A cubic yard is a unit of volume, equal to a cube that is 3 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet tall. It is the standard unit for bulk landscaping and construction materials in the United States.
Size and equivalents
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, 46,656 cubic inches, about 0.7646 cubic meters, about 764.6 liters, and about 202 US gallons.
Picture a cube roughly the size of a large washing machine laid on its side, or a stack of about 13 or 14 standard 2 cubic foot mulch bags.
Why it is used for bulk materials
Suppliers sell mulch, topsoil, gravel, sand, and concrete by the cubic yard because trucks and loaders move bulk material by volume, and prices are quoted that way. Stone and some soils are also sold by the ton, so you may need to convert.
Cubic yard versus yard
A yard is a length of 3 feet. A cubic yard is a volume. When someone says they need 5 yards of mulch, they almost always mean 5 cubic yards.
Where you see it
You will see cubic yards on delivery tickets, concrete orders, dump truck specs, dumpster sizes, and excavation quotes. Knowing the size helps you check what you are paying for.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cubic yard the same as a yard?
No. A yard is a length of 3 feet, while a cubic yard is a volume of 27 cubic feet.
How many 2 cubic foot bags make a cubic yard?
13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet each make one cubic yard.
How much does a cubic yard cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches.