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Clay Soil Tons to Cubic Yards Calculator

Convert a clay soil tonnage into cubic yards to check coverage, capacity and storage.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-26 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

Approximate volume

6.67 cu yd

High confidence

About 1.5 short tons per cubic yard for clay; heavier than loam and highly sensitive to moisture. The inverse of the volume-to-weight figure. Allow extra storage space beyond the calculated volume for access and angle of repose.

Conversion factor applied
0.67 cu yd per short tons

Converting a clay tonnage into volume is usually a disposal question, and the number to remember is that clay bulks appreciably on excavation. A trench of a given volume produces meaningfully more loose spoil than its dimensions suggest, so skip and haulage capacity should be planned against the bulked figure. Clay is also poor backfill in most situations: it compacts badly, holds water against structures, and its seasonal movement is a recognised cause of damage to foundations and drainage.

Add the equipment this sizes

This result is a specification — 6.667 cu yd — not a quantity. Put the thing it sizes into your project: how many, what you call it, and your supplier’s price.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Inverse of approximately 1.5 short tons per cubic yard
  • 1 short ton = 2,000 lb; a metric tonne is about 10% heavier

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Frequently asked questions

How much spoil will my excavation produce?
More volume than the hole, because excavated material bulks. Plan container and haulage capacity against the bulked figure rather than the excavation volume, or you will need an extra load.
Is clay expensive to dispose of?
It is heavy and often classified differently from clean fill, so both haulage and gate fees can be higher. Where it is contaminated, disposal cost rises sharply again.
Does clay dry out in a stockpile?
Slowly, and unevenly. A stockpile left over winter absorbs more water rather than losing it, which is why clay excavated in wet conditions rarely becomes easier to handle by waiting.