How many cubic feet are in 1 cubic yard?

Exactly 27. Since 1 yard = 3 feet, 1 yd³ = 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 ft³.

How many cubic feet are in 5 cubic yards?

5 × 27 = 135 cubic feet. A typical residential concrete delivery is 5–10 yd³ (135–270 ft³).

How many cubic feet in a 10-yard dumpster?

10 yd³ × 27 = 270 ft³ of capacity. Many dumpsters are advertised in yards but rated by interior cubic feet for irregular contents.

How do I convert cubic yards to cubic feet quickly?

Multiply by 27. For mental math: round 27 to 30, multiply, then subtract 10% — that gives you a fast estimate for anything below 10 yd³.

Cubic Yards to Cubic Feet Calculator (Free) — yd³ × 27 Worked Examples

How to convert cubic yards to cubic feet

A cubic yard is a cube measuring 3 feet on each side, so its volume equals 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet. To convert any cubic-yard quantity into cubic feet, multiply by 27.

ft³ = yd³ × 27

Worked examples

Example 1: 1 yard of concrete

1 × 27 = 27 ft³. That's enough to pour a 9 × 9 × 4 inch slab, or cover 81 ft² at 4 inches thick.

Example 2: 5 yards of topsoil

5 × 27 = 135 ft³. Spread 3 inches deep, that covers 540 ft² — roughly a small front yard.

Example 3: 0.5 yard of mulch

0.5 × 27 = 13.5 ft³, or about 7 of the standard 2 ft³ bagged mulch products.

Cubic yards → cubic feet	Conversion factor	Worked example
0.25 yd³	× 27	6.75 ft³
0.5 yd³	× 27	13.5 ft³
1 yd³	× 27	27 ft³
2 yd³	× 27	54 ft³
5 yd³	× 27	135 ft³
10 yd³	× 27	270 ft³

Common uses

Translating supplier yardage quotes back into cubic feet for project planning
Sizing dumpsters and roll-off containers (advertised by yard)
Estimating soil bag count from a yard delivery (≈ 13 of the 2 ft³ bags per yard)
Mulch coverage planning (1 yd³ covers ≈ 108 ft² at 3 inches deep)

Where this conversion comes up

Going from cubic yards back to cubic feet is the reverse problem: you have a quoted yard amount from a supplier and want to verify the math against your own measurements.

Verifying a concrete order against the slab dimensions you measured.
Comparing bagged vs bulk pricing for mulch and soil.
Sizing a storage unit when the listing is in yards but you have measured boxes in feet.

Common mistakes to avoid

Multiplying by 3 instead of 27. 1 yd³ = 27 ft³. Multiplying by 3 gives only the linear conversion, not the volumetric one.
Confusing volume with surface area. A “3-yard” shipment of mulch covers about 100 ft² at 3 inches deep — not 3 ft² of coverage.
Reading the wrong unit on the supplier invoice. Suppliers sometimes list “loose yards” (after delivery, with settling) and “packed yards” (compacted). Confirm which one your invoice uses.

Expert tips

Multiply by 27, not 3. Linear yard → linear feet is ×3, but volume scales as the cube of length, so cubic yard → cubic feet is ×27.
Use this conversion to verify supplier orders. If you measured your project in feet but the supplier delivered in yards, multiply their yard count by 27 and check it matches your cubic-feet calculation.
For concrete, the truck capacity is 8–10 yd³. A full ready-mix truck holds 8 to 10 cubic yards = 216 to 270 cubic feet. Most residential pours are well under one truck. See the concrete calculator.
For storage units, the conversion changes the picture. A 5×10 storage unit is about 400 ft³ — only about 15 yd³. Knowing both numbers helps you compare unit listings.