Cubic Metre Calculator
Turn metres, mm, feet or inches into cubic metres (m³). Then see litres, bags and tonnes.
Measure the space
Your answer
1,200 litres · 42.4 cubic feet · 1.57 cubic yards
What it weighs
- Granular A (road base)2.13 tonnes
- ¾ in clear stone2.04 tonnes
- Sand2.13 tonnes
- Triple mix1.71 tonnes
- Topsoil1.43 tonnes
- Mulch0.35 tonnes
Tonnes per m³, loose as delivered. Worked out from what Canadian yards print per cubic yard, with only 3–6 figures each. Ask your yard.
Quick answers
- Litres in 1 m³
- 1,000 litres. That fills 40 bags of 25 L soil.
- Mulch bags in 1 m³
- 24 bags of 42.5 L, the common Canadian mulch bag.
- Tonnes in 1 m³
- About 1.77 for sand, gravel or stone, by the federal figure. Topsoil is about 1.19 (only 3 sellers).
- From feet
- Cubic feet ÷ 35.31 = m³. Or turn each size into metres first: feet × 0.3048.
- m³ to cubic yards
- Multiply by 1.308. So 3 m³ is about 3.92 cubic yards.
How to work it out
- Measure the length, the width and the depth.
- Turn each one into metres. Divide mm by 1,000 and cm by 100. Multiply feet by 0.3048.
- Multiply the three metre sizes together. The answer is in m³.
- For litres, multiply by 1,000. For tonnes, multiply by what one m³ weighs.
12 ft × 0.3048 = 3.66 m, and 10 ft × 0.3048 = 3.05 m
4 in × 0.0254 = 0.102 m
3.66 × 3.05 × 0.102 = 1.13 m³, or 1,133 litres
1.13 ÷ 0.014 = 80.9, so 81 bags of 30 kg concrete
Bags in one cubic metre
Soil and mulch bags show litres on the front. Concrete and stone bags show kg. This table counts the bags in one m³. For concrete jobs, our concrete bag calculator counts 30 kg bags.
| Bag | Bags per m³ | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Soil, 20 L | 50.0 | 50 |
| Soil, 25 L | 40.0 | 40 |
| Soil, 28.3 L | 35.3 | 36 |
| Soil, 30 L | 33.3 | 34 |
| Mulch, 42.5 L | 23.5 | 24 |
| Soil, 50 L | 20.0 | 20 |
| Soil or mulch, 56.6 L | 17.7 | 18 |
| Gravel or sand, 25 kg (14.2 L) | 70.6 | 71 |
| Concrete mix, 30 kg (14 L) | 71.4 | 72 |
Soil and mulch sizes are from Canadian store shelves. The 25 kg size is from Quikrete's Western Canada maker, and the 30 kg size from Sakrete Canada.
A litre is a thousandth of a cubic metre. So bags per m³ is 1,000 ÷ the litres in one bag.
What 1 m³ weighs
Pits and quarries sell by weight. So an answer in m³ often needs turning into tonnes.
Two governments print one figure for all sand, gravel and stone. Natural Resources Canada says 1.77 tonnes per m³, and Manitoba says 1.78.
| Material | Tonnes per m³ | m³ per tonne | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granular A (road base) | 1.78 | 0.56 | 1.70–1.96 |
| ¾ in clear stone | 1.70 | 0.59 | 1.57–1.78 |
| Sand | 1.78 | 0.56 | 1.66–1.96 |
| Triple mix | 1.43 | 0.70 | 1.19–1.60 |
| Topsoil | 1.19 | 0.84 | 1.19–1.50 |
| Mulch | 0.29 | 3.48 | 0.16–0.47 |
Loose, as delivered. Worked out from the tonnes per cubic yard printed by Canadian yards and producers. Only 3–6 figures each.
For example, 2 m³ of sand × 1.78 = 3.56 tonnes. To go from tonnes back to m³, divide instead.
