic yards. At that thickness 100 ft² needs 1.2346 cubic yards, and one cubic yard covers 81 ft². The coverage tab does this for any depth.
How many cubic yards do I need for a slab?
Multiply length × width × thickness, then divide cubic feet by 27. A 12 ft × 12 ft slab 4 inches thick is 48 ft³, or 1.7778 cubic yards. With 10% extra it is 1.9556 cubic yards. The concrete slab calculator does the same arithmetic with bag counts.
How many bags of concrete make a cubic yard?
Divide 27 cubic feet by the yield printed on the bag. At the approximate yields in the QUIKRETE Concrete Mix No. 1101 datasheet, that is 45 bags of 80 lb (0.6 ft³), 60 bags of 60 lb (0.45 ft³), 72 bags of 50 lb (0.375 ft³), 90 bags of 40 lb (0.3 ft³), before any allowance. Other products have other yields, so check your label.
How many cubic metres are in a cubic yard?
0.76455 cubic metres, or 764.5549 litres. The factor is exact because 1 yard is exactly 0.9144 m and 0.9144³ = 0.764554857984.
Sources and limits
Length definitions: NIST, SI Units – Length (the inch is exactly 25.4 mm; the foot, yard and cubic factors follow exactly), checked October 12, 2026. Bag yields: QUIKRETE Concrete Mix datasheet, product 1101, read on October 12, 2026.
Results are displayed rounded; the conversions themselves are exact.
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