Cubic Feet Calculator

Instantly compute the volume of a rectangular prism in cubic feet (ft³) and convert to cubic meters, liters, gallons, cubic yards, and more.

Enter any positive dimension. Units can be mixed — each dimension is converted to feet internally.
? Standard Box : 3 × 2 × 1.5 ft
? Euro Pallet : 47.2 × 31.5 × 11.8 in
? Small Room : 12 × 10 × 8 ft
? Shipping Container : 20 × 8 × 8.5 ft
? 1 Cubic Meter : 100 × 100 × 100 cm
Privacy first: All calculations run locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server.

Understanding Cubic Feet and Volume Measurement

Cubic feet (abbreviated ft³ or cu ft) is a unit of volume in the imperial and US customary systems. It represents the volume of a cube with sides of one foot (12 inches) in length. One cubic foot is equal to approximately 28.3168 liters, 7.48052 US gallons, or 0.0283168 cubic meters.

V = L × W × H

where L = length, W = width, H = height (all in feet)

The cubic foot is widely used in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for measuring volumes of goods, rooms, containers, and natural resources such as natural gas or water. In international trade and logistics, the cubic foot is often used alongside the cubic meter (CBM) to determine freight class and shipping costs.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter the length, width, and height of the rectangular space or object.
  2. Choose the appropriate unit for each dimension (feet, inches, centimeters, meters, or yards).
  3. Click “Calculate Volume” to instantly see the volume in cubic feet and a comprehensive set of conversions.
  4. The interactive 3D visualization updates to show the relative proportions of your dimensions.
  5. Use the preset examples to quickly explore common use cases.

Why Cubic Feet Matter in the Real World

Shipping & Freight: Carriers calculate freight charges based on either actual weight or volumetric weight (dimensional weight), which is derived from cubic feet (or cubic meters). Knowing the exact volume helps you estimate shipping costs and choose the right container size.

Storage & Warehousing: Warehouses charge by the cubic foot of storage space used. Accurately measuring your goods ensures you only pay for the space you need and helps optimize pallet and rack configurations.

Construction & Interior Design: From estimating concrete for a foundation to calculating the cooling capacity of an HVAC system, volume in cubic feet is a fundamental metric. For example, a 10×12×8 ft room has 960 ft³ of air volume, which determines the required BTU for air conditioning.

Natural Resources & Utilities: Natural gas is often measured in cubic feet (or therms), and water usage may be billed per cubic foot (or per 100 cubic feet, CCF). Understanding these units helps you monitor consumption and compare rates.

Case Study: Optimizing a Shipping Container

A logistics company needs to load 120 identical cartons into a 20‑foot shipping container. Each carton measures 18 × 14 × 12 inches. The container's internal dimensions are 19′4″ × 7′8″ × 7′10″. Using the calculator:

  • Carton volume: 18 × 14 × 12 = 3,024 in³ = 1.75 ft³ (since 1 ft³ = 1,728 in³).
  • Container volume: 19.33 × 7.67 × 7.83 ≈ 1,160 ft³.
  • Maximum cartons by volume: 1,160 / 1.75 ≈ 662, but actual packing efficiency (floor loading, stacking) reduces this to about 480 cartons.

This calculator quickly provides the raw volume, enabling planners to estimate utilization and compare against weight limits and dimensional weight thresholds.

Conversion Reference Table

Unit Equivalent in Cubic Feet Equivalent in Cubic Meters
1 cubic foot (ft³) 1.0000 0.0283168
1 cubic meter (m³) 35.3147 1.0000
1 liter (L) 0.0353147 0.0010
1 US gallon 0.133681 0.00378541
1 UK gallon 0.160544 0.00454609
1 cubic yard (yd³) 27.0000 0.764555
1 cubic inch (in³) 0.000578704 0.0000163871

Common Applications and Formulas

Rectangular Prism:
V = L × W × H

For boxes, rooms, tanks, and most standard containers.

Cylinder:
V = π × r² × h

For pipes, drums, and cylindrical tanks (radius and height in feet).

Sphere:
V = (4/3) × π × r³

For spherical objects like tanks or balls (radius in feet).

Cone:
V = (1/3) × π × r² × h

For conical hoppers, piles, or tanks.

While this calculator focuses on rectangular prisms, the same principles apply to other shapes. For irregular shapes, consider using water displacement or 3D scanning to estimate volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Multiply the volume in cubic feet by 0.0283168 to get cubic meters. Conversely, multiply cubic meters by 35.3147 to get cubic feet. This calculator does both conversions automatically.

A board foot is a unit of volume used for lumber, equal to 1 ft × 1 ft × 1 in (144 in³). A cubic foot is 1 ft × 1 ft × 1 ft (1,728 in³), so 1 cubic foot = 12 board feet. Board feet measure lumber volume, while cubic feet measure general volume.

For air freight, dimensional weight (in kg) = (Length × Width × Height in cm) / 6000, or (ft³ × 28316.8) / 6000. For road freight, divisors vary (typically 5000 or 6000). Carriers use the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight to determine shipping charges. This calculator gives you the base volume to plug into those formulas.

This tool is optimized for rectangular prisms. For cylindrical, spherical, or irregular shapes, you can approximate by using the average dimensions (e.g., average diameter for a cylinder) or use a specialized calculator. We plan to add support for more shapes in future updates.

CCF stands for "hundred cubic feet" and is commonly used in water billing. 1 CCF = 100 ft³ ≈ 748 US gallons. Natural gas is also measured in CCF or therms (1 therm ≈ 100,000 BTU ≈ 96.7 ft³). This calculator can help you convert between ft³ and CCF by dividing the result by 100.

Volume scales with the cube of the linear dimensions. If you measure in inches and divide by 1,728 (12³), you get the same result as measuring in feet. For example, a 24×18×12 inch box = 5,184 in³ ÷ 1,728 = 3.0 ft³. This calculator handles unit conversions automatically, so you can mix units with confidence.
References: NIST Handbook 44 – Units of Volume; Freightos Container Dimensions Guide; Wikipedia: Cubic Foot. Reviewed by the GetZenQuery tech team, last updated June 2026.