Home, Trade & Construction
Estimate excavation volume from length, width and depth, with cubic yards, cubic metres, loose spoil, truckload checks, cost estimate and a printable dig or quote note.
Calculator
Depth feet = excavation depth inches ÷ 12. Bank cubic feet = length feet × width feet × depth feet × number of sections. Bank cubic yards = bank cubic feet ÷ 27. Bank cubic metres = bank cubic yards × 0.764554857984. Loose spoil cubic yards = bank cubic yards × (1 + swell percent ÷ 100). Truckloads = ceiling(loose spoil cubic yards ÷ truck capacity cubic yards). Cost estimate = loose spoil cubic yards × rate per cubic yard.
This is the method behind the answer, so the result can be checked rather than simply trusted.Visual grid
Length, area, volume and material estimates are grid problems too: measure the space, account for edges and allowances, then turn the pattern into a number you can use.
Space calculations turn a real surface, room, run or volume into cells, edges and allowances that can be quoted, ordered or checked.
CalculationTime
Depth feet = excavation depth inches ÷ 12. Bank cubic feet = length feet × width feet × depth feet × number of sections. Bank cubic yards = bank cubic feet ÷ 27. Bank cubic metres = bank cubic yards × 0.764554857984. Loose spoil cubic yards = bank cubic yards × (1 + swell percent ÷ 100). Truckloads = ceiling(loose spoil cubic yards ÷ truck capacity cubic yards). Cost estimate = loose spoil cubic yards × rate per cubic yard.
Use this space on the printed report for client, supplier, classroom, job-location, measurement, quote or approval notes.
Depth feet = excavation depth inches ÷ 12. Bank cubic feet = length feet × width feet × depth feet × number of sections. Bank cubic yards = bank cubic feet ÷ 27. Bank cubic metres = bank cubic yards × 0.764554857984. Loose spoil cubic yards = bank cubic yards × (1 + swell percent ÷ 100). Truckloads = ceiling(loose spoil cubic yards ÷ truck capacity cubic yards). Cost estimate = loose spoil cubic yards × rate per cubic yard.
For one 30 ft by 12 ft excavation at 18 inches average depth, depth = 18 ÷ 12 = 1.5 ft. Bank volume = 30 × 12 × 1.5 = 540 ft³, or 20 yd³. With 25% swell, loose spoil is 25 yd³, about 3 truckloads at 10 yd³ per load.
Master’s Tip: print both bank volume and loose spoil volume. The measured hole and the material hauled away are not the same thing, and mixing those two numbers is a common reason excavation quotes miss truck space or disposal cost.
Standard or basis: rectangular volume arithmetic with 27 cubic feet per cubic yard and 1 cubic yard ≈ 0.764554857984 cubic metres. Soil swell is job-specific; confirm the swell factor, truck capacity, disposal rules, utility locating, shoring and safety requirements with the contractor or local authority.
Methodology & Accuracy
CalculationTime pages are built around visible arithmetic: the formula, assumptions, worked example and practical limitations are shown so the result can be checked rather than simply trusted.
Depth feet = excavation depth inches ÷ 12. Bank cubic feet = length feet × width feet × depth feet × number of sections. Bank cubic yards = bank cubic feet ÷ 27. Bank cubic metres = bank cubic yards × 0.764554857984. Loose spoil cubic yards = bank cubic yards × (1 + swell percent ÷ 100). Truckloads = ceiling(loose spoil cubic yards ÷ truck capacity cubic yards). Cost estimate = loose spoil cubic yards × rate per cubic yard.
Standard or basis: rectangular volume arithmetic with 27 cubic feet per cubic yard and 1 cubic yard ≈ 0.764554857984 cubic metres. Soil swell is job-specific; confirm the swell factor, truck capacity, disposal rules, utility locating, shoring and safety requirements with the contractor or local authority.
Where a calculator follows a named legal, trade or industry standard, that standard is cited visibly. Otherwise the page uses transparent general arithmetic and states its limits.Master’s Tip: print both bank volume and loose spoil volume. The measured hole and the material hauled away are not the same thing, and mixing those two numbers is a common reason excavation quotes miss truck space or disposal cost.
Multiply excavation length by width by average depth. Convert depth to feet first if it is measured in inches, then divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
Bank volume is the volume of material in the ground before it is dug. Loose spoil volume is usually larger because soil expands when excavated and disturbed.
Swell percent estimates how much extra space loose excavated material may occupy. It helps compare the measured hole with truck, skip or disposal capacity.
Yes for a simple rectangular trench, pit or pad if you enter the length, width and average depth. Irregular shapes should be split into sections and checked separately.
Print the length, width, average depth, number of sections, bank cubic yards, loose spoil allowance, truckload check, rate, formula, date, page URL and site notes.
Excavation estimating uses simple volume math, but the useful job record separates the measured in-ground cut from loose material that must be moved, loaded and disposed of. That distinction keeps the calculation practical instead of just geometric.
Length, width and average depth describe the bank volume of the planned cut. That is the geometric starting point for the excavation record.
Once material is dug, it is no longer packed in place. Showing swell separately helps a homeowner or contractor compare the planned cut with truck, skip and disposal capacity.
The printout is useful for quantities and quote conversations, but it does not replace utility locating, shoring, access planning, drainage design or local permit checks.