Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards Converter
Remember: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet — a cube 3 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3 ft deep. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards; multiply cubic yards by 27 to go back.
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Cubic Yard CalculatorDirt CalculatorConcrete CalculatorGravel CalculatorSand CalculatorMulch CalculatorStone CalculatorTopsoil CalculatorTons to Cubic YardsBuying landscape material starts with a volume, not a weight. Mulch, topsoil, gravel and concrete are all sold by the cubic yard, but the measurements you take at home are usually in feet. Measure length × width × depth in feet first, then use the calculator to get cubic yards — and the amount to order, in one step.
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. That single number does all the work: divide your cubic feet by 27 and the result is cubic yards. It is the same conversion whether you are filling a bed, a trench or a form.
Why One Cubic Yard Is 27 Cubic Feet
A yard is three feet, and volume multiplies in every direction. A cube one yard on each side is three feet long, three feet wide and three feet deep, so its volume is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. That is the whole conversion — nothing to memorise beyond it.
Think of one cubic yard as a cube three feet on every side — a stack you could step into. It is the same as 27 boxes of one cubic foot each, stacked three across, three deep and three high.
That is why the same 27 shows up everywhere on this site: it is the bridge between feet and yards, and between the tape measure and the truck.
How to Convert Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards
Start with the three measurements in feet. If you measured in inches, convert first: divide each inch measurement by 12 to get feet.
- Measure length, width and depth in feet.
- Multiply them: length × width × depth = cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 to get cubic yards.
- Round up slightly — a little extra covers spillage and settling.
The formula is simple: cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27.
Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards Chart
The yardage that shows up most often for beds, trenches and small pours:
| Cubic feet | Cubic yards (rounded) |
|---|---|
| 27 | 1.00 |
| 54 | 2.00 |
| 81 | 3.00 |
| 108 | 4.00 |
| 135 | 5.00 |
| 270 | 10.00 |
| 540 | 20.00 |
For a 10 ft × 10 ft bed at 3 inches deep, the volume is 25 cubic feet — 0.93 cubic yards. Order a yard and you have a little to spare.
But Wait — Is a Yard Really Three Feet?
Yes — in the United States, a yard is set out as exactly 3 feet, so a cubic yard is exactly 27 cubic feet and this conversion never changes. It sometimes feels counter-intuitive because area works with 9 (a square yard holds 9 square feet) while volume works with 27.
It also helps to know the other cubic yard conversions: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 46,656 cubic inches = about 764.6 litres. If a supplier quotes litres while you measured feet, divide by 27 first — then use our cubic yards list of tools to compare sizes.
Cubic Yards to Cubic Feet: Going the Other Way
Sometimes the order is already in yards and you want to double-check the space you measured, or you have a bagged product labelled in cubic feet and need the total in yards. Going back is just multiplication.
Cubic feet = cubic yards × 27
For example, 0.93 cubic yards × 27 = 25 cubic feet, so a 10 ft × 10 ft bed filled to a depth of 3 inches really is a one-cubic-yard job.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cubic yards is 27 cubic feet?
Exactly 1. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 27 ÷ 27 = 1.00 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27. A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on every side, so 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?
Divide the cubic feet by 27. For example, 100 cubic feet ÷ 27 is 3.70 cubic yards.
Is a cubic yard the same as a cubic foot?
No. A cubic yard is 27 times bigger. A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet, and a cubic foot is about 0.037 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards do I need for a 10×10 bed at 3 inches deep?
0.93 cubic yards. The bed is 10 × 10 × 0.25 feet = 25 cubic feet, and 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cubic yards. That is a one-cubic-yard order with a little to spare.
More Calculators
For the full planning tool — length, width and depth with material weights, bag counts and estimated cost — go back to the main calculator on the homepage. For the weight side, the tons converter covers converting a tonnage quote into cubic yards. Material pages go deeper: the gravel calculator has gravel weights and bag counts, and the mulch calculator covers mulch depth, bags and coverage.