Yards of Material

Square Feet to Cubic Yards

Square feet to cubic yards takes a depth: cubic yards = square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324. So 500 sq ft at 3 in deep is 4.63 cubic yards, and one cubic yard spread 3 in deep covers 108 sq ft.

Last updated · Umair Amjad · How we calculate

in

Example: 500 square feet at 3 in deep

4.63 cubic yards

  • 3.54 m³

63 bags of 2 cu ft · 84 bags of 1.5 cu ft · 125 bags of 1 cu ft

The formula: square feet × depth ÷ 324

Square feet measure a flat area, and cubic yards measure a volume, so you can’t convert one to the other until you decide how deep the material goes. With a depth in inches, the conversion is:

cubic yards = square feet × depth (in) ÷ 324

The 324 combines two steps. Dividing by 12 turns the inches into feet, which gives cubic feet, and dividing by 27 turns cubic feet into cubic yards. Since 12 × 27 = 324, a single division covers both. If your depth is already in feet, as with a raised bed filled 1 ft deep, skip the 324 and divide square feet × feet by 27.

A 25 × 20 ft bed (500 sq ft), 3 in deep
  1. Area: 25 ft × 20 ft = 500 sq ft; × 3 in deep = 125 cu ft.
  2. 125 cu ft ÷ 27 = 4.63 cubic yards.
  3. Rounded up to the next 0.5 cubic yard: order 5 cubic yards.

The one-step version gives the same answer: 500 × 3 ÷ 324 = 4.63 cubic yards. Fractional depths work the same way: at 2.5 inches the bed takes 500 × 2.5 ÷ 324 = 3.86 cubic yards, and a 1,000 sq ft lawn top-dressed 2 inches deep takes 6.17.

Type your square feet and depth into the converter for cubic yards, cubic meters and the number of 2, 1.5 and 1 cu ft bags. Swap runs it the other way, from cubic yards to the area they cover.

How many square feet does a cubic yard cover?

One cubic yard spread 1 inch thick covers 324 sq ft. Double the depth and it covers half as much, so the coverage at any depth is 324 divided by the depth in inches. The material doesn’t change this: a yard of mulch and a yard of stone cover the same ground at the same depth, and only their weights differ.

Area one cubic yard covers at each depth
Depth 1 cubic yard covers
1 in 324 sq ft
2 in 162 sq ft
3 in 108 sq ft
4 in 81 sq ft
5 in 65 sq ft
6 in 54 sq ft
8 in 41 sq ft
10 in 32 sq ft
12 in 27 sq ft

Exact volumes, before any extra for spillage, settling or compaction.

Materials that pack down need more than the table shows. Crusher run under pavers shrinks when it’s compacted and fill dirt settles, and the gravel calculator and dirt calculator add that extra for you.

Cubic yards to square feet

To find the area a load will cover, reverse the formula: square feet = cubic yards × 324 ÷ depth in inches. Five cubic yards of mulch covers 810 sq ft at 2 inches or 540 sq ft at 3 inches. It also shows how far leftovers will go: 1.5 cubic yards spread 3 inches deep covers 162 sq ft. In the converter, press Swap, then enter cubic yards and the depth.

Typical depths by job

The depth is the number most worth getting right, because the volume rises in step with it. These depths come from the sources listed at the end of the page. The last column is the volume for every 1,000 sq ft at that depth.

Typical depths and cubic yards per 1,000 sq ft
JobDepthCubic yards per 1,000 sq ft
Mulch in planting beds (University of Florida)2–3 in6.17–9.26
Gravel garden path, minimum (University of California)2 in6.17
Concrete patio or walkway, minimum (Sakrete)4 in12.35
Base under a paver patio, compacted (Belgard, Unilock)4–6 in12.35–18.52
Gravel driveway surface, compacted (South Dakota LTAP and FHWA)4.5–6.5 in13.89–20.06

The paver base and the gravel driveway are compacted thicknesses, so the loose material you order has to be deeper than the finished layer. Concrete is measured the same way as anything else, but the concrete calculator adds the extra and converts to bags.

How many square feet are in a square yard?

“Yard” can mean two different things. A square yard is an area 3 ft on each side, or 9 sq ft. A cubic yard is a volume of 27 cubic feet. If your plan gives the area in square yards, multiply by 9 for square feet before using the formula: 60 square yards is 540 sq ft, and at 3 inches deep that’s 540 × 3 ÷ 324 = 5 cubic yards. Put the other way, one cubic yard spread 1 inch thick covers 36 square yards.

