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Cut and Fill Calculator

Enter the volume you will dig out (cut) and the compacted fill you need, plus the swell and shrink factors for your soil. The calculator shows whether you will have surplus to haul away or a shortfall to import, as both bank volume and loose truck volume. 40 m³ of cut and 27 m³ of compacted fill with 10% shrink and 25% swell leaves 10 m³ of bank surplus, or 12.5 m³ loose to haul.

Measurements

Units

Bank volume: measured in place before digging.

Volume of compacted fill in the finished work.

How much bigger the soil gets once loosened. Use your geotechnical report or contractor's figure.

How much smaller fill gets when compacted, compared with its in-ground volume.

Results

Surplus to haul away (bank)

20 yd³

Loose volume to haul

20 yd³

Bank volume needed for the fill
30 yd³
Loose volume of all the cut
50 yd³
Show the working
  1. Bank volume for the fill30 yd³ ÷ (1 − 0%) = 30 yd³
  2. Cut − fill50 yd³ − 30 yd³ = 20 yd³
  3. Loose (truck) volume|20 yd³| × (1 + 0%) = 20 yd³

Material takeoff

ItemQuantityUnit priceCost
Haul away (loose)20 yd³–
Estimated total–

Enter your local prices to estimate the cost. Prices aren't stored anywhere.

Paper and orientation
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How to use the cut and fill calculator

  1. Choose Metric or Imperial.
  2. Enter the cut volume measured in the ground (bank volume).
  3. Enter the compacted fill volume needed in the finished work.
  4. Enter the swell and shrink percentages for your soil.
  5. Read the surplus or shortfall and the loose volume to haul.

How the balance works

Bank volume needed for the fill = fill ÷ (1 − shrink). Balance = cut − bank volume needed. A positive balance is surplus to export; a negative balance is a shortfall to import. Loose haul volume = |balance| × (1 + swell).

Worked examples

Level a garden. Cut 40 m³, fill 27 m³ compacted, shrink 10%, swell 25%. Bank needed for fill: 27 ÷ 0.9 = 30 m³. Surplus: 10 m³ bank, 12.5 m³ loose to haul away.

Building pad. Cut 30 yd³, fill 50 yd³ with shrink 15%: bank needed 58.8 yd³, so you must import 28.8 yd³ (bank), more as loose volume.

How to interpret the results

Use the loose volume to book trucks and skips. Use bank volumes when comparing with survey quantities, which are usually measured in place.

Tips and common mistakes

  • Don’t mix volume types. Compare bank with bank and loose with loose.
  • Strip topsoil separately; it isn’t suitable as structural fill.
  • Compact in layers, as your engineer specifies.
  • Check disposal rules for excavated soil in your area.

Measuring cut and fill on site

For a small site, divide the area into a grid, take levels at each point before and after, and multiply each grid square’s area by its average change in level. Cells that go down are cut; cells that go up are fill. Add them separately, then use this calculator to balance them. For larger jobs, a surveyor can produce cut and fill volumes from a digital model of the existing and finished ground.

Use the volume calculator to work out cut and fill for simple shapes such as trenches, pads and planters, and the retaining wall calculator if the new levels need a wall. Add the haul-away or import line to your project materials list so trucking appears next to the rest of the job’s costs.

Assumptions and limitations

The calculator uses single swell and shrink factors for the whole site. Mixed soils need separate calculations. It doesn’t design slopes, drainage or compaction.

Frequently asked questions

What are bank, loose and compacted volumes?

Bank volume is soil in the ground before digging. Once dug it swells into a larger loose volume, which is what trucks carry. When it is placed and compacted as fill, it shrinks to a compacted volume that is usually smaller than the bank volume.

Where do I get swell and shrink factors?

From your geotechnical report or earthworks contractor; they depend on the soil type and moisture. The calculator starts at zero so it never assumes a value for your soil.

How do I calculate truckloads?

Divide the loose haul volume by the truck’s capacity and round up.

Can I use my own site soil as fill?

Only if it is suitable. Topsoil and soft clays often aren’t. Your engineer or contractor decides.

How do I measure cut and fill volumes?

For simple areas, use the volume calculator: area × average depth. For larger sites, a surveyor can calculate volumes from levels.

Sources