Measured in feet, ordered in m³
Many Canadian jobs are measured in feet. But ready-mix concrete is sold by the m³. The calculator lets you mix units: feet for the sides, inches for the depth. For an answer in cubic yards, try the cubic yard calculator.
| Depth | m³ for 100 sq ft | m³ for 10 m² |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in (51 mm) | 0.47 | 0.51 |
| 3 in (76 mm) | 0.71 | 0.76 |
| 4 in (102 mm) | 0.94 | 1.02 |
| 6 in (152 mm) | 1.42 | 1.52 |
| 8 in (203 mm) | 1.89 | 2.03 |
| 12 in (305 mm) | 2.83 | 3.05 |
From the set unit sizes (NIST). No extra added.
For a bigger area, scale it up. 500 sq ft at 4 in deep is about 4.72 m³.
Canadian searches spell the word "meter" and "metre". Both name the same unit. We write metre.
Bags or bulk: cost per m³
Bags cost more per m³ than loose material or a truck. Here is the gap for three common buys, before tax.
| Material | In bags | In bulk |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | $140 in bags | $51 loose, at the yard |
| Mulch | $94 in bags | $85 loose, at the yard |
| Concrete | $503 in 30 kg bags | $255.50 ready-mix, 25 MPa |
Bag prices are from Ontario stores only: 9 topsoil prices, 13 mulch and 8 concrete. Loose prices are the middle of 23 and 19 Canadian yards. Ready-mix is the middle of 4 prices from Ontario and Calgary only, before small-load and plant fees.
Ready-mix plants add a fee for small loads. On the Ontario lists we read, the smallest load band starts at 1 m³. One list also says "All concrete mixes require 3m3 minimum", so ask the plant. Our concrete calculator adds those fees.
Pouring a slab or footing? Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
Questions people ask
How do you calculate volume in cubic metres?
Change the length, width and depth to metres, then multiply them. A bed 4 m long, 3 m wide and 100 mm deep holds 1.2 m³.
How do I calculate cubic metres from feet?
Multiply each size in feet by 0.3048 to get metres, then multiply them. Or work out cubic feet and divide by 35.31.
How many litres fit in a cubic metre?
1,000 litres. So one m³ of soil fills 40 bags of 25 L, or 20 bags of 50 L.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic metre?
About 35.31 cubic feet, or 1.308 cubic yards. A foot is set at 0.3048 m, and that fixes both numbers.
How heavy is a cubic metre of gravel or soil?
It depends on what fills it. The federal factor for sand, gravel and stone is 1.77 tonnes (Natural Resources Canada). Topsoil is about 1.19 (only 3 sellers), and mulch only 0.29 (5 sellers).
How do I change m³ to cubic yards?
Multiply by 1.308. So 3 m³ of topsoil is about 3.92 cubic yards. Round up to 4 when you order by the yard.
How do I convert mm³ to m³?
Divide by 1,000,000,000, since a metre is 1,000 mm. It is easier to turn each size into metres before you multiply.
How do I go from square metres to cubic metres?
Area times depth gives volume. Change the depth to metres first: 150 mm is 0.15 m. So 12 m² at 150 mm is 1.8 m³.
Where our numbers come from
- Unit sizes: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 US gallon = 231 cubic inches)
- Gravel weight: Natural Resources Canada (1 cubic yard = 1.35 tonnes)
- Gravel weight: Government of Manitoba quarry calculation tool
- Weights per cubic yard: Canadian yards and producers (few sources each)
- Bag sizes sold in Canada (soil, mulch)
- Bag size: Quikrete Canada (Target Products), 25 kg = ½ cubic foot
- Bag size: Sakrete Canada Concrete Mix (30 kg makes 0.014 m³, or ½ cubic foot)
- Store prices: Ontario Home Depot, RONA, Home Hardware and Chamberlain Timber Mart (Oct 2026)
- Loose prices: the middle of up to 23 Canadian yards (Oct 2026)
- Ready-mix price: the middle of 4 prices from 3 companies (25 MPa, Oct 2026, before tax)
- Small-load and winter fees: Dufferin Concrete 2026 price list (Ontario)
- Small-load fees: CBM Toronto-area price list
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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