Cubic Yard Calculator
Work out cubic yards from metres, cm, feet or inches. Skips in the UK are sold by the cubic yard, so this helps you pick one.
Measure the space
Your answer
1.80 m³ · 1,800 litres · 63.6 cubic feet
What it weighs
- MOT Type 13.74 tonnes
- Crusher run3.28 tonnes
- Ballast2.97 tonnes
- Gravel (20 mm)2.88 tonnes
- Slate chippings2.88 tonnes
- Sharp or building sand2.72 tonnes
- Tarmac (laid)4.23 tonnes
- Sand and cement screed, set and dry (Tarmac)3.78 tonnes
- Topsoil1.44 tonnes
- Bark0.45 tonnes
Tonnes for UK materials as laid, from bag sizes and cover. Wickes says wetness can change the weight of its ballast by about 5%.
Quick answers
- 1 cubic yard
- 27 cubic feet, or about 0.76 m³.
- 1 cubic metre
- About 1.31 cubic yards.
- Skip sizes
- A mini skip is 2 yards (1.53 m³). A builder's skip is 6 yards (4.59 m³).
- Skip weight
- About 1 tonne per cubic yard, say two skip firms. Check with yours.
- Dug soil
- It takes 25–30% more room once dug. Clay or broken concrete can take up to 40% more.
How to work it out
- Measure the length, width and depth in metres. Change cm or mm to metres first.
- Multiply length × width × depth. That gives cubic metres (m³).
- Divide the m³ by 0.7646. That gives cubic yards.
- Measured in feet? Multiply the three sizes in feet, then divide by 27.
3 × 2 × 0.3 = 1.8 m³
1.8 ÷ 0.7646 = 2.35 cubic yards
UK skip sizes in cubic yards
Skip firms sell skips by the cubic yard. Two firms agree on these sizes. We worked out the m³ from the yards.
| Skip | Yards | m³ | Bin bags | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 2 yd | 1.53 m³ | about 16 | about 2 t |
| Midi | 4 yd | 3.06 m³ | about 33 | about 4 t |
| Builder's | 6 yd | 4.59 m³ | about 50 | about 6 t |
| 8 yard | 8 yd | 6.12 m³ | about 60 | about 8 t |
| 12 yard | 12 yd | 9.17 m³ | about 100 | light waste only |
Mini, midi and builder's are L&S Waste's names. Bin bags from SunSkips. Weight: about 1 tonne per yard, from Sharp Skips and Able Skips.
These are guides, not limits by law. Each firm sets its own, so check before you book.
What size skip for soil or rubble?
Soil takes up more space once it is dug out. This is called bulking.
- Ordinary soil: add about 25–30%, says a mini digger firm.
- Clay: add up to 40%, say two UK firms. One says the same for broken concrete.
Soil and rubble are heavy. SunSkips says 8 yards is the biggest home skip for them. L&S Waste says don't fill even an 8 yard skip with only soil or rubble. Sharp Skips says heavy waste can go in bigger skips, so ask your firm.
| Skip | Holds | Soil, as dug | Clay, as dug |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 yd | 1.53 m³ | 1.18–1.22 m³ | 1.09 m³ |
| 4 yd | 3.06 m³ | 2.35–2.45 m³ | 2.18 m³ |
| 6 yd | 4.59 m³ | 3.53–3.67 m³ | 3.28 m³ |
| 8 yd | 6.12 m³ | 4.70–4.89 m³ | 4.37 m³ |
Soil allows 25–30% growth; clay 40%. Filled level with the sides.
Our example hole is 3 × 2 m and 300 mm deep: 1.8 m³. With 30% more, it needs 2.34 m³, or 3.1 cubic yards. A 4 yard skip holds 3.06 m³, so it fits.
Skip rules to know
- Fill it level. Merton Council's licence rules say soil and rubble must not go above the metal sides. SunSkips says to fill only to the full line on the side.
- Mind the weight. Sharp Skips warns that firms charge extra if a skip is too heavy. Ask for your firm's limit.
- Skips on the road. A skip on a public road needs a council licence. Brighton and Hove Council can take the licence back if the rules are broken.
The yards on a skip are its level size. You can't heap it, so the table shows all it can take.
