How Do I Calculate Yards of Dirt

Yards of Dirt Calculator

Enter your dimensions above and click "Calculate".

function calculateDirtYards() { var lengthFeet = parseFloat(document.getElementById('lengthFeet').value); var widthFeet = parseFloat(document.getElementById('widthFeet').value); var depthInches = parseFloat(document.getElementById('depthInches').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('dirtResult'); if (isNaN(lengthFeet) || isNaN(widthFeet) || isNaN(depthInches) || lengthFeet <= 0 || widthFeet <= 0 || depthInches <= 0) { resultDiv.innerHTML = 'Please enter valid, positive numbers for all fields.'; return; } // Convert depth from inches to feet var depthFeet = depthInches / 12; // Calculate volume in cubic feet var volumeCubicFeet = lengthFeet * widthFeet * depthFeet; // Convert volume from cubic feet to cubic yards (1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet) var volumeCubicYards = volumeCubicFeet / 27; resultDiv.innerHTML = 'You will need approximately ' + volumeCubicYards.toFixed(2) + ' cubic yards of dirt.'; }

How to Calculate Yards of Dirt for Your Project

Whether you're planning a new garden bed, leveling a yard, or filling a trench, knowing how much dirt you need is crucial. Ordering too little means delays and extra delivery fees, while ordering too much leads to wasted material and disposal costs. This guide and calculator will help you accurately determine the cubic yards of dirt required for your project.

Understanding the Basics: Volume Calculation

Dirt is typically sold and delivered by the cubic yard. A cubic yard is a unit of volume, representing a cube that is one yard (3 feet) long, one yard wide, and one yard high. To calculate the volume of dirt needed, you'll use a simple formula:

Volume = Length × Width × Depth

The key is to ensure all your measurements are in consistent units before performing the calculation. Since the final answer needs to be in cubic yards, it's often easiest to convert all measurements to feet first, calculate the volume in cubic feet, and then convert to cubic yards.

Step-by-Step Calculation Process

1. Measure Length: Determine the length of the area you need to fill with dirt in feet.
2. Measure Width: Determine the width of the area in feet.
3. Measure Depth: Determine the desired depth of the dirt. This is often measured in inches for smaller projects.
4. Convert Depth to Feet: If your depth is in inches, divide it by 12 to convert it to feet (e.g., 6 inches / 12 = 0.5 feet).
5. Calculate Volume in Cubic Feet: Multiply your length (feet) by your width (feet) by your depth (feet). This will give you the total volume in cubic feet.
6. Convert to Cubic Yards: Since there are 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard (3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet = 27 cubic feet), divide your total cubic feet by 27 to get the volume in cubic yards.

Example Calculation

Let's say you want to create a new garden bed that is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and you want to fill it with dirt to a depth of 6 inches.

1. Length = 20 feet
2. Width = 10 feet
3. Depth = 6 inches
4. Convert Depth: 6 inches / 12 = 0.5 feet
5. Calculate Cubic Feet: 20 feet × 10 feet × 0.5 feet = 100 cubic feet
6. Convert to Cubic Yards: 100 cubic feet / 27 = 3.70 cubic yards

Based on this, you would need approximately 3.70 cubic yards of dirt for your garden bed.

Important Considerations

• Compaction: Dirt will settle over time, especially after watering or rain. It's often recommended to order an extra 10-20% of dirt to account for compaction. For our example, 3.70 cubic yards + 10% (0.37) = 4.07 cubic yards. You might round up to 4.5 or 5 cubic yards to be safe.
• Irregular Shapes: For irregularly shaped areas, try to break them down into simpler rectangles or squares, calculate the volume for each section, and then add them together.
• Slope: If your area has a slope, you'll need to estimate an average depth.
• Delivery Minimums: Many suppliers have minimum delivery quantities, so always check with your local provider.

Using the calculator above, you can quickly and accurately estimate the amount of dirt needed for your next landscaping or construction project, saving you time and money.