Trench excavation calculator
Spoil, bedding, and backfill from trench dimensions. Enter length and width in feet and depth in inches. Dig a 100 ft water line at 24 inches wide and you'll be surprised what comes out of the ground.
To size a trench, multiply length by width by depth in feet and divide by 27: that is cubic yards of spoil. Spoil weight has no single right number, but this calculator works from Excavated spoil (bank soil) at about 2,700 lb per cubic yard, roughly 1.35 tons a yard. Soil type and moisture move it more than anything else, and excavated material swells, so it will not fit back in the hole it came out of.
Pro habit: Figure hauling about 32.6 yd³ of spoil; bank soil swells 20 to 30 percent once it's out of the ground, so the pile is bigger than the hole.
For bedding, set the depth to just the bedding layer (4 to 6 inches is typical under pipe). Backfill volume is the trench minus the pipe and bedding, and the spoil never quite fits back once it's fluffed. Weights are common industry approximations; confirm with your supplier before ordering.
The number above assumes a few things about how this material behaves in the ground.
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Common questions
How do I calculate the volume of a trench?
Multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. This trench calculator does it for you: enter length and width in feet and depth in inches, and it returns cubic yards, estimated tons, and truckloads. Add about 10 percent for compaction, spillage, and uneven grade.
How many tons is a cubic yard of excavated soil?
There is no single number, and anyone who gives you one is guessing. Spoil from a trench typically runs somewhere around 1.35 tons per cubic yard (Excavated spoil (bank soil) at about 2,700 lb/yd³), but soil type and moisture move it more than anything else: dry sand and saturated clay are not close. Weigh a load if the haul-off number matters, and remember excavated material swells, so it will not go back in the same hole it came out of.
Is this trench calculator free?
Yes. It is a free tool from TrackOver, software built inside a working excavation company for contractors who move dirt. No signup required to use it.
TrackOver keeps the job, the photos, the hours and the invoice in one place, on the office screen and every crew phone.
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