Square Feet to Cubic Yards Calculator
Square feet become cubic yards once you add a depth: square feet x depth in feet / 27. 500 sq ft at 3 inches deep is 4.63 cubic yards.
Square feet measure area and cubic yards measure volume, so the conversion is impossible without a depth. Enter both below and the calculator handles the inches-to-feet step and the divide-by-27 for you.
Sq Ft to Cubic Yards calculator
You need
0cubic yards
- Area covered
- 0 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 0
- Weight
- 0 tons
- 1 cu ft bags
- 0 bags
- Estimated cost
- $0
Pure unit geometry: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, 1 inch = 1/12 foot. No material assumptions beyond the optional weight estimate. Estimates only — confirm with your supplier before ordering.
Sq Ft to Cubic Yards 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 |
Sq Ft to Cubic Yards questions people actually ask
- How many square feet are in a cubic yard?
- There is no fixed answer without a depth. A cubic yard spreads over 324 sq ft at 1 inch, 108 sq ft at 3 inches and 27 sq ft at 12 inches deep.
- What is the formula to convert square feet to cubic yards?
- Cubic yards = square feet x (depth in inches / 12) / 27. You can also divide square feet by the coverage number for your depth.
- Why does my supplier quote yards when I measured in feet?
- Bulk landscape material is sold by volume, and the cubic yard is the standard unit for truck loads. Convert once and quote every supplier the same number.
Gear for a sq ft to cubic yards job
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Related calculators
- 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.
- Topsoil CalculatorOne cubic yard of screened topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and weighs roughly 1.1 tons.
- Mulch CalculatorA cubic yard of mulch covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, so most beds need roughly 1 cubic yard (13.5 two-cubic-foot bags) per 100 square feet.
- Gravel CalculatorOne cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons and covers roughly 81 square feet at 4 inches deep — the standard depth for a driveway layer.
How this number is calculated
Pure unit geometry: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet, 1 inch = 1/12 foot. No material assumptions beyond the optional weight estimate. Volume is area × depth, converted to cubic yards by dividing cubic feet by 27. See all our assumptions.