Dirt Calculator

Estimate fill dirt or excavation volume from area and average depth. Enter a project-specific loose-volume factor to plan deliveries or hauling, then estimate volume-based truckloads and optional cost.

Calculate Fill or Excavation Volume

Use an average depth for the section being estimated. Calculate separate sections when depths vary.

Enter the average thickness of the space to fill. This tool does not determine site elevations.

Loose-volume adjustment — optional

Enter a factor supplied for your material and project. For example, 1.20 means 1.20 loose cubic yards for each in-place cubic yard. Leave blank to use 1.00 with no volume adjustment.

No universal swell or compaction factor is assumed. A factor of 1.00 does not confirm that the material’s loose and in-place volumes will actually be equal.

Truckload estimate — optional

Use the carrier’s usable capacity for this material. This is a volume-only estimate; payload limits can require more loads.

Cost estimate — optional

Uses only the rate you enter. Additional material, hauling, disposal, machinery, labor, tax or minimum charges are not added automatically.

Estimating a soil layer for planting rather than earthwork deliveries or hauling? The Topsoil Calculator includes bag quantities and bulk or bagged material pricing.

PLAN FILL DELIVERIES OR SOIL REMOVAL

How to Use the Dirt Calculator

Calculate the in-place volume first. Then use a suitable loose-volume factor and carrier capacity to estimate delivery or hauling quantities.

  1. Choose fill or excavation

    Select fill dirt to bring in or excavated dirt to haul away. Enter the section’s length and width, or choose the known-area option if you already have its area.

  2. Enter the average in-place depth

    For fill, enter the average thickness of the space to fill. For excavation, enter the average depth to remove before digging. Calculate separate sections when one average does not represent the site well.

  3. Set the loose-volume factor

    Enter a project-specific ratio of loose volume to in-place volume. For example, 1.20 multiplies the in-place volume by 1.20. Leaving it blank uses 1.00 and makes no volume adjustment.

  4. Add load capacity and an optional price

    Enter the carrier’s usable loose volume per load to estimate whole loads. Add a quoted price per loose volume or per whole load if needed. Confirm payload limits separately with the carrier.

Working with both cut and fill? Estimate excavation and fill separately. The calculator does not determine whether excavated material is suitable for reuse or calculate a net import/export balance.

FROM IN-PLACE VOLUME TO LOOSE LOADS

Dirt Calculation Examples

Compare fill dirt brought to a site with excavated material hauled away. Each example uses an illustrative loose-volume factor, usable load capacity and quoted rate.

FILL DIRT DELIVERY

Estimate fill priced by loose cubic yard

A 30 × 18 ft section needs an average fill depth of 6 inches. Apply an example loose-volume factor of 1.20 before estimating deliveries.

Fill area
30 × 18 ft
Average fill depth
6 inches
Example volume factor
1.20
Usable volume per load
8 cu yd
Example quoted rate
$25.00 USD / loose cu yd
  1. Calculate area and convert depth

    30 × 18 = 540 sq ft
    6 ÷ 12 = 0.5 ft

  2. Find the in-place fill volume

    540 × 0.5 = 270 cu ft
    270 ÷ 27 = 10 cu yd

  3. Apply the loose-volume factor

    10 × 1.20 = 12 loose cu yd
    12 ÷ 8 = 1.5 → 2 loads

  4. Apply the loose-volume price

    12 × $25.00 = $300.00 USD

ESTIMATED DELIVERY QUANTITY 12 loose cu yd · 2 loads

Cost at the entered rate is $300.00 USD. The second load need not be full. Additional delivery, placement or other charges are not added automatically.

EXCAVATION HAULING

Estimate removal priced per whole load

An excavation measures 5 × 4 m with an average in-place depth of 0.6 m. Use an illustrative loose-volume factor of 1.25.

Excavation area
5 × 4 m
Average excavation depth
0.6 m
Example volume factor
1.25
Usable volume per load
6 m³
Example quoted rate
$120.00 USD / load
  1. Find the excavation area

    5 × 4 = 20 m²

  2. Calculate the in-place volume

    20 × 0.6 = 12 m³

  3. Estimate loose hauling volume

    12 × 1.25 = 15 loose m³
    15 ÷ 6 = 2.5 → 3 loads

  4. Apply the whole-load rate

    3 × $120.00 = $360.00 USD

ESTIMATED HAULING QUANTITY 15 loose m³ · 3 loads

Cost at the entered whole-load rate is $360.00 USD. Confirm what the quote includes; disposal, excavation, tax and other charges are not added separately by the tool.

Already have the area in acres?

The known-area option accepts acres directly. If you want to check the equivalent metric area first, use the Acres to Square Meters converter . Area alone is not enough to estimate dirt volume; you also need an average fill or excavation depth.

Use project-specific inputs: Factors of 1.20 and 1.25 are example ratios, not recommended values for every soil. Load counts use volume only and do not account for vehicle payload limits.

UNDERSTAND THE VOLUME BASIS

Dirt Volume & Load Planning Formulas

Keep in-place volume, loose material and truck capacity separate when planning fill deliveries or excavation hauling.

