What this calculator does
A cubic meter calculator finds the volume of a rectangular space or object, such as a room, a shipping container load or a pile of soil, by multiplying length by width by height. The result comes back in cubic metres along with the equivalent in litres, cubic feet and cubic yards.
Dimensions can be entered in metres, centimetres, millimetres, feet or inches; the calculator converts whichever unit is chosen to metres first, so the result is always a genuine cubic metre figure regardless of how the measurements were taken.
The formula
Volume is length multiplied by width multiplied by height, all measured in the same unit. This calculator converts the entered length, width and height to metres first (if a different unit is chosen), then multiplies the three together to get cubic metres.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cubic metre (m³) | The volume of a cube one metre on each side; the standard metric unit of volume for larger quantities. |
| Length, width, height | The three dimensions of a rectangular space or object, each measured independently. |
| Litre | A unit of volume equal to one thousandth of a cubic metre; there are exactly 1,000 litres in a cubic metre. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Length | The length of the space or object. |
| Width | The width. |
| Height | The height. |
| Unit entered | The unit the length, width and height are entered in. |
When to use it
Working out the volume of a room
A room's floor dimensions and ceiling height give its volume in cubic metres, useful for sizing heating, cooling or ventilation equipment.
Estimating freight or shipping volume
A cubic metre figure for a load or a piece of furniture is often what a freight quote or shipping container capacity is based on, rather than weight alone.
Ordering bulk material by volume
Soil, mulch, sand or concrete is often ordered by the cubic metre, so working out the volume of the area to be filled avoids under- or over-ordering.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
Cubic metres for a range of room lengths
A spread of room lengths, with width held at 3 m and height at 2.4 m (a typical ceiling height), each converted to cubic metres.
| Length (m) | Volume | In litres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.200 m³ | 7,200.0 L |
| 2 | 14.400 m³ | 14,400.0 L |
| 3 | 21.600 m³ | 21,600.0 L |
| 4 | 28.800 m³ | 28,800.0 L |
| 5 | 36.000 m³ | 36,000.0 L |
| 10 | 72.000 m³ | 72,000.0 L |
Questions
How do I calculate cubic meters?
Multiply length by width by height, all measured in metres. For example, a 4 m × 3 m × 2.4 m room is 4 × 3 × 2.4 = 28.8 cubic metres.
How much is a cubic meter in litres?
Exactly 1,000 litres. A cubic metre and 1,000 litres are the same volume, just expressed in different units.
What is a cubic meter in cubic feet?
About 35.31 cubic feet. One cubic metre is a larger volume than one cubic foot, by a factor of roughly 35.3.
Can I use feet or inches instead of metres?
Yes. Choose feet, inches, centimetres or millimetres as the entry unit; the calculator converts the dimensions to metres before working out the cubic metre volume.
For volume converted between litres, gallons, pints and other units directly, see the volume converter. For a length or area in a specific imperial or metric unit, see the length converter.