Earthwork
Excavation Calculator
Estimate excavated bank volume, swell-adjusted loose volume, truckloads to dispatch, and disposal cost. Enter the pit footprint and average depth.
Inputs
Live estimate
Material needed
46.3 cu yd
- Area
- 500 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 1,000
- Cubic yards
- 37.04
- Estimated tons
- 60.19 tons
- Estimated truckloads
- 3.31
- Disposal cost
- $1,400
- Total cost
- $1,400
You will likely need
- •46.3 cu yd — material needed
- •Schedule 4 truck loads
- •Approximate delivered weight: 60.19 tons
- •Estimated total: $1,400
Diagram
Live estimate
- Mathematical quantity
- 46 cu yd
- Bank-to-loose swell (already applied)
- Informational
- Field conditions
- Not applied
- Adjusted requirement
- 46 cu yd
- Ordering rule
- Round up to whole truckload
- Suggested order
- 47 cu yd
Excavation is measured bank, hauled loose. The engine converts bank→loose once via Advanced options.
What you actually need in the field, before rounding to a supplier-friendly ordering unit.
Estimator confidence
LowerThe primary result already includes the swell factor from Advanced options. Truckloads and disposal cost are derived from that loose volume.
Improve confidence: Verify the swell percentage in Advanced options matches your soils report (typical 15–40%).
Why this behavior applies: Excavation is measured as bank volume but hauled loose. This calculator converts bank to loose once — in the primary quantity — and truckloads and disposal both use that loose figure.
- Soil type — Rock and dense clay swell more than sandy loam.
- Moisture content — Wet soil hauls heavier and volumes vary.
- Access restrictions may increase haul cost or force smaller trucks.
- Wet soils significantly change truck quantities — plan for weight limits before volume limits.
- Confirm disposal site fees, hours, and accepted material before scheduling haul.
- Verify utility locates before any excavation begins.
- Ordering trucks based on bank volume instead of loose (swollen) volume.
- Ignoring swell — clay and rock swell far more than typical topsoil.
- Overloading dense, wet spoils past the truck's weight limit.
Smart tips
- Ordering 5–10% extra is standard on irregular layouts. Running short costs more than the excess.
How it's calculated
Area is derived from your shape inputs and converted to sq ft.
Depth is converted to feet; cubic feet = area × depth.
Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27, then × (1 + waste %) × (1 + compaction %).
Estimated tons = cubic yards (with waste) × 1.3.
Truckloads = cubic yards (with waste) ÷ truck capacity.
Total cost = cubic yards (with waste) × price per cubic yard + delivery.
Material assumptions
- The compaction slider represents swell — the % volume increase between bank (undisturbed) soil and loose truck-loaded soil.
- Typical swell: 15–25% for loam / topsoil, 25–35% for clay, 35–50% for rock.
- Standard tri-axle dump: ~14 cu yd payload. Weight limits (often ~16 short tons) govern before volume for dense spoils — confirm with the hauler.
- Truckloads shown are rounded up in the actionable output — you cannot dispatch a fractional truck.
Frequently asked questions
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Deeper guidance from the Learn library — sizing, depth, waste, and ordering for this material.
Actual quantities vary due to compaction, swell, moisture, soil type, and site conditions.