You want to know how many wheelbarrows make up one cubic yard. It’s a common question for anyone doing yard work, from moving soil to spreading mulch or gravel. A standard wheelbarrow often holds about 3 to 6 cubic feet of material, but this can vary a lot based on its size and how full you fill it. Knowing the exact capacity of your wheelbarrow and remembering that one cubic yard is equal to 27 cubic feet is the key to figuring out how many loads you’ll need.
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Grasping What a Cubic Yard Means
Before we figure out wheelbarrow loads, let’s get a clear picture of what a cubic yard definition is. Think of a big box. If that box is 3 feet wide, 3 feet long, and 3 feet high, the space inside that box is exactly one cubic yard.
Why is this important? Because most materials like soil, gravel, or mulch are sold by the cubic yard. When you buy a yard of material, you’re buying that much volume.
Inside that 3x3x3 foot box are many smaller boxes, each measuring 1 foot by 1 foot by 1 foot. These smaller boxes are called cubic feet. If you stacked 1-foot cubes inside the big 3-foot cube, you would fit 3 rows of 3 cubes along the bottom (which is 3 x 3 = 9 cubic feet). Then you would stack 3 layers of these cubes high (9 x 3 = 27 cubic feet).
So, one cubic yard is the same as 27 cubic feet per yard. This number, 27, is super important for our calculations. We will use it a lot.
Fathoming Wheelbarrow Capacity
Now, let’s think about your wheelbarrow. A wheelbarrow is a tool designed for hauling material volume. But wheelbarrows come in different sizes. The size tells you its wheelbarrow capacity.
Capacity is usually measured in cubic feet or gallons. Many people think of the capacity as a number of gallons. For example, a “6 cubic foot” wheelbarrow might hold around 8 cubic feet if you pile it high. A “contractor-grade” wheelbarrow is often bigger than one you might use for small home jobs.
Knowing the standard wheelbarrow size gallons can help, but for our cubic yard math, we really need to know the capacity in cubic feet. Why? Because a cubic yard is measured in cubic feet. It’s easier to compare apples to apples.
Different Sizes of Wheelbarrows
Wheelbarrows aren’t all the same. Their size affects how many trips you will make.
- Small Garden Wheelbarrows: These might hold about 2 to 3 cubic feet. They are good for light work or tight spaces.
- Standard Home Wheelbarrows: A very common size is 4 cubic feet. This is what many people have.
- Large or Contractor Wheelbarrows: These can hold 6 cubic feet or even more, like 8 cubic feet. They are built tough for big jobs.
The capacity often listed is the level capacity, meaning how much it holds if the material is flat with the rim. But most people pile material higher, especially if it’s light like mulch or dirt. This is called a heaping load. A heaping load can add maybe 25% to 50% more volume than a level load.
So, your actual dirt per wheelbarrow load or mulch wheelbarrow loads can be more than the stated capacity. For accurate planning, it’s better to estimate based on how you plan to fill it. If you plan to heap it high, use a bigger number for your wheelbarrow’s capacity in your calculations.
Calculating How Many Loads You Need
Okay, we know a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. We know our wheelbarrow holds a certain amount, say, ‘X’ cubic feet. To find out how many wheelbarrow loads are in a cubic yard, we just divide the total volume (27 cubic feet) by the volume your wheelbarrow holds per trip (X cubic feet).
The simple math is:
Number of Loads = 27 cubic feet / (Your wheelbarrow’s capacity in cubic feet)
Let’s look at examples using common wheelbarrow sizes. Remember, the numbers below are based on level capacity. If you heap your loads, the number of trips will be less.
Example 1: Using a 4 Cubic Foot Wheelbarrow (Level Loads)
- Total volume needed: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
- Wheelbarrow capacity: 4 cubic feet
- Calculation: 27 cubic feet / 4 cubic feet/load = 6.75 loads
You can’t take 0.75 of a load. So, you would need 7 trips with a 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow if you fill it level each time to move one cubic yard of material.
Example 2: Using a 6 Cubic Foot Wheelbarrow (Level Loads)
- Total volume needed: 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
- Wheelbarrow capacity: 6 cubic feet
- Calculation: 27 cubic feet / 6 cubic feet/load = 4.5 loads
Again, you can’t have half a load. You would need 5 trips with a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow filled level to move one cubic yard.