Bags instead of bulk

For bagged material, stop at cubic feet: square feet × depth in inches ÷ 12, then divide by the bag size. Topping 500 sq ft with 2 inches of soil takes 83.3 cubic feet, or 112 bags of the 0.75 cu ft size. Scotts rates its 0.75 cu ft Premium Topsoil bag at 4 sq ft at 2 inches, a little less than the 4.5 sq ft the geometry gives, so counting by the label would mean 125 bags. For bulk orders measured from beds of any shape, the cubic yard calculator adds up several areas at once.

Questions people ask

How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?

Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches, then divide by 324. For 800 sq ft at 4 inches, 800 × 4 ÷ 324 = 9.88 cubic yards. The 324 is 12 inches per foot times 27 cubic feet per cubic yard.

How many square feet are in a cubic yard?

None on its own, since a cubic yard measures volume and a square foot measures area. At a set depth, though, a cubic yard covers a fixed area: 324 sq ft at 1 inch deep, 108 sq ft at 3 inches and 54 sq ft at 6 inches. Divide 324 by the depth in inches.

How many square feet does a yard cover at 2 inches?

162 sq ft, which is 324 ÷ 2. Two inches is the low end of the 2 to 3 inches the University of Florida's extension service recommends for mulch in beds. At 3 inches the same yard covers 108 sq ft.

How do you convert cubic yards to square feet?

Multiply the cubic yards by 324 and divide by the depth in inches. Four cubic yards spread 3 inches deep covers 4 × 324 ÷ 3 = 432 sq ft.

How many cubic yards do I need for 1,000 square feet?

3.09 cubic yards at 1 inch deep, 6.17 at 2 inches, 9.26 at 3 inches, 12.35 at 4 inches and 18.52 at 6 inches. Those are exact volumes; add extra for spillage and round up to what your supplier sells.

How many cubic yards is 100 square feet?

It depends on the depth: 0.62 cubic yards at 2 inches, 1.23 at 4 inches and 1.85 at 6 inches. Jobs this small can be simpler to buy in bags: 1.23 cubic yards is 33.3 cubic feet, or 17 bags of 2 cu ft.

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension, Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program, Florida-Friendly Landscaping Principle 4 guidance (Mulch). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  2. ScottsMiracle-Gro, Scotts Premium Topsoil - 0.75 CF (product 7113075). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), NIST Handbook 44 (2024), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  4. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Engineering Handbook Part 637, Chapter 2 Composting (210-VI-NEH, Amend. 40, Nov 2010), Table 2A-1. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  5. Ottr Landscape Supply (Boston, MA), Bulk Landscape Material Weight Guide: Dirt, Gravel, Mulch & More. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  6. Roseville Landscape Material Supply (Roseville, CA), Landscape Materials Calculator - Material Weight and Coverage Reference. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  7. Scotts Miracle-Gro, Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch 2 cu. ft.. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  8. Scotts Miracle-Gro, Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch 1.5 cu. ft.. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  9. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Health - Bulk Density (Soil Health Educators Guide sheet). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  10. South Dakota State University Extension (H. Klopp, A. Bly; updated 2023-09-22), Bulk Density is an Indicator of Soil Health. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  11. Do it Best (retailer listing), Timberline 1 Cu. Ft. All-Purpose Top Soil (item 701263). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  12. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gravel Pathways in the Garden (Earlene Millier, UC Master Gardener; Aug 4, 2011, reissued 2020-03-02). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  13. South Dakota LTAP / FHWA (hosted by U.S. EPA), Gravel Roads: Maintenance and Design Manual - Appendix A: Gravel Road Thickness Design Methods (Skorseth & Selim, SD LTAP for FHWA, 2000). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  14. SAKRETE of North America LLC, Sakrete High-Strength Concrete Mix Technical Data Sheet ((c)2023). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  15. Belgard (Oldcastle APG), Belgard Technical Resource Guide (BEL25-D-516650), page 6. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  16. Unilock, Do's and Don'ts of Paver Installation: Step 2 of 3 - Base Preparation. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  17. Wisconsin DOT / Wisconsin Highway Research Program (Michigan State Univ. & Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison), Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP G22-05 Final Report, Dec 2023). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  18. T.H. Kinsella, Inc. (Kinsella Quarries), Fayetteville, NY, Project Calculator - Materials & Pricing Estimates. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  19. Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies, Estimating Quantities and Costs (DGLVR Program webinar slides, 2/16/2023). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  20. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (Field Office Technical Guide), Conservation Practice Standard: Dike (Code 356), North Dakota, October 2003. Accessed Oct 19, 2026.
  21. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (PDF hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Soil Testing Lab), Ponds - Planning, Design, Construction (Agriculture Handbook 590). Accessed Oct 19, 2026.