What's on this page
This is a lookup page, not a how-to. It gathers the coverage numbers that every material estimate leans on, the yields, the bags per yard, and the area a cubic yard spreads across at a given depth, into one place you can bookmark and check in a few seconds. Each section links to the full guide that works the math end to end, so if you want the reasoning, the concrete guide, the gravel guide, and the mulch guide carry it. Run your own dimensions through the material coverage estimator for an instant figure, then use the charts below to sanity-check the order.
Every number here is a standard planning figure. Yields and weights vary by product and by how wet a material is, so the rule throughout is the same: confirm the figure printed on your specific bag or quoted by your supplier, and add a small waste margin so a short order never stalls the work.
The one constant everything else comes from
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. That single fact drives every chart on this page. Because depth in a coverage problem is measured in inches while area is in feet, it helps to know that 27 cubic feet spread one inch thick covers 324 square feet (27 times 12). From there, the area a yard covers at any depth is just 324 divided by the depth in inches.
To turn a real project into cubic yards, the shortcut is:
Cubic yards = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (in) ÷ 324
That folds the divide-by-12 (inches to feet) and the divide-by-27 (cubic feet to cubic yards) into one step.
Concrete bag yields
Bagged concrete mix is sold by the dry weight of the bag, but you order by the volume of finished concrete it makes. These yields are the standard figures for common mixes.
| Bag size | Yield (finished concrete) | Bags per cubic yard | Coverage at 4 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 lb | about 0.60 cu ft | about 45 | about 1.8 sq ft |
| 60 lb | about 0.45 cu ft | about 60 | about 1.35 sq ft |
| 40 lb | about 0.30 cu ft | about 90 | about 0.9 sq ft |
The bags-per-yard figure is simply 27 divided by the bag yield. Once a job needs much more than about 30 to 40 bags, ready-mix delivery is usually cheaper and far less work than mixing by hand. The full reasoning, including the crossover point, is in the concrete guide and the bags of concrete guide. Source for bag yields: manufacturer product data, such as QUIKRETE’s published concrete mix yields, which you can confirm on the bag or the maker’s website.
Coverage per cubic yard, by depth
This chart works for any loose material measured by volume, gravel, crushed stone, sand, mulch, or topsoil. It is pure arithmetic from the 324 constant, so it is exact for volume. The only variable is how deep you spread the material.
| Depth | Area one cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | about 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | about 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | about 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | about 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | about 54 sq ft |
A common rule of thumb falls straight out of this table: a yard of gravel covers roughly 100 square feet at a typical 3 inch driveway depth, and a yard of mulch covers roughly 100 square feet at a 3 inch bed depth. The gravel guide walks through choosing a depth for driveways, paths, and drainage, and the gravel depth reference tabulates the depth spec itself, use by use, from paver bases to pea gravel.
Mulch and bagged material
Mulch is often sold in 2 cubic foot bags as well as by the yard, so it helps to see both.
| Amount | Coverage at 2 in | Coverage at 3 in |
|---|---|---|
| 2 cu ft bag | about 12 sq ft | about 8 sq ft |
| 1 cubic yard (13.5 bags) | about 162 sq ft | about 108 sq ft |
It takes about 13.5 of the 2 cubic foot bags to make a cubic yard, so for anything past a small bed, ordering by the yard is usually the cheaper route. The mulch guide covers depth by mulch type and how to refresh an existing bed without over-piling.
Weight per cubic yard
Weight matters for delivery cost and for whether a trailer or truck can safely and legally carry a load. Unlike volume coverage, weight is not exact: it swings with material type and moisture, so these are ranges, not fixed numbers.
| Material | Approximate weight per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Dry gravel or crushed stone | about 2,400 to 2,900 lb (roughly 1.2 to 1.45 tons) |
| Sand | about 2,600 to 3,000 lb |
| Topsoil | about 1,800 to 2,700 lb, higher when wet |
| Mulch (wood) | about 400 to 1,000 lb, higher when wet |
Before you haul any of these yourself, confirm the weight with your supplier for the specific product and check your vehicle’s rated capacity. A single cubic yard of wet gravel can exceed what a half-ton pickup should carry.
Paint coverage
Paint is measured in gallons and area, not cubic yards, but it belongs on a coverage reference.
| Amount | Coverage, one coat, smooth primed surface |
|---|---|
| 1 quart | about 90 to 100 sq ft |
| 1 gallon | about 350 to 400 sq ft |
Most jobs need two coats, and rough or unprimed surfaces cover less, so a safe estimate is wall area divided by 350, then doubled. The paint guide works through doors, windows, and trim.
How to use this page
Pick your material, read the coverage at your depth, and convert the job to cubic yards with the formula at the top. Then add a waste margin, commonly around 5 to 10 percent for loose material and a bag or two for bagged mixes, and round up to a whole order. The charts get you a firm number in seconds; the linked guides explain every step behind them, and the coverage estimator does the arithmetic for your exact dimensions. These are planning figures drawn from standard material data, so always confirm yields and weights against your specific product and supplier before you buy. For the workflow that strings these charts together, measurement, conversion, waste, and rounding, our manual on material estimation for a project is the start-to-finish version, and our yardage calculator manual works the volume formula itself on your dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
How many 80 lb bags of concrete are in a cubic yard?
About 45. An 80 pound bag of standard concrete mix yields roughly 0.60 cubic feet of finished concrete, and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so 27 divided by 0.60 is 45 bags. A 60 pound bag yields about 0.45 cubic feet, which works out to about 60 bags per yard, and a 40 pound bag yields about 0.30 cubic feet, or about 90 bags per yard. Always confirm the yield printed on your specific product, because it varies slightly by mix, and add a bag or two of margin so you do not run short mid-pour.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, which spreads over 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, because 27 cubic feet is 324 inch-feet of coverage. From there the math is simple division: divide 324 by the depth in inches. So a yard covers about 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 square feet at 3 inches, and 81 square feet at 4 inches. The same chart applies to any loose material measured by volume, including gravel, sand, mulch, and topsoil.
How do I convert a project to cubic yards?
Multiply length in feet by width in feet by depth in inches, divide by 12 to turn the depth into feet, then divide by 27 to turn cubic feet into cubic yards. As a single formula, cubic yards equals length times width times depth-in-inches, divided by 324. A 10 foot by 12 foot pad at 4 inches deep is 120 square feet times 4, divided by 324, which is about 1.48 cubic yards, so you would order 1.5 yards plus a little waste.
How much does a bag of mulch cover?
A 2 cubic foot bag of mulch covers about 12 square feet at 2 inches deep, because 2 cubic feet divided by a 2 inch layer is 12 square feet. At 3 inches the same bag covers about 8 square feet. It takes about 13.5 bags of the 2 cubic foot size to equal one cubic yard, so for anything larger than a small bed, buying by the yard is usually cheaper than by the bag.
How much does a yard of gravel or sand weigh?
It depends on the material and how wet it is, so treat any single number as illustrative. Dry gravel commonly runs somewhere around 2,400 to 2,900 pounds per cubic yard, roughly 1.2 to 1.45 tons, and sand is in a similar range. Wet material weighs more. This matters for delivery and for whether your vehicle can legally and safely carry it, so confirm the weight with your supplier for the specific product before you haul it yourself.
How much does a gallon of paint cover?
About 350 to 400 square feet per gallon for one coat on a smooth, primed surface, as a common planning figure. Rough, porous, or previously unpainted surfaces drink more and cover less, and most jobs need two coats, so a practical rule is to take your wall area, divide by 350, and double it for two coats. Confirm the coverage printed on the specific paint can, since it varies by product and sheen.