Find the in-place volume

In-place volume = area × average depth

With area in square feet and depth in feet, divide the result by 27 for cubic yards. With square meters and meters, the result is cubic meters.

Estimate loose volume and loads

Loose volume = in-place volume × your factor

Divide loose volume by usable volume per load and round up. Use a capacity confirmed for the material, vehicle and transport conditions.

Arithmetic examples using 10 in-place cubic yards and 8 loose cubic yards of usable capacity per load. Factors are illustrative, not soil-specific recommendations.
Entered factor Estimated loose volume Volume-based loads
1.00 10 cu yd 2
1.10 11 cu yd 2
1.20 12 cu yd 2
1.40 14 cu yd 2
1.60 16 cu yd 2
1.70 17 cu yd 3

A fractional result rounds up to another load. Two loads do not necessarily mean two full loads: 12 cu yd could be moved as 8 cu yd plus 4 cu yd if the carrier permits.

Check what the factor converts

This calculator expects loose volume ÷ in-place volume. For excavation, the starting volume is measured before digging. For fill, it is the space being filled. A bank-to-compacted factor is not automatically the correct input for either conversion.

Enter a multiplier, not a percentage

If the appropriate conversion is a 20% increase from the entered in-place volume to loose volume, enter 1.20, not 20. Leaving the field blank uses 1.00 and applies no adjustment.

Truck volume does not establish payload capacity

A truck’s available space and its permitted load weight are different limits. The calculator estimates loads from volume only. Ask the carrier for usable capacity for your material rather than relying on body volume alone.

Match the price to the quoted volume basis

Per-volume pricing here uses estimated loose volume. Per-load pricing uses the rounded whole-load count. A quote based on in-place excavation volume, weight or equipment hours requires a different cost calculation.

Earthwork factors need a clear definition

The Federal Highway Administration’s earthwork design guidance discusses volume estimation and material shrink/swell factors. Confirm the factor’s starting and resulting material conditions before using it in this calculator; a generic factor does not replace project-specific information.

HELP WITH FILL AND HAULING ESTIMATES

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers about dirt volume, average depth, loose-volume factors and delivery or removal estimates.

How do I calculate how much dirt I need?

Multiply the area by the average fill depth using compatible units. Length × width × depth in feet gives cubic feet; divide by 27 for cubic yards.

The dirt calculator shows this in-place volume separately from the loose volume estimated using your entered factor.

What changes when I select excavation instead of fill?

The calculation remains area × average depth, but the starting volume represents a different task. Fill mode measures the space to fill. Excavation mode measures material in place before it is removed.

Switching the task changes the labels, not the entered measurements or factor. Review those inputs because the appropriate loose-volume relationship may differ.

What loose-volume factor should I enter?

Enter a project-specific ratio of loose volume ÷ the in-place volume being estimated. Confirm its meaning with your contractor or supplier before using it.

For example, a ratio of 1.20 means 1.20 loose cubic yards for every in-place cubic yard. Enter 1.20, not 20. The calculator does not select a swell or compaction factor for your soil.

What happens if I leave the volume factor blank?

The calculator uses 1.00 and applies no volume adjustment. The displayed loose volume therefore equals the calculated in-place volume.

This is a calculation default, not confirmation that the material’s volumes are equal. Treat load and loose-volume cost estimates as provisional until a suitable factor is established.

How many truckloads of dirt will I need?

Divide the estimated loose volume by the carrier’s usable loose volume per load, then round up. For example, 18 cubic yards with a usable capacity of 8 cubic yards per load gives 18 ÷ 8 = 2.25, or 3 loads.

The last load need not be full. This estimate uses volume only; payload limits and transport conditions can require a different number of loads.

Can I use the calculator for uneven ground?

You can enter an average depth that represents a measured section. If depths vary substantially, calculate smaller sections separately and add their volumes on the same volume basis.

The tool does not survey elevations, design grading or calculate slopes, side batters and excavation support geometry automatically. Include the full required geometry in your measurements or use a suitable project takeoff.

Can I subtract excavation from fill to find a net order?

Do not assume equal excavation and fill volumes cancel each other. Reuse depends on whether the excavated material is suitable and how its bank, loose and placed volumes relate.

This calculator estimates one task at a time. It does not determine material suitability or calculate an adjusted cut-and-fill balance for import or export.

What does the dirt cost estimate include?

It multiplies your entered rate by either the unrounded estimated loose volume or the rounded whole-load count. What that rate covers depends on your supplier’s or carrier’s quote.

Material, delivery, disposal, machinery, labor, tax and minimum charges are not added separately. Currency selection labels the entered price and does not convert exchange rates.

PLAN YOUR NEXT DELIVERY OR HAUL

Estimate Your Dirt Volume & Truckloads

Enter your area and average depth to calculate fill or excavation volume. Add a project-specific loose-volume factor, usable load capacity and quoted price to plan deliveries or removal.

Calculate Dirt Quantity