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Metric to Imperial Volume Conversions
Cubic metres to cubic feet, litres to UK and US gallons. Common construction volumes for concrete, water tanks, skips and aggregates.
Volume Conversion Factors
| From | To | Multiply By |
|---|---|---|
| m³ | ft³ | 35.315 |
| ft³ | m³ | 0.02832 |
| m³ | Litres | 1,000 |
| Litres | UK gallons | 0.2200 |
| UK gallons | Litres | 4.546 |
| Litres | US gallons | 0.2642 |
| US gallons | Litres | 3.785 |
| UK gallons | US gallons | 1.201 |
| m³ | yd³ | 1.308 |
Common Construction Volumes
| Item | Volume (m³) | Volume (ft³) | Litres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheelbarrow (standard) | 0.065 | 2.3 | 65 |
| Cement mixer (Belle 150) | 0.090 | 3.2 | 90 |
| Bulk bag (tonne bag) | ~0.7 | 24.7 | 700 |
| Mini skip (2 yard) | 1.53 | 54 | 1,530 |
| Midi skip (4 yard) | 3.06 | 108 | 3,060 |
| Builder skip (6 yard) | 4.59 | 162 | 4,590 |
| Maxi skip (8 yard) | 6.12 | 216 | 6,120 |
| Cold water cistern (standard) | 0.227 | 8.0 | 227 |
| Hot water cylinder (standard) | 0.117 | 4.1 | 117 |
| Ready-mix truck (full) | 6.0 | 212 | 6,000 |
Related Pages
See the Length Conversions, Area Conversions, Weight Conversions, and the Concrete Mix Ratios.
Next up: related pages
Frequently Asked Questions
A UK (Imperial) gallon is 4.546 litres, while a US gallon is 3.785 litres — the UK gallon is approximately 20% larger. This matters when reading specifications or product data from American sources. UK construction and plumbing always uses Imperial gallons (or more commonly litres). A UK gallon of water weighs approximately 4.546 kg (10 lb). A US gallon of water weighs approximately 3.785 kg (8.34 lb).
1 cubic metre = 1,000 litres. This is exact. So a 1m x 1m x 1m tank holds 1,000 litres of water (1 tonne). A typical cold water storage cistern in a UK loft holds 227 litres (50 UK gallons) of water. A standard UK bath holds 150-250 litres. Ready-mix concrete is ordered by the cubic metre — a standard mixer truck carries 6-8 m³.
A standard ready-mix concrete truck carries 6 m³ (approximately 14.4 tonnes at 2,400 kg/m³). Mini-mix trucks carry 1-4 m³. For small jobs, pre-mixed bags (typically 20kg) yield approximately 0.009 m³ per bag — you need about 111 bags per cubic metre. It is almost always more economical to order ready-mix for anything over 0.5 m³.
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Last updated: April 2026
Verified against UK standards · estimates only, confirm with your supplier.