Use this calculator to convert between square feet and cubic feet. All you need to identify is a height measurement.
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The formula to calculate a cubic feet volume from a square foot area is:
If your height is in inches, you can use this formula instead:
The square foot is a unit of area; two dimensions are in use to define area (usually a suffixed by a different width). The cubic foot is a unit of volume: three dimensions working together. Unlike areas, it also has a height attribute. This is why to do a conversion we must be given the height.
To understand cubic feet, think of a cube 1×1×1 feet. Now picture that the floor of this cube can also be described as having an area of 1 square foot. To get cubic feet from square feet, you just need the third dimension: height.
To calculate cubic feet, simply apply a 1-unit-high flat figure, extending it in the extra (3rd) dimension. If you've ever played with building blocks, or seen a box of candy bars at a store, you understand how 3D objects can fill or stack differently while having the same cubic feet total, even if their shapes differ entirely.
Let's say you have a patio measuring 8×9 feet, and you want to pour concrete 4 inches deep. How many cubic feet of concrete do you need?
The formula for calculating a cubic feet figure from a square foot figure is:
As we discussed earlier in our article, it is important to note that this is not a straightforward conversion. You need to know cubic feet as a unit of volume from the perspective of the cube/box to work out the square foot. Essentially, you'll want to divide your volume by the height to be comparable: take an object, break apart its height, and you're left with its cross-sectional area in square feet.
In most calculations, areas are described in square feet or square meters, while volumes would typically be cubic feet, depending on whether the figure and resulting product is typically measured in feet.
Note: Note that this only works when all measurements are in feet.
Following a helpful example below, with working backwards: each step from 8 inches, or 0.6 inches, and our volume we have a total area of 3.23 sq ft (3 cubic feet). "What is the square feet I need to cover?"
The formula for calculating a square feet figure from a cubic feet figure is:
We have a raised garden bed with a volume of 12 cubic feet. Its wall height is 1.5 feet (18 inches). What is the square footage of the bed?
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