How Many Wheelbarrows Are in a Cubic Yard? – We Know the Answer

By
Nora Held
Nora Held
Research Writer
Apart from being our main writer, Nora also works for a number of gardening-related sites and magazines, sharing her experience as an owner of a small farm in North Carolina read more
reviewed
Reviewed By
Bruce Williams
Bruce Williams
Expert Consultant
Bruce owns a small farm and loves to grill since his early childhood. He’s a professional cook, but hiking and enjoying the great outdoors is his no less favorite part of read more
Last updated: August 12, 2023
BackyardStyle.com is reader-supported. We may earn a commission through products purchased using links on this page. Learn more about our process here

As a home DIYer, there’ll come a time when you’ll need to calculate cement, sand or whatever in wheelbarrows. To know the number of wheelbarrow trips you’ll be making when revamping your yard, you must know how many wheelbarrows are in a yard. Wheelbarrows come in different shapes and sizes. The smaller version of a wheelbarrow usually has a shallow basin, but most people prefer the larger version.

The standard wheelbarrow sizes are the 2-cubic ft and the 3-cubic ft. A yard has 14 loads of the 2-cubic ft wheelbarrow and 9 loads of the 3 cubic ft wheelbarrow. Read on to find out what a cubic yard is and how to calculate the number of wheelbarrow trips you will make to finish your job. You will also get answers for the most common questions asked about wheelbarrows and their use.

What is a cubic yard?

How Many Wheelbarrows Are in a Cubic Yard? - We Know the AnswerA cubic yard is an area of measurement that is 3ft long, 3ft wide and 3ft high. The cubic yard for materials varies depending on what they are made of. For instance, the cubic yard of mulch cannot be the same with that of sand or gravel.

However, one cubic yard of any material fills up a yard in the same way regardless of the weight. Although they have different weights, a cubic yard of mulch will fill up a yard the same way a cubic yard of gravel will.

Knowing the size of your wheelbarrow and calculating the cubic yard of materials should let you know how many wheelbarrow trips you will make to accomplish your project.

Wheelbarrow conversions

So, you have gotten yourself the best wheelbarrow and you are hoping you will make few trips to your yard with it because it appears large and dip. Well, the typical wheelbarrow is either 2 cubic or 3 cubic ft With a 2 cubic ft wheelbarrow you will carry 14 loads of rock to fill up a yard while for the 3 cubic ft wheelbarrow you will carry 9 loads.

This is relative to the material you intend to carry with the wheelbarrow and the terrain of your area. Some materials are too heavy to carry on certain terrains.

The 3 cubic ft wheelbarrows are the most popular because they are deemed more convenient. The WORX Aerocart 8-in-1 Wheelbarrow is one such highly acclaimed wheelbarrow. It has good rave from top reviewers and users because of its clever design that can conveniently transform from a lightweight wheepoundsarrow into a yard cart, a bag holder, a dolly, a cylinder carrier, a trailer tote or a rock/plant mover. Its versatility is unmatched.

How many wheelbarrows of concrete does it take to make one yard?

A typical contractor’s wheelbarrow has a volume of about 6 cubic ft. So, 27 cubic ft (A yard) divided by 6 cubic ft gives you 4.5 wheelbarrows. You will need 4 to 5 wheelbarrows of concrete for 1 cubic yard.

The weight per load also varies depending on your wheelbarrow and the material. Some wheelbarrows like the popular Gorilla Carts Poly Garden Dump Car can carry up to 600 pounds. The wheelbarrow is famous for its large capacity and quick-release dump feature that makes unloading effortless. For heavy material like gravel, concrete and sand a single load can be anything between 400 and 600 pounds which is quite heavy but with such a wheelbarrow that features a padded pull-handle you will not feel the weight impact as much.

How Many Wheelbarrows Are in a Cubic Yard? - We Know the Answer

FAQ

How much does a wheelbarrow of concrete weigh?

Your construction wheelbarrow of choice is likely to 6 cubic ft and it can hold 400 pounds. A 2 cubic ft wheelbarrow would hold about 135 pounds.

How many wheelbarrows can fill a dump truck?

The typical dump truck can carry up to 10 to 14 cubic yards of dirt. For the 2 cubic ft wheelbarrow, this would be 168 loads while for the 3 cubic ft wheelbarrow it would be 108 loads.

How many wheelbarrows in a yard of dirt?

At 6 inches deep, you would 9 to 14 wheelbarrow loads of dirt depending on the size of the wheelbarrow. A 3 cubic ft wheelbarrow is 9 loads and a 2 cubic ft wheelbarrow is 14 loads.

Final thoughts

The back and forth trips made during a construction or gardening can be gruesome. It’s better to get into it with clear expectations. This prompts the question; how many wheelbarrows are in a yard? Once you know the wheelbarrow conversions and you can calculate the number of trips you are expected to make to fill up a yard, life and work become easier for you.

The first thing that matters in the calculations is the size of your wheelbarrow. There are 2 standard wheelbarrow sizes; the 2 cubic ft and the 3 cubic ft. With the smaller version you have more back and forths and you will spend extra time as well. Another thing that matters in the calculations is your mastery of the cubic yard measurements.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *