Free tool
Excavation Calculator
Enter the dig dimensions and soil swell and get exactly how much dirt you will remove — in bank yards (in-ground) and loose yards (hauled) — plus truckloads and a haul-cost ballpark. Free, no signup.
Loose volume to haul
0 yd³
- Bank volume (in-ground)0 yd³
- Loose volume (hauled)0 yd³
- Truckloads0
- Estimated haul cost$0
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Or download it now (PDF)How to calculate excavation and hauling volume
Excavation take-offs trip people up because you dig one volume but haul a bigger one. Get the depth unit right, compute the in-ground (bank) volume, then apply swell to get the loose volume that actually rides on the trucks. Skip the swell step and you under-order your hauling every time.
1. Find the bank (in-ground) volume
Multiply length × width × depth in feet, then divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards. Enter the depth in inches and the calculator divides by twelve first — that is the step most hand calculations fumble.
2. Apply swell to get loose volume
Soil expands when you dig it because breaking it up adds air gaps. Multiply the bank volume by one plus your swell percentage — about 25% for typical soil — to get the loose volume. This is the number that fills trucks and disposal bins.
3. Divide by truck capacity for loads
Divide the loose volume by your truck’s capacity and round up, since a partial load still ties up a truck and a trip. A typical tandem dump carries about 10–12 cubic yards; adjust for your equipment.
4. Price the haul
Haul and disposal are commonly priced per cubic yard or per load. The calculator multiplies the loose volume by your per-yard rate for a ballpark — set that rate to cover trucking, fuel, and dump fees at your site.
Sizing the dig is step one. Turning it into a priced, professional quote is faster inside CrewRivet. See the gravel calculator, the concrete calculator, or the job pricing calculator.
Excavation calculator FAQ
- How much dirt will I dig out?
- Multiply the length × width × depth of the excavation (all in feet) and divide by 27 to get bank cubic yards — the in-ground, undisturbed volume. A 20 ft × 20 ft area dug 12 inches deep is 400 × 1 ÷ 27 ≈ 14.8 bank yards. Soil then swells when you dig it, so the volume you actually haul is larger. This calculator handles both the bank volume and the loose (hauled) volume.
- What is the difference between bank and loose volume?
- Bank (or in-situ) volume is the soil as it sits in the ground, undisturbed. Loose volume is that same soil after it is excavated and broken up — it takes up more space because digging introduces air gaps. This expansion is called swell or bulking. You dig a bank yard but you haul a loose yard, so trucks and disposal are sized on the loose figure, not the bank figure.
- How much does soil swell when excavated?
- Swell (bulking) depends on the material: sand and gravel expand around 10–18%, common loam and clay roughly 20–30%, and dense or rocky material can swell more. A 25% default is a reasonable planning figure for typical soil. Treat it as an editable placeholder — use the swell factor for your actual material for a tighter haul estimate.
- How many truckloads of dirt is that?
- Divide the loose (hauled) volume by your truck’s capacity and round up, since you cannot send a partial load. A typical tandem dump truck carries about 10–12 cubic yards; larger trucks and trailers carry more. Enter your truck capacity and the calculator returns the number of loads and a haul-cost ballpark.
- Is this excavation calculator free?
- Yes — the live estimate is free with no email required. Enter your email only if you want the free Job Pricing Kit (pricing worksheet, markup cheat-sheet, and invoice + quote templates) sent to your inbox.