What is the coverage of one cubic yard of dirt?
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at a depth of 1 inch.
At 3 inches, coverage is 108 square feet. A depth of 4 inches gives 81 square feet. At 12 inches, one yard covers 27 square feet.
| Depth | Coverage |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
| 12 in | 27 sq ft |
The table uses one cubic yard before settlement and overage.
Coverage formula
Divide 324 by the depth in inches. The result is the coverage in square feet.
For a depth of 5 inches, one cubic yard covers 64.8 square feet.
Quantity for a specified area
Multiply the square-foot area by the depth in inches. Divide the result by 324.
For an area of 500 square feet at a depth of 3 inches, the necessary quantity is 4.63 yd³.
Depth measurement
Measure the depth at different positions. Calculate the average when the ground is not level.
A small low area can use more dirt than a large level area. Include each low area in the measurement.
Settlement allowance
Increase the order when compaction will decrease the volume. Use the dirt calculator to add settlement loss and overage.
Important information
- The coverage calculation is a geometric result.
- The supplier can round the order to an available load quantity.