Dirt calculator
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 12 inches deep needs 3.7 cubic yards of dirt, about 3.75 tons at 2,025 lb per cubic yard. The calculator uses 2,025 lb per cubic yard, published as “Soil, dry” by Los Angeles County Public Works.
0 uses the published 2,025 lb/yd³
Optional; 0 leaves cost out
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 12 inches deep needs 3.7 cubic yards of dirt, about 3.75 tons at 2,025 lb per cubic yard.
- Cubic yards
- 3.7
- Cubic feet
- 100
- Tons
- 3.75
- Pounds
- 7,500
- Tons at the published range, same condition
- 3.5–4.43
- Rounded up to the next half yard
- 4 yd³
How it is calculated
- Area = 10 ft × 10 ft = 100 sq ft.
- Volume = 100 sq ft × 12 in ÷ 12 = 100 cu ft.
- Cubic yards = 100 ÷ 27 = 3.704 yd³.
- Weight = 3.704 yd³ × 2,025 lb/yd³ = 7,500 lb; ÷ 2,000 lb per ton = 3.75 tons.
How to calculate dirt in cubic yards and tons
The worked numbers use the calculator's defaults: a 10 ft by 10 ft area 12 inches deep, the calculator's default depth for dirt.
Step 1: area in square feet
Rectangle: length × width
Circle: π × diameter² ÷ 4
Triangle: base × height ÷ 2
Example 10 ft × 10 ft = 100 sq ft
Split an irregular area into rectangles, circles and triangles and add their areas.
Step 2: cubic feet from area and depth
Cubic feet = area in sq ft × depth in inches ÷ 12
Example 100 × 12 ÷ 12 = 100 cu ft
Step 3: cubic yards from cubic feet
Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
Example 100 ÷ 27 = 3.704 cubic yards
Step 4: tons from cubic yards
Tons = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
Example Dirt at 2,025 lb per cubic yard, published as “Soil, dry” by Los Angeles County Public Works: 3.704 × 2,025 ÷ 2,000 = 3.75 tons
Dirt for common areas
| Area, sq ft | 12 inches deep |
|---|---|
| 50 | 1.85 yd³ · 1.88 t |
| 100 | 3.7 yd³ · 3.75 t |
| 200 | 7.41 yd³ · 7.5 t |
| 500 | 18.52 yd³ · 18.75 t |
| 1,000 | 37.04 yd³ · 37.5 t |
How much does a yard of dirt cover?
One cubic yard of dirt covers 27 sq ft at 12 inches deep; one ton at 2,025 lb per cubic yard covers 27 sq ft at the same depth.
| Depth, in | 1 cubic yard covers, sq ft | 1 ton covers, sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 81 | 80 |
| 6 | 54 | 53 |
| 8 | 41 | 40 |
| 12 | 27 | 27 |
- 1 cubic yard
- 1 ton
Published dirt depths and limits
Published depths for dirt run from 9 inches to 12 inches, depending on the use; each row names its document. A row marked as a limit is a bound from the document, not a depth to aim for; the calculator does not start from it.
| Use | Depth, in | 1 cubic yard covers, sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fill over a culvert, minimum compacted cover before traffic | 12 | 27 | Maine DEP |
| Compacting soil fill, maximum lift (layer) thickness (a limit, not a layer depth) | 9 | 36 | Maine DEP |
Dirt weight per cubic yard
Published weights of a cubic yard of dirt run from 1,890 to 2,392 lb across 7 values from 3 documents, measured in different conditions. The calculators use 2,025 lb per cubic yard, published as “Soil, dry” by Los Angeles County Public Works, because two documents (Los Angeles County and Seattle Public Utilities) print it for dry soil. One ton of dirt is about 0.99 cubic yards.
| Pounds per cubic yard | 2,025 |
|---|---|
| Published as | “Soil, dry”, 2,025 lb/yd³, Los Angeles County Public Works; condition: dry, compaction not stated. No document found prints a weight under the name dirt. |
| Published range, same condition, lb | 1,890–2,392 |
| Tons per cubic yard | 1.01 |
| Cubic yards per ton | 0.99 |
Every published value with its source, and tables of weight by volume and yards by tons: Dirt weight.
Fill dirt
The dirt calculator above works for fill dirt too: one cubic yard covers 27 sq ft at 12 inches deep, and the weight uses 2,025 lb per cubic yard, published as “Soil, dry” by Los Angeles County Public Works.
Published weights for fill dirt: “Fill Dirt” 0.8 ton/yd³ (1,600 lb per cubic yard, not stated) from New Mexico EMNRD; “Earth, loose” 76 lb/ft³ (2,052 lb per cubic yard, loose) from U.S. EPA. To use one of them, enter it as your own density under More options; a weight from your supplier is better still.
Dirt compared with other soil and dirt
| Material | Condition | Pounds per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirt | dry, compaction not stated | 2,025 | 0.99 |
| Soil | dry, compaction not stated | 2,025 | 0.99 |
| Topsoil | not stated | 1,600 | 1.25 |
Dirt questions
How much dirt do I need?
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 12 inches deep needs 3.7 cubic yards of dirt, about 3.75 tons at 2,025 lb per cubic yard. One cubic yard of dirt covers 27 sq ft at 12 inches deep, so divide the area in square feet by 27 for the cubic yards at that depth.
Why the dirt you need can differ from the result
The weight of dirt changes with the source, the moisture and how tightly it is packed, so published values differ (here from 1,890 to 2,392 lb per cubic yard across all conditions). Before ordering, ask the supplier for the weight per yard of their own material and enter it as your own density under More options.