How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?

27 cubic feet. A cubic yard measures 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 ft³ (0.7646 m³). Concrete is sold by the cubic yard, so the conversion comes up on every ready-mix order.

How many cubic yards in a concrete truck?

A standard ready-mix truck carries 9–11 cubic yards of concrete (6.9–8.4 m³). Full delivery weighs 36,000–44,000 lb (16,330–19,960 kg). Larger trucks (front-discharge mixers) carry 12–13 yd³ in some markets.

What's the minimum order for ready-mix concrete?

Minimum quantities and short-load rules differ by supplier. Some use a flat charge, some charge for each yard below a threshold, and some set a minimum invoice. Ask for the complete delivered total and compare it with current bag prices and equipment costs.

How do I convert cubic yards to cubic meters?

Multiply cubic yards by 0.7646. 1 yd³ = 0.7646 m³. To go the other way, multiply cubic meters by 1.308. International suppliers and metric-system users typically order concrete in cubic meters.

How much does a cubic yard of concrete weigh?

Normal-weight concrete weighs about 4,050 lb (1,837 kg) per cubic yard. Lightweight concrete (using lightweight aggregate) drops to 2,430–3,100 lb (1,100–1,400 kg) per cubic yard. Most ready-mix suppliers estimate 4,000 lb per yard for delivery weight.

How do I calculate cubic yards from square feet?

For a 4-inch slab, divide total square footage by 81 to get cubic yards directly. Example: 200 sq ft ÷ 81 = 2.47 yd³. For a 6-inch slab, divide by 54. The shortcut works because (12 in ÷ thickness) × 27 ft³/yd³ = the divisor.

Cubic Yard Calculator

Convert length, width, and depth to cubic yards of concrete, then apply an editable waste allowance. Use the result as a planning quantity and confirm the final order with your ready-mix supplier.

Length

Width

Thickness

Waste factor

Cubic Yards

Order quantity (with waste)

2.72yd³

Net volume (no waste)

2.47yd³

Cubic feet

73.3ft³

Weight

11,000lb · 5.5 tons

1 yd³ = 27 ft³. Most ready-mix suppliers sell in 0.25 or 0.5 yd³ increments — round up the "order quantity" figure to match your supplier's minimum.

What Is a Cubic Yard?

A cubic yard is the volume of a cube measuring 3 feet on every side — 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. Ready-mix concrete is sold by the cubic yard (yd³) across the United States and Canada. One cubic yard converts to:

27 cubic feet (ft³)
0.7646 cubic meters (m³)
201.974 US gallons
~4,050 lb (1,837 kg) of normal-weight concrete
~2 short tons of placed concrete

How to Calculate Cubic Yards of Concrete

Multiply length × width × thickness in consistent units to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 to convert to cubic yards. Multiply the result by (1 + waste fraction) to get the order quantity.

Cubic yards (with waste)

yd³ = (length ft × width ft × thickness in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 × (1 + waste%)

The 10% waste factor covers spillage, uneven sub-grade, and form leakage on a typical residential pour.

Worked example: a 20 ft × 10 ft slab at 4 inches thick equals 20 × 10 × (4 ÷ 12) = 66.67 ft³. Divide by 27: 2.47 cubic yards. Add 10% waste: 2.72 yd³ — order 2.75 yd³.

Cubic Yards Needed by Slab Size

Pre-computed cubic yards for the most common residential slab dimensions, including the calculator's editable 10% starting allowance:

Slab size	4″ thick	5″ thick	6″ thick
10 × 10 ft	1.36 yd³	1.70 yd³	2.04 yd³
12 × 12 ft	1.96 yd³	2.44 yd³	2.93 yd³
15 × 15 ft	3.06 yd³	3.82 yd³	4.58 yd³
20 × 10 ft	2.72 yd³	3.39 yd³	4.07 yd³
20 × 20 ft	5.43 yd³	6.79 yd³	8.15 yd³
24 × 24 ft	7.83 yd³	9.78 yd³	11.74 yd³
30 × 30 ft	12.22 yd³	15.28 yd³	18.33 yd³
40 × 30 ft	16.30 yd³	20.37 yd³	24.44 yd³

See Your Order in the Truck

Slide the cubic-yard input to fill the mixer drum. Trucks needed, short-load fee, and estimated total update live so you can see when your order spans multiple deliveries or hits the short-load threshold.

Cubic yards ordered2.50 yd³

0.5 yd³ (post hole)20 yd³ (large slab)

Trucks needed

truck

Order weight

10,125

Short-load fee

$60

under 3 yd³

Estimated total

$460

@ $160/yd³

A standard ready-mix truck carries 9–11 cubic yards (6.9–8.4 m³). Smaller orders may trigger a short-load or minimum-order charge. Orders over the single-truck capacity need additional delivery planning. Confirm capacity, minimums, waiting time, and all fees with your supplier.

How Concrete Is Sold by the Yard

Truck capacity, order increments, and minimum quantities vary by supplier and local weight limits. Smaller orders may incur a short-load or minimum-invoice charge, so request the complete delivered total before ordering.

Ask the supplier for that truck's legal capacity and whether multiple loads are required.
Confirm the available order increment rather than rounding independently.
Short load: confirm the supplier's threshold and fee in writing.
Minimum order: confirm the minimum quantity or minimum invoice for your delivery address.

Converting Cubic Yards to Other Units

From	To	Multiply by
Cubic yards (yd³)	Cubic feet (ft³)	27
Cubic yards (yd³)	Cubic meters (m³)	0.7646
Cubic yards (yd³)	US gallons	201.974
Cubic yards (yd³)	Pounds of concrete	~4,050
Cubic feet (ft³)	Cubic yards (yd³)	0.0370
Cubic meters (m³)	Cubic yards (yd³)	1.308
Square feet × thickness (in)	Cubic feet	÷ 12
Square feet × thickness (in)	Cubic yards	÷ 324

The square-feet shortcut: divide total square footage by 81 for a 4-inch slab to get cubic yards directly (a 200 sq ft × 4 in slab = 200 ÷ 81 = 2.47 yd³, which matches the longhand calculation).