Work out concrete in cubic yards and cubic metres. Enter sizes in feet and inches or metres, and get the yards, the m³ to order from an Australian supplier, the weight, bags and truck loads.
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The left cube is 0.76 m³. The right cube is 1 m³.
Concrete To Order
0yd³
This concrete by the yard calculator is for jobs where the numbers come in yards, feet or inches. That could be an old plan, an overseas kit, a video or a US guide. It gives you yards for reference, and cubic metres for your Australian supplier.
A yard of concrete means one cubic yard. That is a block 1 yard long, 1 yard wide and 1 yard high. A yard is 3 feet, or exactly 0.9144 m, so a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, or 0.7646 m³.
The NIST Handbook 44 gives the US figure as 0.764 554 857 984 m³, and Australian National Measurement Regulations from 1988 list a yard at the same 0.9144 m when converting to metres. A cubic yard is about 24% smaller than a cubic metre, so the two are not interchangeable.
Work in one unit, then convert at the end. Most mistakes come from mixing inches and feet.
The calculator then adds your waste allowance and rounds the order up in cubic metres. It starts at 10% waste, which is a planning choice. Ask your concreter if your ground or forms are uneven. For a metric-only job, the Concrete Volume Calculator is simpler.
| Imperial | Metric | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in | 76.2 mm | Thin path |
| 4 in | 101.6 mm | Similar to a 100 mm slab |
| 5 in | 127 mm | Similar to a 125 mm slab |
| 6 in | 152.4 mm | Similar to a 150 mm slab |
| 1 ft | 0.3048 m | Length |
| 1 yd | 0.9144 m | Length |
| 10 ft | 3.048 m | Length |
The common-use column is only a size comparison. Take the real thickness from your plans, engineer or council, not from a converted figure.
These figures are rounded to two decimal places.
| Cubic Yards | Cubic Metres | Cubic Metres | Cubic Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 yd³ | 0.38 m³ | 1 m³ | 1.31 yd³ |
| 1 yd³ | 0.76 m³ | 2 m³ | 2.62 yd³ |
| 2 yd³ | 1.53 m³ | 3 m³ | 3.92 yd³ |
| 3 yd³ | 2.29 m³ | 4 m³ | 5.23 yd³ |
| 4 yd³ | 3.06 m³ | 5 m³ | 6.54 yd³ |
| 5 yd³ | 3.82 m³ | 6 m³ | 7.85 yd³ |
| 8 yd³ | 6.12 m³ | 8 m³ | 10.46 yd³ |
| 10 yd³ | 7.65 m³ | 10 m³ | 13.08 yd³ |
| 20 yd³ | 15.29 m³ | 20 m³ | 26.16 yd³ |
The area a yard covers depends on the thickness. This chart has no waste added.
| Thickness | One Yard Covers | Thickness | One Yard Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 mm | 10.19 m² | 3 in | 108 ft² |
| 100 mm | 7.65 m² | 4 in | 81 ft² |
| 125 mm | 6.12 m² | 5 in | 64.8 ft² |
| 150 mm | 5.10 m² | 6 in | 54 ft² |
| 200 mm | 3.82 m² | 8 in | 40.5 ft² |
This table shows how familiar sizes look in both units, before waste. The thicknesses are examples only, so use the ones on your plans.
| Pour | Thickness | Cubic Metres | Cubic Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 m × 3 m | 100 mm | 0.90 m³ | 1.18 yd³ |
| 6 m × 3 m | 100 mm | 1.80 m³ | 2.35 yd³ |
| 6 m × 3 m | 125 mm | 2.25 m³ | 2.94 yd³ |
| 6 m × 6 m | 100 mm | 3.60 m³ | 4.71 yd³ |
| 6 m × 6 m | 125 mm | 4.50 m³ | 5.89 yd³ |
| 10 m × 5 m | 100 mm | 5.00 m³ | 6.54 yd³ |
| 12 m × 6 m | 150 mm | 10.80 m³ | 14.13 yd³ |
At the 2,400 kg per m³ used on this page, one yard weighs about 1.84 tonnes. In bags, it is about 83 of the 20 kg size, using 108 bags per m³ for Dingo MaxPRO. See the Concrete Bag Estimator to compare bag products.
