The conversion
cubic yards = cubic meters × 1.30795
cubic meters = cubic yards × 0.764555
A yard is defined as exactly 0.9144 meters, so a cubic yard is 0.9144 × 0.9144 × 0.9144 = 0.764555 cubic meters. Flip it and one cubic meter is 1.30795 cubic yards. For everyday ordering, 1.31 and 0.76 are close enough.
Example: a plan calls for 3 m³ of concrete. 3 × 1.308 = 3.92 cubic yards, which a US plant would round up to 4.
Cubic meters to cubic yards table
| Cubic meters | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.33 |
| 0.5 | 0.65 |
| 0.75 | 0.98 |
| 1 | 1.31 |
| 1.5 | 1.96 |
| 2 | 2.62 |
| 3 | 3.92 |
| 4 | 5.23 |
| 5 | 6.54 |
| 6 | 7.85 |
| 8 | 10.46 |
| 10 | 13.08 |
| 20 | 26.16 |
Cubic yards to cubic meters table
| Cubic yards | Cubic meters |
|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.38 |
| 1 | 0.76 |
| 1.5 | 1.15 |
| 2 | 1.53 |
| 3 | 2.29 |
| 4 | 3.06 |
| 5 | 3.82 |
| 6 | 4.59 |
| 8 | 6.12 |
| 10 | 7.65 |
| 20 | 15.29 |
Working in metric from the start
If your measurements are in meters and centimeters, find cubic meters first and convert once at the end:
- Turn centimeters into meters (÷ 100) and millimeters into meters (÷ 1,000).
- Multiply length × width × depth to get cubic meters.
- Multiply by 1.308 if your supplier sells by the cubic yard.
A driveway base, 6 m × 3 m × 150 mm: 6 × 3 × 0.15 = 2.7 m³ = 3.53 cubic yards.
A round pad 2.4 m across and 10 cm thick: radius 1.2 m; 3.1416 × 1.2 × 1.2 × 0.1 = 0.45 m³ = 0.59 cubic yards.
The cubic yard calculator accepts centimeters and meters in every box and shows cubic meters and cubic yards together, so you can mix a metric plan with an imperial supplier.
Related metric figures
| Unit | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 cubic meter | 1,000 liters, 35.31 cubic feet, 1.308 cubic yards |
| 1 cubic yard | 764.6 liters, 27 cubic feet, 0.7646 cubic meters |
| 1 cubic foot | 28.32 liters, 0.0283 cubic meters |
| 1 meter | 3.2808 feet, 1.0936 yards |
Common mistakes
- Multiplying instead of dividing. A cubic meter is bigger than a cubic yard, so the number of cubic yards is always larger than the number of cubic meters. If your answer got smaller going from m³ to yd³, flip the factor.
- Using the linear factor. One meter is 1.0936 yards, but one cubic meter is 1.0936³ = 1.308 cubic yards. Using 1.09 understates the volume by about 16 percent.
- Leaving depth in centimeters. 4 m × 3 m × 15 is not 180 cubic meters; the 15 cm must become 0.15 m first.
Weight in metric
Weights per cubic meter are 1.308 times the weight per cubic yard. Concrete at about 4,050 lb per cubic yard works out to about 2,400 kg per cubic meter, which matches the figure usually quoted for normal-weight concrete. Water is 1,000 kg per cubic meter. For tons from cubic yards, use the cubic yards to tons converter; it also shows metric tonnes.
If a supplier quotes in cubic meters and you measured in feet (or the other way round), convert before comparing prices: a price per cubic meter is about 1.31 times what the same material would cost per cubic yard.
Questions people ask
- How many cubic yards are in a cubic meter?
- 1.308. A cubic meter is a little bigger than a cubic yard because a meter (39.37 in) is longer than a yard (36 in).
- How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?
- Multiply by 0.7646. For example, 5 cubic yards × 0.7646 = 3.82 cubic meters.
- How many cubic feet are in a cubic meter?
- 35.31.
- How many liters are in a cubic yard?
- 764.6 liters. A cubic meter is exactly 1,000 liters.
- How do I work out cubic meters from centimeters?
- Convert each measurement to meters (centimeters ÷ 100), then multiply. A slab 4 m × 3 m × 15 cm is 4 × 3 × 0.15 = 1.8 cubic meters.