Dirt Calculator
Yards of dirt = length x width x depth in feet divided by 27. A 20 x 20 ft area filled 6 inches deep needs 7.4 cubic yards, or about 10 tons.
Dirt is delivered loose by the cubic yard and usually weighed by the ton at the scale. Enter the area you are filling and how deep it needs to go, and add 10 to 15 percent for settling and compaction.
Dirt calculator
You need
0cubic yards
- Area covered
- 0 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 0
- Weight
- 0 tons
- 40 lb bag (0.75 cu ft)s
- 0 bags
- Estimated cost
- $0
2,400 lb/yd³ represents typical moist unscreened fill. Clay-heavy dirt is heavier; sandy dirt lighter. Estimates only — confirm with your supplier before ordering.
Dirt coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | Coverage per cubic yard | Yards per 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1" | 324 sq ft | 1.54 yd³ |
| 2" | 162 sq ft | 3.09 yd³ |
| 3" | 108 sq ft | 4.63 yd³ |
| 4" | 81 sq ft | 6.17 yd³ |
| 6" | 54 sq ft | 9.26 yd³ |
Dirt questions people actually ask
- How many yards of dirt fit in a truck?
- A standard single-axle dump truck carries 5 to 8 cubic yards; a tandem carries 10 to 14. A half-ton pickup should not take more than about one yard of dirt.
- How much does a yard of dirt weigh?
- Around 2,400 pounds dry, and up to 3,000 pounds when saturated. That is 1.2 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard.
- Should I order extra dirt for settling?
- Yes — add 10 to 15 percent for fill that will be compacted, and up to 20 percent if you are filling a trench or an old excavation.
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Related calculators
- Fill Dirt CalculatorFill dirt is measured in cubic yards: area in square feet times depth in feet, divided by 27. Add 15 percent because fill compacts as it settles.
- Topsoil CalculatorOne cubic yard of screened topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and weighs roughly 1.1 tons.
- Cubic Yard CalculatorCubic yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (ft) divided by 27. A 10 x 10 ft area at 3 inches deep is 0.93 cubic yards.
- Sand CalculatorOne cubic yard of sand weighs about 1.35 tons and covers roughly 324 square feet at a 1-inch paver bedding depth.
How this number is calculated
2,400 lb/yd³ represents typical moist unscreened fill. Clay-heavy dirt is heavier; sandy dirt lighter. Volume is area × depth, converted to cubic yards by dividing cubic feet by 27. See all our assumptions.