Cut & Fill Calculator
Balance a site from average depths: area × average cut and area × average fill give the bank cut and compacted fill volumes, and the difference is your net export or import. The calculator then converts both sides to the loose volumes trucks actually carry — haul-off grows by the swell factor, and imported fill is grossed up for both swell and compaction shrink, which is why a site that balances on paper still buys dirt. Free, no login.
Site
Balance
Truck volumes apply 25% swell (haul) and the (1+swell)/(1−10% shrink) factor (import to place compacted). Typical planning figures — swell 25% (typ 15–30%), shrink 10% (typ 5–15%); confirm with a geotech.
Cut & Fill — Haul Sheet
Prepared with NORDIX — nordixhq.com/tools/cut-fill-calculator
Area: 5000 ft² · Avg cut: 0.5 ft · Avg fill: 0.3 ft · Soil: Common earth / loam
| Line item | Quantity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cut (bank) | 92.59 yd³ | Area × average cut depth |
| Fill (compacted) | 55.56 yd³ | Area × average fill depth |
| Net balance — export excess | 37.04 yd³ | Bank basis, cut − fill |
| Cut → loose haul-off | 115.74 yd³ | Includes 25% swell |
| Fill → loose import | 77.17 yd³ | × (1 + 25% swell) ÷ (1 − 10% shrink) |
Method: average-depth balance (area × avg cut/fill) — a grid or cross-section takeoff governs for pay quantities. Swell/shrink for Common earth / loam are typical planning figures — swell 25% (typ 15–30%), shrink 10% (typ 5–15%). Soil factors vary widely; confirm with a geotech.
How this calculator works
The balance is an average-depth shortcut — exact for a uniform pad, planning-grade for irregular grading where a grid or cross-section takeoff governs:
cut = area × avg cut ÷ 27 · fill = area × avg fill ÷ 27 · net = cut − fill
The part most calculators skip is the state conversion. Cut is measured in bank yards but hauls off loose (× 1 + swell); fill is needed compacted but is bought and delivered loose, so the import line applies loose = compacted × (1 + swell) ÷ (1 − shrink). With the common-earth defaults that is about 1.39 loose yards per compacted yard in place. Swell and shrink are empirical, ranged factors (typ 10–40% by soil class) — confirm with a geotech before committing truck counts.
Worked example
A 5,000 ft² pad with 0.5 ft of average cut and 0.3 ft of average fill in common earth:
- Cut: 5,000 × 0.5 ÷ 27 = 92.59 yd³ (bank); fill: 5,000 × 0.3 ÷ 27 = 55.56 yd³ (compacted).
- Net: 92.59 − 55.56 = 37.04 yd³ — an export site.
- Truck volumes: the cut hauls off as 92.59 × 1.25 = 115.74 yd³ loose; if the fill were imported instead of borrowed on site, it would take 55.56 × 1.25 ÷ 0.90 = 77.17 yd³ loose to place 55.56 compacted.
Enter the same site above (5,000 ft², 0.5 cut, 0.3 fill, common earth) to reproduce it.
Reference: haul and import factors by soil class
Per bank yard cut and per compacted yard of fill placed, at the calculator’s default factors — computed by the same engine. Swell/shrink are typical planning ranges; confirm with a geotech.
| Soil class | Swell (typ range) | Shrink (typ range) | Loose haul per bank yd³ | Loose import per compacted yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand / gravel | 12% (5–18%) | 12% (8–15%) | 1.12 yd³ | 1.27 yd³ |
| Common earth / loam | 25% (15–30%) | 10% (5–15%) | 1.25 yd³ | 1.39 yd³ |
| Clay | 30% (20–40%) | 10% (5–20%) | 1.30 yd³ | 1.44 yd³ |
| Rock (blasted) | 50% (40–65%) | 0% (0–5%) | 1.50 yd³ | 1.50 yd³ |
Frequently asked questions
Why does a balanced cut and fill site still need imported dirt?
Because fill compacts to less volume than the bank yardage you cut. Even when cut and fill balance on neat-line volumes, each bank yard you cut places as only about 0.85–0.95 compacted yards for most soils (shrink runs roughly 5–20% depending on material and moisture), so the fill side comes up short and the difference gets imported. The exception is rock, which never compacts back below its bank volume. Run the shrink factor against your fill quantity before calling a site balanced.
How do I calculate cut and fill from average depths?
Multiply the site area by the average cut depth and the average fill depth separately, convert each to cubic yards (cubic feet divided by 27), and take the difference — that is exactly what this calculator does. It is a planning-level shortcut: it treats depth as uniform over the area, so it works best on simple pads or when you already have average depths from a grid takeoff. For bid-grade earthwork on irregular grading, use a surface-to-surface takeoff and treat this as a sanity check.
What does net export or import mean in earthwork?
Net is cut minus fill. Positive net means you cut more than you fill and the surplus gets exported; negative net means you have to import material to reach grade; near zero is a balanced site. This calculator reports the net in bank cubic yards and flags which action applies.
Do I haul export dirt as bank yards or loose yards?
Loose — the trucks carry the swelled volume, so this calculator shows a separate "cut → loose haul" line that applies the soil swell factor (12–30% for soils at the defaults here, 50% for blasted rock). Likewise, imported fill is bought and delivered loose, so the "fill → loose to import" line applies both swell and shrink so you order enough loose material to end up with the compacted quantity in place.
How much extra fill should I order for compaction shrink?
For each compacted yard needed in place, order compacted × (1 + swell) ÷ (1 − shrink) in loose volume — with the common-earth defaults (25% swell, 10% shrink) that is about 1.39 loose yards per compacted yard. Swell and shrink are ranges that move with material, moisture, and the compaction spec, not fixed numbers. The geotech report or a test on the actual borrow material governs.
Method: average-depth balance (area × avg depth ÷ 27) with bank/loose/compacted state conversions — loose haul = bank × (1 + swell), loose import = compacted × (1 + swell) ÷ (1 − shrink). This is a planning-level shortcut: it treats depth as uniform, so use a surface-to-surface or grid takeoff for bid-grade quantities on irregular grading. Even a neat-volume-balanced site imports dirt, because each bank yard cut places as only about 0.85–0.95 compacted yards for most soils — rock is the exception and never compacts below bank. Swell and shrink are typical planning ranges, not fixed values; confirm with a geotech.
Pair with the Excavation Volume Calculator for the dig itself, the Compaction Calculator to order fill by lift, or the cut & fill reference and BCY/LCY/CCY conversions chart for the balance math in depth.