How big is a cubic yard of dirt

If you’re here reading this, chances are you’re in the middle of a landscaping project. You’ve made the plan, measured everything, and are ready to buy some materials. But the reason you are here is probably that you’re trying to figure out how many cubic feet are in a yard. It’s confusing, isn’t it? Even though we measure things in feet and inches in Canada, construction aggregate such as topsoil and crusher dust is usually sold in cubic yards.

How Many Cubic Feet in a Yard?

A yard is 3 feet or 36 inches, and therefore, a cubic yard is 3 x 3 x 3, or 27 cubic feet(ft3). It doesn’t seem very complicated at first, but when you start considering the following, it just might get a little tricky:

For landscaping projects, we often need to measure depth by inches only, not feet.
Many materials, such as soil, compact, and therefore you need more.
Quite often, the area that needs to be filled is irregularly shaped.

If you are trying to figure out how many materials you need to order for your renovation or landscaping project, worry not. You can use our cubic feet to cubic yards calculator below. Measure the space you want to fill in feet and inches, then enter them below. Please note that materials other than rocks compact, so you may want to consider ordering 30% more than what you actually need.

Landscape Calculator

Rectangular Area

For a rectangular area, measure the length and width in feet and height in inches.

Phone

Length (ft) *

Width (ft) *

Height (in) *

Cubic Yard

Cubic Yard (30% More)

Triangular Area

For a triangular area, measure the base and altitude in feet and height in inches. Base and altitude are the part of a triangle that is perpendicular to each other.

Web Site

Base (ft) *

Altitude (ft) *

Height (in) *

Cubic Yard

Cubic Yard (30% More)

Circular Area

For a circular area or part of a circular area, measure the radius in feet and height in inches. Radius is exactly half of the diameter or half of the width of the circle.

Web Site

Radius (ft) *

Sector *

Full Circle

3/4 Circle

2/3 Circle

1/2 Circle

1/3 Circle

1/4 Circle

Height (in) *

Cubic Yard

Cubic Yard (30% More)

Irregularly Shaped Area

Suppose you have an irregularly shaped area you need to landscape or fill. Worry not. Just divide it up into smaller, more manageable areas, and calculate each piece separately using the calculators above. When you are done, sum up all the numbers. Don’t worry about getting it 100% accurate. A rough estimate would be enough as long as you add a bit more for errors.

Ready to Order?

When you are ready, contact us to let us know how many yards of materials you need, and we’ll deliver them right to your door. If you are unsure of what materials you might need, check out our article about different types of aggregates, or ask us for recommendations. Even if you’re not using our landscape calculator for landscaping purposes, we hope it still helped you figure out how many cubic feet are in a yard.

More Services

In addition to our construction aggregates such as sand, gravel and top soil, we also offer the following services.

Demolition

Our professional experts has all the necessary equipment to for all of your demolition needs, no matter the size.

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Excavating & Trenching

We specialize in basement excavation and offer other types of excavation services for both residential & commercial projects.

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Commercial Snow Removal

When extreme winter weather hits, let our 24/7 on-call team remove the snow at your business in Regina and surrounding areas.

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How much does 1 cubic yard of dirt look like?

For example, if you dig up a flower bed that is 9 feet long, 3 feet wide and 12 inches deep, you will have one cubic yard of dirt. This is how it breaks down: 3 feet equals 1 yard, so 9 feet equals 3 total yards in length. The width of 3 feet equals 1 yard.

What size is a cubic yard of dirt?

A cubic yard is a measurement that is 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet. A cubic yard measures volume where a ton measures weight. A yard of topsoil usually weighs about 1,800 pounds and a yard of gravel usually weighs about 2,200 pounds.

How many 40lb bags of topsoil are in a cubic yard?

Since 27 cubic ft is a cubic yard, it would take 54 bags to make a yard.

How many cubic yards will fit in a pickup truck?

The bed of a full size standard pickup has dimensions of: 8' long X 5.33' wide X 1.5' high. When loaded level full, a truck of this size will hold 2.5 cubic yards of material. The following chart outlines some additional common capacities of the full-sized pickup truck.