How much material do I need?

A cubic yard is the volume of material which fits in a space one yard  wide by one yard deep by one yard high. Cubic yards are used to measure  materials ranging from concrete to mulch for your garden.

Common materials that are measured in cubic yards include:

• Concrete
• Gravel
• Sand
• Rock
• Fill dirt
• Topsoil
• Mulch
• Compost

To determine the amount of materials you need in cubic yards, you  must first convert all three dimensions to the same unit of measurement.  There are:

• 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard (3’ x 3’ x 3’)
• 46,656 cubic inches in one cubic yard (36” x 36” x 36”)

For example, to find the amount of concrete needed for a slab 6” thick by 12’ long by 12’ wide:

1. Convert the dimension in inches to feet (6” ÷ 12” = 0.5’)
2. Multiply the three dimensions together to find the number of cubic feet (0.5’ x 12’ x 12 = 72 cubic feet)
3. Divide the cubic feet by the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard  (27) to find the number of cubic yards (72 ÷ 27 = 2.67 cu. yd.).