Sketch separate depth zones
Draw the footprint, label each rectangle and put the entered material depth beside it. A strip beside a larger rectangle should start at its edge rather than overlap it. Split changes of depth into separate rows. For an L shape, use two non-overlapping rectangles; a curved boundary needs a labeled approximation, not an implied exact box.
Measure three perpendicular dimensions
Measure horizontal length and width across the same footprint. Depth is perpendicular to that plane, not a diagonal tape reading. Record whether the depth is loose fill, a finished layer or a physical box height. At uneven ground, record enough depth readings to describe separate zones; one unrepresentative reading can dominate the volume estimate.
Use feet/inches, decimal yards or metres in the Cubic Yard Calculator. In US mode a bare depth is inches; 1 ft 6 in is also accepted. In metric mode bare measurements are metres and explicit cm/mm are accepted. Unit switching preserves the measurement; recheck the displayed unit before editing.
Worked fill record
On the loadable fill sketch, label Main as 12 × 9 ft and Side as 6 × 3 ft, both at an illustrative 6 in depth. Put Side outside Main and mark their shared edge. Transfer two rows with those same IDs; record the depth state and measurement date beside them. Before accepting the total, check that neither footprint nor depth zone was copied twice. These dimensions are not a layer specification; the bulk-volume methodology explains the summation and rounding.
Before ordering
Confirm whether the supplier quotes volume, bags or weight. Volume versus tons explains the density and state questions. Aggregate Ordering adds documented supplier minimums and increments; Concrete Slab instead needs exact labeled yield and the supplied slab dimensions. This measuring method selects no excavation method or structural design.
The exact volume conversions are documented by NIST SP 811, Appendix B.9. See the implemented formulas for normalization and display rounding.