Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards Converter (ft³ to yd³) + Chart
Type cubic feet, get cubic yards — plus how much to order and how many bags that is.
Cubic feet ↔ cubic yards
Type in either box — the other one updates. Commas like 1,250 are fine.
How it’s calculated
Every step uses the numbers you entered above.
Divide by 27 (1 yd³ = 3 × 3 × 3 ft)
Round up to order
Bags of 2 cu ft
Why you divide by 27
A yard is 3 feet, so a cubic yard is a box that measures 3 feet on every side: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. That figure is exact, not a rounded estimate. The NIST conversion factors define the yard as exactly 3 feet, which makes one cubic yard exactly 27 cubic feet. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, you divide by 27.
The mistake people make most often is dividing by 3. That works for length, because 3 feet of fence is 1 yard of fence, but volume has three dimensions, so the 3 is multiplied in three times. Divide 100 cubic feet by 3 and you get 33.3 (100 ft³ ÷ 3 = 33.3), when the correct answer is 3.70 yd³.
You can also multiply by 0.037037 instead of dividing, since that number is 1/27. Dividing by 27 is still the more exact option, because 0.037037 is a repeating decimal cut short, and that small gap grows on large volumes.
If you are showing your work for a class, write the conversion factor with its units so they cancel: ft³ ÷ 27 ft³/yd³ = yd³. The cubic feet cancel out and only cubic yards remain, which is also a quick check that you divided by the right number.
The same logic explains what suppliers mean when they talk about “a yard” of gravel, soil or mulch. In that setting a yard is a cubic yard, a unit of volume rather than length, and the difference is covered in yards vs cubic yards.
Cubic feet to cubic yards chart
Here are common amounts already converted, from a single small bag up to a large job.
| Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Order (rounded up to ¼ yd³) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.75 | 0.03 | 0.25 |
| 1 | 0.04 | 0.25 |
| 5 | 0.19 | 0.25 |
| 10 | 0.37 | 0.5 |
| 13.5 | 0.50 | 0.5 |
| 20 | 0.74 | 0.75 |
| 27 | 1.00 | 1 |
| 50 | 1.85 | 2 |
| 54 | 2.00 | 2 |
| 72 | 2.67 | 2.75 |
| 80 | 2.96 | 3 |
| 100 | 3.70 | 3.75 |
| 150 | 5.56 | 5.75 |
| 200 | 7.41 | 7.5 |
| 250 | 9.26 | 9.5 |
| 500 | 18.52 | 18.75 |
| 1,000 | 37.04 | 37.25 |
The last column is rounded up to the next ¼ cubic yard, the way you would place an order.
Gravel, soil, concrete: same yards, different weight
The conversion does not change with the material. Twenty-seven cubic feet is one cubic yard of gravel, topsoil, mulch or concrete alike, because a cubic yard measures space, not weight. What does change is how heavy that yard is and how many bags it takes to fill it.
That difference matters most when you compare prices or plan how to haul the load, and each material handles it a little differently:
- Gravel, sand and stone: suppliers often quote these by the ton, so a yard of gravel and a yard of mulch can cost and weigh very different amounts. Check the weight per cubic yard before you compare a per-ton price with a per-yard one.
- Soil and dirt: bulk topsoil and fill dirt are typically sold by the cubic yard, while bagged soil is labeled in cubic feet, which the next section turns into bag counts.
- Concrete: a ready-mix truck sells by the cubic yard, but bagged mix is sold by weight, with the yield in cubic feet printed on the label.
- Mulch: bulk mulch is sold by the yard and bagged mulch by the cubic foot, and a yard of it weighs far less than a yard of gravel.
Bags per cubic yard
Bagged soil, mulch and concrete mix all list their volume in cubic feet, so the count is simple: divide 27 by the cubic feet printed on the bag. That works out to 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet, 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet (so you buy 14), and 45 bags of 80 lb concrete mix.
Where people get tripped up is remembering a bag by its weight instead of its volume. A “40 lb” bag of topsoil is often 0.75 cubic feet, as with Scotts Premium Topsoil, but soil gets heavier or lighter with moisture and mix, so always read the cubic feet on the label rather than going by pounds. Concrete mix is the opposite case: the bag is sold by weight, and the approximate yields below come from the Quikrete Concrete Mix data sheet.
| Bag (label) | Cubic feet per bag | Bags per cubic yard | Bags to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil / soil, 0.75 cu ft | 0.75 | 36 | 36 |
| 1 cu ft bag | 1 | 27 | 27 |
| Mulch, 1.5 cu ft | 1.5 | 18 | 18 |
| Mulch or soil, 2 cu ft | 2 | 13.5 | 14 |
| 3 cu ft bag | 3 | 9 | 9 |
| Concrete mix, 80 lb | 0.60 | 45 | 45 |
| Concrete mix, 60 lb | 0.45 | 60 | 60 |
| Concrete mix, 40 lb | 0.30 | 90 | 90 |
For any other amount, pick the bag size in the converter above and it counts the bags for you. If you are working with mulch, see the page on bags of mulch, and for a pour measured in yards, see bags of concrete.
How much to order
When the answer is not a round number, round up, never down, to the next amount your supplier sells. If the converter shows 3.70 cubic yards, ordering 3.5 leaves you short, and running short usually means paying for a second delivery.
Suppliers do not all sell in the same increments, so ask what yours offers and set the converter’s rounding to match before you place the order.
Loose materials such as soil, mulch and gravel also settle once they are spread and packed down, which is why many people order a little extra. If you want that built into your estimate, the main cubic yard calculator has waste and compaction settings and works from length, width and depth.
Bags are simpler, since you can only buy whole ones, and the converter already rounds the bag count up for you.
Cubic feet to cubic yards FAQs
Is 3 cubic feet a cubic yard?
No. Three feet make a linear yard, but a cubic yard is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep, which is 27 cubic feet. So 3 cubic feet is only a small fraction of a cubic yard: 3 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.11 yd³.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard of soil?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard of soil, the same as for any other material. The type of soil changes how much that yard weighs, not how much space it fills.
How big is 20 cubic yards?
Twenty cubic yards is 540 cubic feet (20 yd³ × 27 = 540 ft³). To picture the size, it helps to start from a single yard, a cube 3 feet on each side; here is what a cubic yard looks like.
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards in Excel?
Divide the cell by 27. If your cubic feet are in cell A2, use =A2/27. To round up to the next ¼ cubic yard for ordering, use =ROUNDUP(A2/27*4,0)/4, so 100 ft³ ÷ 27 = 3.70 yd³ → rounded up to ¼ yd³ = 3.75 yd³ (= 3 yd³ + 19 ft³).
How do I go from cubic yards back to cubic feet?
Multiply by 27, so 3 yd³ × 27 = 81 ft³. The converter above works in both directions, and there is a full page on converting cubic yards to cubic feet.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, or 108 square feet at 3 inches deep. You get these by dividing 27 cubic feet by the depth in feet. For other depths, see cubic yards to square feet.