The conversion
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
cubic feet = cubic yards × 27
Why 27: a yard is 3 feet, and a cubic yard is a yard in all three directions. 3 × 3 × 3 = 27, so 27 one-foot cubes stack into one cubic yard, three layers of nine.
Example: a trailer load of 40 cubic feet is 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 cubic yards. The other way: 4 cubic yards is 4 × 27 = 108 cubic feet.
Cubic feet to cubic yards table
| Cubic feet | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.037 |
| 2 | 0.074 |
| 5 | 0.185 |
| 10 | 0.370 |
| 13.5 | 0.5 |
| 20 | 0.741 |
| 27 | 1 |
| 40 | 1.48 |
| 50 | 1.85 |
| 54 | 2 |
| 81 | 3 |
| 100 | 3.70 |
| 135 | 5 |
| 200 | 7.41 |
| 270 | 10 |
| 500 | 18.5 |
| 1,000 | 37.0 |
Cubic yards to cubic feet table
| Cubic yards | Cubic feet |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 6.75 |
| 0.5 | 13.5 |
| 0.75 | 20.25 |
| 1 | 27 |
| 1.5 | 40.5 |
| 2 | 54 |
| 2.5 | 67.5 |
| 3 | 81 |
| 4 | 108 |
| 5 | 135 |
| 6 | 162 |
| 8 | 216 |
| 10 | 270 |
| 15 | 405 |
| 20 | 540 |
Bags per cubic yard
Bagged soil, mulch, sand and similar materials are labelled by volume in cubic feet. To find how many bags fill a cubic yard, divide 27 by the bag size.
| Bag size | Bags per cubic yard | Whole bags to buy |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft | 54 | 54 |
| 0.75 cu ft | 36 | 36 |
| 1 cu ft | 27 | 27 |
| 1.5 cu ft | 18 | 18 |
| 2 cu ft | 13.5 | 14 |
| 3 cu ft | 9 | 9 |
Bagged concrete mix is the exception: the bag is sold by weight, and its yield after mixing is printed on the bag. An 80 lb bag makes about 0.60 cubic feet, so a cubic yard takes about 45 of them. The concrete bag calculator does that math.
Finding cubic feet in the first place
If you have measurements rather than a volume, multiply length × width × height in feet to get cubic feet. Convert inches first (divide by 12). The cubic feet calculator handles rectangles, circles and triangles and gives cubic yards at the same time. If your measurements are all in inches, the cubic inches to cubic yards converter skips a step.
Where you meet each unit
- Cubic feet: bag labels, wheelbarrows (a common size holds about 6 cu ft), appliances, room and storage volumes, trailer capacity.
- Cubic yards: bulk deliveries of concrete, soil, mulch, gravel and sand; dumpster and truck capacity; excavation quotes.
- Cubic meters: metric plans and suppliers outside the US. 1 cubic meter = 35.31 cubic feet = 1.308 cubic yards; see cubic meters to cubic yards.
The 27 is exact, so the conversion itself never needs rounding. Round only the final order: most bulk suppliers sell in whole or half cubic yards.
Questions people ask
- How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
- 27. A cubic yard measures 3 ft on each side, and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
- How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?
- Divide by 27. For example, 100 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 3.70 cubic yards.
- How do I convert cubic yards to cubic feet?
- Multiply by 27. For example, 2.5 cubic yards × 27 = 67.5 cubic feet.
- How many 2 cubic foot bags make a cubic yard?
- 13.5. Since stores sell whole bags, buy 14.
- Why isn't it 9 cubic feet in a cubic yard?
- Nine is the number of square feet in a square yard (3 × 3). Volume adds a third dimension, so a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.