Example 3: What About Heaping Loads?
Let’s say you have that 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow, but you plan to pile the dirt high. You estimate that each heaping load is actually closer to 5 or 6 cubic feet.
If a heaping load is 5 cubic feet:
* Calculation: 27 cubic feet / 5 cubic feet/load = 5.4 loads
* You would need 6 trips.
If a heaping load is 6 cubic feet:
* Calculation: 27 cubic feet / 6 cubic feet/load = 4.5 loads
* You would need 5 trips.
As you can see, filling the wheelbarrow fuller makes a big difference in the number of trips you have to make. It’s also harder work!
Making Sense of Wheelbarrow Capacity in Gallons
Sometimes, wheelbarrow capacity is given in gallons. How do you use that number? You need to convert gallons to cubic feet.
- 1 cubic foot is equal to about 7.48 gallons.
So, if you have a wheelbarrow that holds, say, 8 cubic feet, you can figure out its capacity in gallons:
* 8 cubic feet * 7.48 gallons/cubic foot = about 59.84 gallons. This sounds like a big wheelbarrow!
If your wheelbarrow is listed as having a 60-gallon capacity, you can figure out its size in cubic feet:
* 60 gallons / 7.48 gallons/cubic foot = about 8.02 cubic feet.
So, if you have a “60-gallon” wheelbarrow (which is roughly 8 cubic feet), and you fill it level, the number of loads per cubic yard is:
* 27 cubic feet / 8 cubic feet/load = 3.375 loads.
* You would need 4 trips.
This shows why understanding the units (cubic feet vs. gallons) is important and how to switch between them.
Calculating for Different Materials
The basic math (27 / wheelbarrow capacity in cubic feet) works for any material. However, the practical capacity of your wheelbarrow might change depending on what you are moving.
Moving Soil (Soil Volume Calculation)
Soil can be heavy, especially if it’s wet. Your soil volume calculation might start with the amount you bought (e.g., 2 yards of topsoil). If you bought 2 yards, that’s 2 * 27 = 54 cubic feet.
Using a 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow:
* 54 cubic feet / 4 cubic feet/load = 13.5 loads
* You need 14 trips.
Using a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow:
* 54 cubic feet / 6 cubic feet/load = 9 loads
* You need 9 trips.
When moving soil, you might not pile it quite as high as something lighter like mulch because of the weight. Consider if your loads will be level or slightly heaping when you estimate the volume per load. The dirt per wheelbarrow load depends on how strong you are and how heavy the dirt is.
Moving Gravel (Gravel Quantity Estimation)
Gravel is heavy! A gravel quantity estimation means you’ll likely be moving less volume per load than with soil or mulch, even if your wheelbarrow could hold more. Filling a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow fully with gravel would be extremely difficult to push for most people.
Let’s say you have a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow, but you can only comfortably move 3 cubic feet of gravel at a time because it’s so heavy.
If you bought 1 cubic yard (27 cubic feet) of gravel:
* 27 cubic feet / 3 cubic feet/load (your practical gravel load size) = 9 loads
* You need 9 trips.
This shows that the type of material greatly affects the practical wheelbarrow capacity you can manage.
Moving Mulch (Mulch Wheelbarrow Loads)
Mulch is usually light and bulky. You can often pile mulch wheelbarrow loads very high.
Let’s say you have a 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow, but you can easily pile mulch high enough to hold 6 cubic feet per trip.
If you bought 3 cubic yards (3 * 27 = 81 cubic feet) of mulch:
* 81 cubic feet / 6 cubic feet/load (your heaping mulch load size) = 13.5 loads
* You need 14 trips.
If you only filled that same 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow level:
* 81 cubic feet / 4 cubic feet/load = 20.25 loads
* You would need 21 trips.
Piling the mulch high saves you 7 trips in this example! Mulch wheelbarrow loads are often the easiest to heap.
Factors That Change Your Number of Loads
The simple division (27 / wheelbarrow capacity) is a good starting point, but several things can change the actual number of trips you make for hauling material volume.
Material Type
- Weight: As seen with gravel, heavy materials mean smaller loads per trip, increasing the number of trips.
- Bulkiness: Mulch is bulky but light, letting you pile it high. Sand or soil is denser.
- How it packs: Some materials compact, others stay loose.
