How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard. A yard is 3 feet, and volume cubes all three dimensions: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet. To convert cubic feet to cubic yards, divide by 27; to go the other way, multiply cubic yards by 27.
Source: Unit conversion (1 yd = 3 ft) · Verify against your AHJ and the adopted code edition.
A yard is 3 feet, and volume multiplies all three dimensions, so:
1 cubic yard = 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft = 27 cubic feet
That single number does most concrete and material math:
- Cubic feet → cubic yards: divide by 27. A 10 × 10 slab, 4 inches thick, is 10 × 10 × 0.333 = 33.3 ft³ → 33.3 ÷ 27 = 1.23 yd³.
- Cubic yards → cubic feet: multiply by 27. A 5 yd³ delivery is 135 ft³.
Ready-mix concrete, gravel, mulch, and topsoil are all sold by the cubic yard, but you’ll usually measure the space in feet — so you’re really just computing cubic feet and dividing by 27 (then adding waste).
Work it out: the concrete takeoff does the whole chain — dimensions in feet or inches to cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres, and a bag count with waste.