How do you calculate dirt volume from area and depth?
Measure the length and width of each rectangular area, or enter a circular diameter or known surface area, then multiply by a uniform layer depth. Add volumes for separate zones before changing from cubic feet to cubic yards. A 10 ft by 10 ft area, 6 in deep, has 50 ft³ of in-place volume, or about 1.852 yd³. The calculator keeps full precision until it shows an order quantity.
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27
Fill dirt searches use this same volume worksheet. Soil intended for structural fill needs specified compaction and material suitability; a volume estimate does not establish those properties.
How much dirt do you need to fill a hole or low area?
Enter each fill zone at its intended finished dimensions. The geometric volume is the compacted or settled target only if those dimensions describe the final condition. If your supplier or project plan provides a volume reduction percentage from loose delivery to placed fill, enter it to estimate loose delivered volume. Without a verified factor, leave it at zero and discuss compaction with the supplier or designer.
How do you account for loose dirt after excavation?
Soil taken from an excavation can occupy a different loose volume in a truck. Enter a project-specific swell percentage to multiply the in-place excavated volume by 1 + swell ÷ 100. The tool reports both bank volume and loose haul volume. Do not use a single universal swell factor for all soil types and moisture conditions.
What is the difference between bank, loose and compacted cubic yards?
Bank volume is material before excavation. Loose volume is material after it is broken up for handling or delivery. Compacted volume describes the placed and densified condition. These are different volume states of a material, so multiplying a density measured in one state by another state’s volume can give a wrong weight. Label the supplier’s density state when comparing loads.
How is a circular planting bed or pit measured?
Enter its diameter and depth. The tool uses π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × depth, then converts units. A round feature with irregular walls, slopes or tapered sides needs segmented measurements or a site plan. For square footage alone see the square footage calculator.
Can you combine multiple dirt areas?
Add up to twenty zones and choose rectangle, circle or known area for each. Each zone has its own depth, so a shallow lawn dressing and a deeper backfill can be combined without averaging their depths. Make sure the zones do not overlap. The result includes a per-zone breakdown to check measurements.
How do you estimate dirt weight?
Weight requires a bulk density from the specific supplier and the matching volume state. Enter density in kilograms per loose cubic meter to calculate estimated kilograms and metric tonnes for the loose ordered or hauled volume. Soil texture, organic matter, moisture and compaction affect bulk density. The calculator does not assume a universal tons-per-yard figure.
How do bag size and truck capacity affect the order?
Enter bag yield in cubic feet for a whole-bag count or truck capacity in cubic yards for a minimum trip count, based on the loose order or haul volume. These are arithmetic capacity checks; truck payload weight, road rules and supplier availability can reduce practical load size. Verify the actual usable bag yield or truck volume.
How should you enter waste or an ordering allowance?
For fill, the optional allowance is added after converting the target placed volume into loose volume. For excavation, it is applied after the optional swell factor. A percentage does not replace site grading, settlement testing or a surveyed excavation. Keep the assumed factor visible when sharing or downloading the result.
How is material cost estimated?
Enter your supplier’s price per loose cubic yard. The tool multiplies the adjusted loose volume by that price; tax, minimum delivery, hauling, spreading, disposal fees and labor are excluded. If the quote uses bank yards, tonnes or truck loads instead, convert the quote’s basis before entering it.
What should you check before buying or hauling soil?
Confirm the measured area, average depth, desired final grade and whether the quoted unit is bank, loose or compacted volume. Check the supplier’s material specification, moisture and density where weight or compaction matters. Excavation near utilities, slopes or structures needs an appropriate site plan. For landscape planting mix use the topsoil calculator; for aggregate see the gravel calculator.