How Full You Fill It
Are you filling it level with the top edge, or are you piling it high? A heaping load significantly reduces the number of trips needed compared to a level load. Be realistic about how much you can actually push.
The Distance and Path
Moving material across a flat, paved surface is easy. Moving it uphill, over soft ground, or through narrow gates is much harder. This might force you to take smaller, lighter loads, increasing the number of trips.
Your Strength and Energy
Simply put, if you get tired, you might start taking smaller loads. Planning for this can prevent needing to stop before the job is done.
Wheelbarrow Condition
A wheelbarrow with a flat tire, a wobbly wheel, or a bent frame is harder to push and might limit how much you can carry safely.
Estimating Landscaping Yardage Needs
Knowing how many wheelbarrows are in a yard helps you plan your projects. When you’re planning landscaping yardage, you often need to figure out how much material to order.
For example, if you’re putting a 3-inch layer of mulch on a garden bed that’s 20 feet long and 10 feet wide, you first calculate the total volume needed.
- Area: 20 feet * 10 feet = 200 square feet.
- Depth: 3 inches. Convert inches to feet: 3 inches / 12 inches/foot = 0.25 feet.
- Total Volume in Cubic Feet: 200 square feet * 0.25 feet = 50 cubic feet.
- Convert Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards: 50 cubic feet / 27 cubic feet/yard = 1.85 cubic yards.
So, you would probably order 2 cubic yards of mulch. Now, how many wheelbarrow loads is that?
If you use a 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow and heap the mulch to about 6 cubic feet per load:
* Total cubic feet: 50
* Volume per load: 6 cubic feet
* Calculation: 50 / 6 = 8.33 loads.
* You’ll need about 9 trips.
If you used a 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow and filled it level (6 cubic feet per load):
* Total cubic feet: 50
* Volume per load: 6 cubic feet
* Calculation: 50 / 6 = 8.33 loads.
* You’ll need about 9 trips.
See how important it is to estimate your actual load size based on the material and how you fill the wheelbarrow? For the same volume of material (50 cubic feet), using a heaping load in a smaller wheelbarrow might be the same number of trips as a level load in a larger one.
This approach works for soil volume calculation for raised beds or gravel quantity estimation for paths or driveways. Always figure out the total cubic feet needed, convert it to yards if buying by the yard, and then divide the total cubic feet by your estimated wheelbarrow capacity per load in cubic feet.
Putting the Numbers Together: A Quick Reference
Let’s make a table to quickly see the estimated number of level wheelbarrow loads per cubic yard for common sizes. Remember, 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet.
| Wheelbarrow Stated Capacity (Cubic Feet) | Estimated Level Volume Per Load (Cubic Feet) | Number of Level Loads Per Cubic Yard (27 cu ft / Est. Level Volume) | Number of Trips (Rounded Up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 cu ft (Small) | 2 | 27 / 2 = 13.5 | 14 |
| 3 cu ft (Small/Medium) | 3 | 27 / 3 = 9 | 9 |
| 4 cu ft (Standard Home) | 4 | 27 / 4 = 6.75 | 7 |
| 5 cu ft (Medium/Large) | 5 | 27 / 5 = 5.4 | 6 |
| 6 cu ft (Large/Contractor) | 6 | 27 / 6 = 4.5 | 5 |
| 8 cu ft (Extra Large) | 8 | 27 / 8 = 3.375 | 4 |
This table is for level loads. If you consistently heap your loads, you can use a higher number for the ‘Estimated Level Volume Per Load’ column. For instance, if you heap your 4 cubic foot wheelbarrow to hold 5.5 cubic feet:
| Wheelbarrow Stated Capacity (Cubic Feet) | Estimated Heaping Volume Per Load (Cubic Feet) | Number of Heaping Loads Per Cubic Yard (27 cu ft / Est. Heaping Volume) | Number of Trips (Rounded Up) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 cu ft (Standard Home) | 5.5 (Example Heap) | 27 / 5.5 = 4.91 | 5 |
This second table shows how heaping loads changes things. Always estimate based on how you will fill the wheelbarrow for the material you are moving.
Interpreting the Calculations
So, the calculation is simple: Divide 27 by your wheelbarrow’s capacity in cubic feet per load. The result tells you how many loads make a cubic yard. Round up to the next whole number because you can’t do part of a trip.
