Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards: How Many Cubic Feet in a Yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Conversion chart, worked concrete examples, and bag math.
By The Concrete Calculator Team ·
Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27. To convert cubic yards to cubic feet, multiply by 27.
cubic yards = cubic feet / 27
cubic feet = cubic yards x 27The 27 comes from 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft. A yard is 3 feet, so a cube one yard on each side holds 3 x 3 x 3 = 27 cubic feet. This is the most common mistake people make when ordering concrete, gravel, or mulch: they divide by 3 or 9 instead of 27.
How many cubic feet in a yard?
One cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. One square yard = 9 square feet. One linear yard = 3 feet. The first is volume, the second is area, and the third is length, so make sure you are using the right one.
Cubic feet to cubic yards chart
| Cubic feet | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.037 |
| 10 | 0.37 |
| 20 | 0.74 |
| 27 | 1.00 |
| 50 | 1.85 |
| 54 | 2.00 |
| 81 | 3.00 |
| 100 | 3.70 |
| 135 | 5.00 |
| 200 | 7.41 |
| 270 | 10.00 |
How to convert a slab from feet to cubic yards
- Measure length and width in feet.
- Convert thickness from inches to feet by dividing by 12 (4 in = 0.333 ft).
- Multiply length x width x thickness to get cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 to get cubic yards.
| Slab (4 in thick) | Cubic feet | Cubic yards |
|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | 33.3 | 1.23 |
| 12 x 12 ft | 48.0 | 1.78 |
| 20 x 20 ft | 133.3 | 4.94 |
Example: a 10 x 10 ft patio at 4 inches thick is 10 x 10 x 0.333 = 33.3 cubic feet. 33.3 / 27 = 1.23 cubic yards. Add 5 to 10% for waste and order about 1.3 to 1.4 yards. The concrete yardage calculator does the whole conversion for you, and how to calculate concrete yards goes deeper on odd shapes.
Converting cubic feet to bags
Bagged concrete is sold by cubic feet of yield, not by yards:
- 80 lb bag = about 0.60 cubic feet
- 60 lb bag = about 0.45 cubic feet
- 40 lb bag = about 0.30 cubic feet
So one cubic yard (27 cubic feet) takes about 45 bags of 80 lb or 60 bags of 60 lb. See concrete cubic feet per bag and how many bags of concrete in a yard for full charts.
The same rule works for gravel, soil, and mulch
Cubic yards is the standard unit for bulk landscape materials too. Measure in feet, multiply, and divide by 27. For gravel sold by the ton, use the gravel calculator, which converts yards to tons.
FAQ
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet.
How do I convert cubic feet to yards?
Divide the cubic feet by 27. For example, 54 cubic feet / 27 = 2 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards is 100 cubic feet?
100 / 27 = 3.70 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet in half a yard?
13.5 cubic feet.