The volume is 20 × 15 × (4 ÷ 12) = 100 ft³. Dividing by 27 gives 3.70 yd³, which is 2.83 m³. With 10% waste, that is 3.11 m³. Rounded up to 0.1 m³, you order 3.2 m³, or 4.19 yd³. It weighs about 7.68 tonnes.
The volume is 6 × 4 × 0.1 = 2.4 m³, or 3.14 yd³. With 10% waste, it is 2.64 m³. You order 2.7 m³, which is 3.53 yd³.
Eight piers at 12 in wide and 36 in deep come to 0.53 m³, or 0.70 yd³. With 10% waste, you order 0.6 m³, which is 0.78 yd³. An order this small may suit bags, at about 64 of the 20 kg size.
Ten cubic yards is 7.65 m³. Rounded up, you order 7.7 m³, which needs 2 trucks if each carries 6 m³. It weighs about 18.48 tonnes.
Australia passed its Metric Conversion Act in 1970, and the building industry had moved to metric by 1976. Today, supplier fee lists such as Boral service fees charge by the cubic metre. Ask for your order in m³, even if your plan uses yards.
| Truck | Capacity | About In Yards |
|---|---|---|
| Mini agitator | 2.5 to 4.5 m³ | 3.3 to 5.9 yd³ |
| Standard agitator | 6 to 8 m³ | 7.8 to 10.5 yd³ |
| Semi agitator | 9 to 12 m³ | 11.8 to 15.7 yd³ |
Truck sizes are from iSeekPlant. The calculator uses the low end of each range, so it does not overstate what one truck can carry. iSeekPlant also says most suppliers want 3 to 4 m³ per delivery, and Boral lists charge a fee on loads under 3 m³.
When you order, give the volume, grade, slump and aggregate size. Grades such as N20, N25 and N32 come from your plans, and premixed concrete is supplied under AS 1379. Residential slabs and footings fall under AS 2870, and other structures under AS 3600. US plans may use other grades, thicknesses and steel, so have them checked for your site.
Prices quoted per yard look lower than prices per cubic metre, because a yard is smaller. Convert both to the same unit before you compare.
What's The Damage lists 25 MPa at a typical A$380 per m³, verified in November 2026. That is about A$290.53 per cubic yard. Use the Concrete Price Calculator for a state-by-state range, and the Concrete Cost Calculator to compare real quotes.
One cubic yard is 0.7646 m³. To convert, multiply cubic yards by 0.7646. To go the other way, divide cubic metres by 0.7646, or multiply by 1.308.
Multiply length, width and thickness in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27. A 20 ft × 15 ft slab at 4 in is 100 ft³, or 3.70 yd³.
Australian suppliers normally quote and sell ready-mix in cubic metres. Convert your yards to m³ first, and order in m³.
One cubic yard covers about 7.65 m² at 100 mm, 6.12 m² at 125 mm and 5.10 m² at 150 mm.
At 4 inches thick, one cubic yard covers 81 ft². At 6 inches, it covers 54 ft².
There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, because a yard is 3 feet and 3 × 3 × 3 = 27.
At the 2,400 kg per m³ used on this page, one cubic yard weighs about 1,835 kg, or 1.84 tonnes. The exact weight depends on the mix.
About 83 bags, using 108 bags per m³ from a Dingo MaxPRO listing. Check the yield on your bag.
iSeekPlant lists a standard agitator at 6 to 8 m³, which is about 7.8 to 10.5 yd³. A mini agitator holds 2.5 to 4.5 m³, or about 3.3 to 5.9 yd³.
What's The Damage lists 25 MPa at a typical A$380 per m³, which works out to about A$291 per cubic yard. Fees and delivery can add more, and prices change.
iSeekPlant says most suppliers want 3 to 4 m³ per delivery, which is about 3.9 to 5.2 yd³. Smaller orders are often possible with a fee.
No. A cubic yard is about 24% smaller than a cubic metre. If someone says a yard, ask which unit they mean, because the gap can leave you short on a pour.
Figures reviewed November 2026. Sources: NIST, Australian National Measurement Regulations, iSeekPlant, Boral, What's The Damage, Bunnings and Wikipedia, linked in the sections above. Results are planning estimates. Confirm your order, grade and reinforcement with your supplier, builder or engineer. See our Disclaimer and Calculator Methodology.