Bidcore | Free tools | Pricing
Excavation volume calculator
How much will you dig, and how much will you haul? Enter the size of the hole. You get yards in the ground, yards to haul once the soil swells, and truckloads, with every step shown.
Common questions
How do I calculate excavation in cubic yards?
Multiply length by width by depth, all in feet, then divide by 27. A trench 100 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4 feet deep is 100 x 3 x 4 = 1,200 cubic feet, which is 44.4 cubic yards in the ground.
What is swell, and why do I haul more than I dug?
Soil in the ground is packed. Once it is dug it fluffs up and takes more room, so a truck carries fewer yards of it than you measured in the ground. Swell is that increase as a percentage. Sand and gravel swell the least, clay and rock the most.
What is the difference between bank, loose and compacted yards?
Bank yards are measured in place, before digging. Loose yards are the same soil after it is dug and loaded, which is what trucks carry. Compacted yards are the soil after it is placed and rolled as fill. Order and haul by loose yards, and measure the hole in bank yards.
How many yards does a dump truck hold?
A tandem dump truck commonly holds about 10 to 12 loose cubic yards, a tri-axle about 12 to 16, and a semi end dump 20 or more. Weight limits often stop a truck before it is full, especially with wet soil or rock, so check yours.
Is a trench calculated differently from a basement or pad?
No. Both are a box: length, width and depth. For a hole with sloped sides or a bottom that varies in depth, use the average depth and treat the job as an estimate. Take careful measurements for a bid.
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