Volume Calculator
Calculate the volume of common building shapes.
Last updated 2026-08-21
What Is a Volume Calculator?
The volume calculator finds the space inside common building shapes including boxes, cylinders, and more. Use it for concrete, fill, tanks, and any job where a single purpose calculator does not cover the shape. The result comes back in cubic feet and cubic yards so you can order bulk materials directly.
How It Works
Box: D1 × D2 × D3. Cylinder: π × (D1 ÷ 2)² × D2.
Example
A 10 ft × 4 ft × 3 ft box is 120 cu ft ≈ 4.4 cu yd; a 6 ft diameter, 10 ft tall cylinder is about 283 cu ft.
How to Calculate
- Pick the shape that matches the container or form, such as a box for a footer or a cylinder for a tank.
- Enter the dimensions in feet. For a box enter length, width, and height, and for a cylinder enter diameter and height.
- Read the volume in cubic feet. A 10 ft by 4 ft by 3 ft box returns 120 cu ft.
- Check the cubic yard equivalent, which divides the cubic feet by 27. That gives 4.4 cu yd in this example.
- Order bulk materials by the cubic yard, or multiply by 27 to double check a bag count.
Volume formulas for common shapes
| Shape | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Box | Length × Width × Height | 10 × 4 × 3 = 120 cu ft |
| Cylinder | π × (Diameter ÷ 2)² × Height | π × 3² × 10 = 282.7 cu ft |
| Sphere | (4 ÷ 3) × π × Radius³ | (4 ÷ 3) × π × 27 = 113.1 cu ft |
| Cone | (1 ÷ 3) × π × Radius² × Height | (1 ÷ 3) × π × 9 × 6 = 56.5 cu ft |
| Cubic yard conversion | Cubic feet ÷ 27 | 120 ÷ 27 = 4.4 cu yd |
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
When would I use this?
For concrete, fill, tanks, and any time you need a volume that a single-purpose calculator does not cover.
What are the inputs for a cylinder?
Dimension 1 is the diameter, Dimension 2 is the height; Dimension 3 is ignored.
Why also show cubic yards?
Bulk materials and concrete are ordered by the cubic yard, so the conversion saves a step.
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