The Simple Answer: 27
There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard. That's it. Every time, for every material — concrete, dirt, gravel, mulch, sand, topsoil. The number doesn't change because it's a pure volume conversion, not a weight conversion.
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27. To convert cubic yards to cubic feet, multiply by 27.
Why 27? The Visual Explanation
A yard is 3 feet. When you're measuring volume (not just length), you're dealing with three dimensions — length, width, and height. So you multiply the conversion in all three directions:
Think of it like stacking boxes. Imagine a cubic yard as a big cube. You could fill that cube with exactly 27 boxes that are each 1 foot × 1 foot × 1 foot.
That's 3 layers, each with a 3×3 grid of small cubes. Three rows of three, stacked three high. 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
Many products — bags of mulch, bags of concrete, paver sand — are sold in cubic feet. Suppliers and delivery companies quote in cubic yards. Knowing that there are 27 cubic feet in a yard lets you translate between the two.
Conversion Chart: Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards
Here's a quick-lookup table so you don't have to pull out a calculator every time.
| Cubic Feet | Cubic Yards | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cu ft | 0.037 yd³ | 1 small bag of mulch |
| 2 cu ft | 0.074 yd³ | 1 standard mulch bag |
| 3 cu ft | 0.111 yd³ | 1 large soil bag |
| 5 cu ft | 0.185 yd³ | Small raised-bed fill |
| 10 cu ft | 0.370 yd³ | Posthole backfill |
| 13.5 cu ft | 0.500 yd³ | Half-yard order |
| 27 cu ft | 1.000 yd³ | 1 full cubic yard |
| 54 cu ft | 2.000 yd³ | Standard pickup load |
| 81 cu ft | 3.000 yd³ | Small landscape job |
| 135 cu ft | 5.000 yd³ | Driveway resurfacing |
| 270 cu ft | 10.000 yd³ | Large patio or yard |
How to Convert Cu Ft to Cu Yd (Step by Step)
Two conversions come up over and over when you're ordering materials. Here's how to do each one.
Cubic Feet → Cubic Yards
Divide by 27.
Example: You calculated that your patio needs 54 cubic feet of gravel.
54 ÷ 27 = 2 cubic yards. That's what you'd order from the supplier.
Cubic Yards → Cubic Feet
Multiply by 27.
Example: The landscape company says they'll deliver 3 cubic yards of mulch. How many cubic feet is that?
3 × 27 = 81 cubic feet. If bags of mulch are 2 cu ft each, that's about 41 bags worth of mulch.
If you're comparing bagged products (sold in cu ft) to bulk delivery (quoted in cu yd), just divide the total cubic feet of bags by 27. For example, twenty 2-cu-ft bags = 40 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.48 cubic yards.
Convert Instantly — Free Calculator
Enter cubic feet and get cubic yards (and vice versa) without doing the math.
Open Cu Ft to Cu Yd Calculator →Cubic Feet in a Yard of Common Materials
People often ask "how many cubic feet in a yard of concrete?" or "how many cubic feet of dirt in a yard?" The volume answer is always 27 — but the weight of that 27 cubic feet changes dramatically depending on the material.
| Material | Cu Ft per Yard | Weight per Yard |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch (wood chips) | 27 | 400 – 800 lbs |
| Topsoil | 27 | 1,800 – 2,200 lbs |
| Sand (dry) | 27 | 2,600 – 2,900 lbs |
| Gravel (crushed stone) | 27 | 2,800 – 3,400 lbs |
| Concrete | 27 | 3,900 – 4,100 lbs |
| Dirt (fill) | 27 | 2,000 – 2,600 lbs |
This matters when you're figuring out delivery. A cubic yard of mulch weighs under 1,000 lbs — you could fit that in a large pickup. A cubic yard of concrete weighs over 4,000 lbs — you need a truck.
27 cubic feet of mulch and 27 cubic feet of concrete are both 1 cubic yard. But they weigh completely different amounts. When ordering by tons (weight), you need the material's density — not just the cubic feet. Use our cubic yards to tons calculator for weight-based ordering.
What About Square Feet vs. Cubic Feet?
These get mixed up a lot, so here's the distinction:
- Square feet = area (length × width). It's flat, 2D. Used for flooring, carpet, turf.
- Cubic feet = volume (length × width × depth). It's 3D. Used for fill materials — anything you're piling up.
You can't convert square feet directly to cubic yards without knowing the depth. Once you have the depth, the formula is:
Need that conversion? Our square feet to cubic yards calculator handles it in one step.
Quick Memory Tricks
If you're tired of looking this up every time, here are a few ways to remember it:
- "3-3-3 rule" — a yard is 3 feet in every direction. 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
- "27 cubes" — picture 27 shoeboxes stacked in a 3×3×3 grid.
- "Divide by 27" — cubic feet to yards is always dividing by 27. Yards to feet is always multiplying by 27.
Related Reading
- How Many Cubic Yards Do I Need? — Master guide for all materials
- How to Calculate Concrete Yardage — Slabs, driveways, and footings
- Cubic Yard Calculator — General volume calculator
- Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards Calculator — Instant conversion tool
- Square Feet to Cubic Yards Calculator — Area + depth to volume