Cubic yards, cubic metres and cubic feet
Each side of a cubic yard is 3 feet long. So it holds 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. These sizes are fixed, so the figures don't change.
| Unit | In 1 cubic yard | One of them is |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic metres (m³) | 0.7646 | 1.308 cubic yards |
| Cubic feet | 27 | 0.037 cubic yards |
| Litres | 765 | 0.00131 cubic yards |
From square metres to cubic yards
Multiply the m² by the depth in metres, then divide by 0.7646. For 20 m² at 50 mm deep: 20 × 0.05 = 1 m³. That is 1.31 cubic yards.
What a cubic yard weighs
Soil, stone and sand are sold in the UK by the tonne or bulk bag. This table turns a cubic yard into tonnes.
| Material | Tonnes | Cubic yards per tonne |
|---|---|---|
| Tarmac (laid) | 1.80 t | 0.56 |
| Sand and cement screed, set and dry (Tarmac) | 1.61 t | 0.62 |
| MOT Type 1 | 1.59 t | 0.63 |
| Crusher run | 1.39 t | 0.72 |
| Ballast | 1.26 t | 0.79 |
| Gravel (20 mm) | 1.22 t | 0.82 |
| Slate chippings | 1.22 t | 0.82 |
| Sharp or building sand | 1.15 t | 0.87 |
| Topsoil | 0.61 t | 1.63 |
| Bark | 0.19 t | 5.23 |
From UK bag weights and cover, as laid. Topsoil and bark come from a 500 litre bag.
So a cubic yard of topsoil weighs about 0.61 tonnes. A cubic yard of Type 1 weighs about 1.59 tonnes.
Questions people ask
How do you calculate cubic yards?
Multiply length × width × depth in metres to get m³. Then divide by 0.7646. A hole 3 × 2 m and 300 mm deep is 2.35 cubic yards.
How many cubic metres are in a cubic yard?
About 0.76. A yard is exactly 0.9144 m, so a cubic yard is 0.7646 m³.
What size skip do I need?
Work out the m³ you will dig, then add 25–30% for dug soil. Our 1.8 m³ hole needs about 2.3 m³ of room. That fits a 4 yard skip.
How many bin bags fit in a skip?
One skip firm says a 2 yard skip takes about 16 bin bags. A 4 yard skip takes 33, and a 6 yard skip 50. Treat it as a rough guide.
What size skip can take soil and rubble?
In home-size skips, 8 yards or smaller, says SunSkips. Bigger ones are for light, bulky waste. L&S Waste says don't fill even an 8 yard skip with only soil or rubble.
How much weight can a skip hold?
About 1 tonne per cubic yard, say two skip firms. So a 4 yard skip takes about 4 tonnes. Firms charge extra for a skip that is too heavy.
Can you fill a skip above the top?
No. A council licence rule says soil and rubble must not go above the metal sides. One firm says to fill only to the line marked on the side.
Do I need a licence for a skip on the road?
Yes. A skip on a public road needs a licence from the council. Your skip firm can tell you more.
Where our numbers come from
- Unit sizes: NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 US gallon = 231 cubic inches)
- Skip sizes: L&S Waste Management skip guide
- Skip sizes and heavy-waste limit: SunSkips size guide
- Skip weight limits: Sharp Skips (about 1 tonne per yard)
- Skip weight limits: Able Skips mini, midi and maxi
- Skip loading rule: Merton Council skip licence conditions
- Skip on the road needs a licence: Brighton & Hove Council
- Dug soil bulking 25–30% (clay 40%): The Mini Digger Guy
- Clay bulks up to 40% when dug: NWTH muck-away guide
- What bulking means: British Geological Survey
- Type 1 weight and price: Wickes 800 kg bag (checked Oct 2026)
- Crusher run weight: Greenvale Products (1 tonne covers about 11 m² at 50 mm)
- Ballast weight: Wickes ballast bulk bag (800 kg covers 9.7 m² at 50 mm)
- Gravel weight: Wickes UK 20 mm gravel bulk bag (800 kg covers 20 m² at 25 mm)
- Slate weight: Wickes 20 mm slate chippings bulk bag
- Sand weight: Wickes sharp sand bulk bag (800 kg covers 10.6 m² at 50 mm)
- Asphalt weight: Asphalt Institute (110 lb per square yard per inch)
- Tarmac coverage: Heidelberg Materials asphalt calculator (14–18 m² per tonne at 25 mm)
- Screed: Tarmac Truscreed data sheet (weight once dry; thickness over underfloor heating)
- Topsoil weight: Wickes 500 litre topsoil bag (about 400 kg)
- Bark weight: Wickes 500 litre bark bag (about 125 kg)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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