By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
Carpet, turf, landscaping fabric and some paving are priced by the square yard. Since a square yard is 9 square feet, the conversion is a single division — but measuring in feet and inches first is where most mistakes creep in.
Area in square yards, with the material cost for the whole job.
Square yards = (L × W) ÷ 9
One square yard is a 3 ft × 3 ft square. Carpet is usually sold in 12 ft or 15 ft wide rolls, so the roll width can force more yardage than the room area alone suggests — check the roll width before ordering.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| L | Length in feet. |
| W | Width in feet. |
| A | Area in square yards. |
| c | Price per square yard. |
18 × 15 = 270 square feet, or 30 square yards. With 10% waste and carpet at $28 per square yard, the material cost is about $924.
Continue with the Board Foot Calculator, Cubic Yard Calculator, Gallons per Square Foot Calculator, or the Size to Weight Calculator (Rectangular Box) — or browse more construction converters and all construction calculators.
Nine. Three feet by three feet equals 9 square feet.
Results use standard construction estimating arithmetic: volumes from measured area and depth, unit weights from published material densities, and code-referenced spans or clearances where the page names a code. Quantities are rounded up to whole saleable units and include the stated waste allowance. These tools are planning aids, not structural design, and do not replace a licensed engineer, a local code check, or a contractor's site measurement.
Reference material used to build and check this calculator:
Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026