Construction unit converter
The conversions that actually come up on site — cubic metres to cubic yards, tonnes to US tons, millimetres to inches — using exact definitions rather than rounded factors.
1 m³ = 1.307951 yd³
All volume conversions for 1 m³
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| litres (L) | 1,000 |
| cubic metres (m³) | 1 |
| cubic feet (ft³) | 35.314667 |
| cubic yards (yd³) | 1.307951 |
Reference conversions
| Conversion | Factor | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 yard | 0.9144 m | Exact by international agreement since 1959 |
| 1 foot | 0.3048 m | Exactly one third of a yard |
| 1 inch | 25.4 mm | Exact |
| 1 square yard | 0.836127 m² | Derived from the yard |
| 1 square foot | 0.092903 m² | Derived from the foot |
| 1 cubic yard | 0.764555 m³ | 27 cubic feet |
| 1 cubic foot | 0.0283168 m³ | 28.32 litres |
| 1 cubic metre | 1.30795 yd³ | 1,000 litres |
| 1 pound | 0.45359237 kg | Exact by international agreement |
| 1 US short ton | 907.185 kg | 2,000 lb |
| 1 metric tonne | 1,000 kg | 2,204.62 lb |
The conversions that cause the most trouble
- Tons and tonnes.A US short ton is 907 kg, about 9% lighter than a metric tonne. Ordering “10 tons” from a UK supplier and a US supplier gets you noticeably different amounts of material.
- Cubic yards and cubic metres. A cubic yard is only 76% of a cubic metre. Treating them as roughly equal under-orders by nearly a quarter.
- Inches inside a foot calculation. A 4 in slab is 0.333 ft. Entering 4 gives a slab twelve times too thick — and the volume looks plausible until you convert it.
- Square yards and cubic yards. Both come up in the same conversation about topsoil and paving, and they are not interchangeable.