ft3 to yd3 Conversion
Concrete and soil are priced by the cubic yard, while many measures start in cubic feet. Divide ft³ by 27 to switch.
Quick answer: multiply the volume in ft³ by 0.037037. For example, 27 ft³ is 1 yd³, 100 ft³ is 3.704 yd³ and 500 ft³ is 18.519 yd³.
The ft³ to yd³ formula
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 is 27 (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
So divide the cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
Take 27 ft³. Multiply by 0.037037. The answer is 1 yd³.
Take 100 ft³. Multiply by 0.037037. The answer is 3.704 yd³.
Cubic feet to cubic yards
A cubic foot is a cube 1 foot on each side. It is 28.316846592 L (Wikipedia: Cubic foot).
A cubic yard is a cube 1 yard on each side. It is 27 ft³, or about 0.764555 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
The factor 0.037037 joins the two.
How to convert ft³ to yd³ step by step
- Write down the volume in ft³.
- Multiply it by 0.037037.
- The answer is in yd³.
- Check it against the chart above.
Example 1: 27 ft³
- Start with 27 ft³.
- 27 × 0.037037 = 1.
- The volume is 1 yd³.
27 ft³ = 1 yd³
Example 2: 100 ft³
- Start with 100 ft³.
- 100 × 0.037037 = 3.704.
- The volume is 3.704 yd³.
100 ft³ = 3.704 yd³
Example 3: 500 ft³
- Start with 500 ft³.
- 500 × 0.037037 = 18.519.
- The volume is 18.519 yd³.
500 ft³ = 18.519 yd³
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet and about 0.764555 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
ft³ to yd³ conversion table
| ft³ | yd³ | m³ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ft³ | 0.037 yd³ | 0.0283 m³ |
| 9 ft³ | 0.3333 yd³ | 0.2549 m³ |
| 27 ft³ | 1 yd³ | 0.7646 m³ |
| 54 ft³ | 2 yd³ | 1.529 m³ |
| 100 ft³ | 3.704 yd³ | 2.832 m³ |
| 135 ft³ | 5 yd³ | 3.823 m³ |
| 270 ft³ | 10 yd³ | 7.646 m³ |
| 500 ft³ | 18.519 yd³ | 14.158 m³ |
The highlighted row, 27 ft³, is the default of the converter. The last column gives m³.
A quick mental shortcut for ft³ to yd³
Divide by 27. A quick guess is to divide by 30 and add a little.
So 100 ft³ is a bit over 3 yd³.
What ft³ measure
A cubic foot is a cube 1 foot on each side. It is 28.316846592 L (Wikipedia: Cubic foot).
Rooms, tanks and bags are often sized in it.
What yd³ measure
A cubic yard is a cube 1 yard on each side. It is 27 ft³, or about 0.764555 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
Bulk soil and concrete are sold by it.
Why 27
A yard is 3 feet. A cubic yard is 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet.
That is 27 cubic feet (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
Bulk materials
A load of 100 ft³ is about 3.704 yd³. A load of 500 ft³ is about 18.519 yd³.
Check the unit a supplier uses before you order.
Bags of material
A bag of 2 ft³ is about 0.0741 of a cubic yard.
So 13.5 bags of 2 ft³ make 1 yd³.
Metric view
A cubic yard is about 0.764555 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic yard).
A cubic foot is 0.028316846592 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic foot).
Why divide by 27
Each yd³ holds 27 ft³.
So one ft³ is one twenty seventh of a yd³.
Going the other way
To go back, multiply the cubic yards by 27.
So 3 yd³ is 81 ft³.
Check your answer
Your yd³ number should be 27 times smaller than the ft³ number.
Multiply it by 27 and you should get your first number.
More values at a glance
0.5 cubic feet is 0.0185 cubic yards. 2 cubic feet is 0.0741 cubic yards. 5 cubic feet is 0.1852 cubic yards.
10 cubic feet is 0.3704 cubic yards. 25 cubic feet is 0.9259 cubic yards. 100 cubic feet is 3.7037 cubic yards.
Each answer is the input times 0.037. You can use the same factor for any value that is not listed here.
The unit sizes
One of the cubic feet equals 0.037 cubic yards. One of the cubic yards equals 27 cubic feet.
If a result looks very large or very small, compare it with these sizes before you use it.
Checking in reverse
Take 0.3704 cubic yards and divide by 0.037. You get back 10 cubic feet. If you do not, one of the numbers was typed or rounded wrongly.
Quick conversion answers
| Conversion | Result |
|---|---|
| 9 ft³ | 0.3333 yd³ |
| 27 ft³ | 1 yd³ |
| 54 ft³ | 2 yd³ |
| 100 ft³ | 3.704 yd³ |
| 270 ft³ | 10 yd³ |
| 500 ft³ | 18.519 yd³ |
Why the factor is 27
A yard is 3 feet, so a cubic yard is 3 feet wide, 3 feet long and 3 feet high.
That is 3 times 3 times 3, which is 27 cubic feet.
So 54 ft³ is 2 yd³ and 13.5 ft³ is 0.5 yd³.
Metric size of a cubic yard
One cubic foot is exactly 0.028316846592 m³ (Wikipedia: Cubic foot).
Multiply by 27 and a cubic yard is about 0.7646 m³.
This helps when a supplier quotes cubic meters and you think in cubic yards.
Where this conversion is used
Cubic feet measure the size of tanks, bins and rooms.
Gravel and concrete are sold by the cubic yard.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing length and volume. A cubic unit is length times length times length.
- Using the wrong direction. Here 9 ft³ is 0.3333 yd³, so a correct answer comes out smaller than the number you start with.
- Rounding too early. The answer for 500 ft³ is 18.519 yd³. Cut it to 19 yd³ and you are off by about 2.6 percent, and the gap grows if you reuse it.
Related converters
- cubic feet to cubic yards
- cubic feet to cubic inches
- cubic yards to square feet
- cubic feet to gallons
- Roll Length
A garden bed
A bed holding 40 ft³ of soil needs about 1.4815 yd³.
In m³ that is 1.1327.
A small slab
A slab of 54 ft³ is exactly 2 yd³.
In m³ that is 1.5291.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic yards?
Divide the cubic feet by 27.
How many cubic yards is 100 cubic feet?
About 3.7037 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet is 1 cubic yard?
27 cubic feet.
How many cubic yards is 270 cubic feet?
10 cubic yards.
Why is it 27?
A yard is 3 feet, and 3 × 3 × 3 is 27.
How many m³ is 1 cubic yard?
About 0.764555 m³.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Cubic yard (en.wikipedia.org)
- Wikipedia: Cubic foot (en.wikipedia.org)
