Cut and Fill Calculator.
Enter each area's size and its existing and proposed elevation. You get cut, fill, and whether the site needs dirt brought in or hauled off.
Enter at least one area to see your balance.
Planning estimate from average depths. CY = cubic yards. A grading plan gives the real quantity.
Need the site to balance?
Hauling dirt is one of the biggest swing costs on a site. A grading plan from Paul sets finished grades so your cut and fill come out as close to even as the site allows.
Get a grading plan quoteCut and fill questions.
What is cut and fill?
Cut is soil removed where the finished grade is lower than the existing ground. Fill is soil placed where the finished grade is higher. A grading design tries to balance the two so less dirt has to be trucked on or off the site.
How do you calculate cut and fill volume?
For each area, subtract the existing elevation from the proposed elevation to get the depth, multiply by the area in square feet, and divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Positive depth is fill, negative is cut. Add the areas up to get totals.
Why does fill need more cut than its own volume?
Soil packs down when it is placed and compacted, so a cubic yard of compacted fill takes more than a cubic yard of excavated soil. Shrinkage is often 10 to 25 percent, and clay sits at the high end.
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses average depths, so it is a planning estimate. A grading plan compares the existing and proposed surfaces across the whole site, which gives the real quantity and the numbers a contractor bids from.
Learning to read the sheet this comes from? See how to read a grading plan, or price the whole job with the cost calculator.