This basic math helps you estimate the effort needed for your project. Whether it’s soil volume calculation, gravel quantity estimation, or figuring out mulch wheelbarrow loads, the method is the same. Knowing your standard wheelbarrow size gallons can help you find its cubic foot capacity if needed using the conversion (1 cubic foot = 7.48 gallons). The goal is to figure out the hauling material volume per trip in cubic feet.
Understanding this relationship also helps you check how much material you received if you ordered by the yard. You can count the number of loads you move and multiply by your estimated volume per load. This gives you the total cubic feet. Divide by 27 to see if you got close to the number of yards you paid for.
Tips for Easier Hauling
Moving material is hard work! Here are some tips to make those wheelbarrow trips easier:
- Don’t Overfill: Especially with heavy materials like soil or gravel. It’s better to take more smaller loads than struggle with or injure yourself trying to push one giant load. This is key for managing your dirt per wheelbarrow load.
- Check Tire Pressure: A properly inflated tire makes pushing much easier.
- Use Your Legs: Bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
- Keep the Load Balanced: Place the weight over the wheel(s) as much as possible. This reduces the weight on the handles.
- Plan Your Route: Clear the path of obstacles. Know exactly where you are going to dump the material.
- Break It Up: Don’t try to move a whole cubic yard all at once. Take breaks.
- Get Help: If it’s a big project, ask a friend or family member to help. Many hands make light work (and fewer trips!).
- Water Matters: Wet soil or gravel is much heavier than dry. If possible, move heavy materials when they are dry.
By following these tips, you can make the job less tiring and more efficient, no matter how many mulch wheelbarrow loads or gravel quantity estimation calculations you did.
Final Thoughts on the Math
The number of wheelbarrows in a cubic yard is not a single fixed number. It changes based on:
- The size of your wheelbarrow (its wheelbarrow capacity in cubic feet).
- How full you make each trip (level vs. heaping loads).
- The material you are moving (how heavy it is, affecting your practical load size).
The formula 27 / (cubic feet per load) is your tool. Estimate your ‘cubic feet per load’ based on your specific wheelbarrow, the material, and your strength. Then, do the simple division and round up. This will give you a very good estimate for your hauling material volume project.
Whether you are a seasoned landscaper figuring out landscaping yardage or a homeowner tackling a weekend garden project, knowing this basic math makes planning much easier. You can estimate how long the work will take and how many trips you’ll make. Good luck with your project!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the most common wheelbarrow size in cubic feet?
A: A very common size for home use is 4 cubic feet. Contractor-grade wheelbarrows are often 6 or 8 cubic feet.
Q: How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
A: There are exactly 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard. This is a key number for calculations.
Q: My wheelbarrow capacity is listed in gallons. How do I convert gallons to cubic feet?
A: Divide the number of gallons by 7.48 to get the approximate volume in cubic feet. (For example, 60 gallons / 7.48 ≈ 8 cubic feet).
Q: Does the material type really change how many loads are in a yard?
A: Yes. While the total volume of a cubic yard (27 cubic feet) doesn’t change, the practical volume you can carry per load changes based on how heavy the material is. You can carry more cubic feet of light mulch per trip than heavy gravel.
Q: Is a heaping load always better?
A: A heaping load moves more material per trip, meaning fewer trips overall. This saves time. However, it is heavier and harder to push, which can be more tiring or even unsafe if the load is too heavy or unbalanced. Consider the material and the distance you need to travel.
Q: How accurate do I need to be with the wheelbarrow volume estimate?
A: You don’t need to be perfect. Estimating your typical load size (e.g., “it looks like about 5 cubic feet when I fill it like this”) is usually enough for planning. Rounding up your final number of trips ensures you move all the material.
Q: I’m moving material uphill. How does this affect my trips?
A: Moving uphill is much harder. You will likely need to take smaller loads to manage the weight safely. This means you will make more trips than if you were moving the material on flat ground.
Q: How do I measure the volume of my wheelbarrow if it’s not listed?
A: This is tricky but possible for a rough estimate. You could try filling it with something you can measure, like bags of potting soil if their volume is listed. Or, you could measure the length, width, and average depth of the pan (the bucket part) in feet and multiply them together for a rough cubic foot estimate. Remember the shape is curved, so this is just an approximation. Relying on common listed sizes (like 4 cu ft, 6 cu ft) and adjusting for how full you fill it is often easier.