A 5 gallon bucket holds 0.67 cubic feet.
Every standard 5 gallon bucket – Home Depot, Lowe’s, paint buckets, food grade buckets – they’re all 0.67 cubic feet. Same bucket capacity across the board.
The conversion is simple. One gallon equals 0.134 cubic feet. Multiply that by 5 gallons and you get 0.67 cubic feet.
How Many Cubic Feet in a 5 Gallon Bucket?
Here’s the basic gallon to cubic feet formula:
Gallons × 0.134 = Cubic Feet
So for a 5 gal bucket: 5 × 0.134 = 0.67 cubic feet
Going backwards from cubic feet to gallons:
Cubic Feet × 7.48 = Gallons
0.67 × 7.48 = 5 gallons (roughly)
Most people just remember that a 5 gallon bucket is 0.67 cubic feet and work from there. I’ve got it written on a piece of tape stuck inside my garage because I forget every single time.
Bucket Volume Conversion Chart
| Gallons | Cubic Feet | Container Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 gallon | 0.13 cu ft | Small pot |
| 2 gallons | 0.27 cu ft | Medium pot |
| 3 gallons | 0.40 cu ft | Nursery container |
| 5 gallons | 0.67 cu ft | Standard bucket |
| 7 gallons | 0.93 cu ft | Large planter |
| 10 gallons | 1.34 cu ft | Tree pot |
| 15 gallons | 2.00 cu ft | Big container |
| 20 gallons | 2.67 cu ft | Storage tote |
Save this. You’ll need it again.
Why Converting 5 Gallon to Cubic Feet Matters
You’re buying potting soil and the bag says 2 cubic feet but you’re filling 5 gallon buckets. How many buckets does one bag fill?
2 cubic feet ÷ 0.67 cubic feet per bucket = 3 buckets
Or you need to mix concrete for a small project. Recipe calls for 2 cubic feet but you’re measuring in 5 gallon buckets.
2 cubic feet ÷ 0.67 = 3 buckets worth
This cubic feet to gallon conversion comes up constantly if you do any kind of gardening, construction, or DIY projects.
Standing in the Home Depot aisle trying to calculate cubic feet in your head while holding three bags of soil gets old fast. Easier to just know the bucket capacity.
5 Gallon Bucket Dimensions and Capacity
Standard 5 gallon pail measurements:
- Height: 12 inches (1 foot)
- Top diameter: 11-12 inches
- Bottom diameter: 10 inches
- Volume: 5 gallons = 0.67 cubic feet
- Weight empty: 2 pounds
The bucket tapers from top to bottom so they stack. That taper makes calculating bucket volume from measurements annoying.
Just use the 5 gallon rating stamped on the bucket and multiply by 0.134 to get cubic feet. Way easier than trying to calculate cylinder volume with a taper.
How Many 5 Gallon Buckets in a Cubic Foot
About 1.5 five gallon buckets equal one cubic foot.
The math: 1 cubic foot ÷ 0.67 cubic feet per bucket = 1.49 buckets
So 10 cubic feet of material would fill about 15 five-gallon buckets.
One cubic yard (27 cubic feet) fills roughly 40 buckets.
My buddy tried hauling a cubic yard of gravel in 5 gallon buckets to save on delivery. Quit after 10 buckets and paid the $40 delivery fee. Sometimes being cheap costs more.
Cubic Feet in Different Bucket Sizes
| Bucket Size | Cubic Feet | Gallons |
|---|---|---|
| 1 gal bucket | 0.13 cu ft | 1 |
| 2 gal bucket | 0.27 cu ft | 2 |
| 3 gal bucket | 0.40 cu ft | 3 |
| 5 gal bucket | 0.67 cu ft | 5 |
| 6 gal bucket | 0.80 cu ft | 6 |
| 7 gal bucket | 0.93 cu ft | 7 |
| 10 gal bucket | 1.34 cu ft | 10 |
Most common size is the 5 gallon bucket at 0.67 cubic feet. They’re everywhere and cheap.
How to Convert Gallons to Cubic Feet for Soil
Potting soil bags come in cubic feet but containers are listed in gallons. Here’s the bucket conversion:
1 cubic foot bag fills 1.5 five-gallon buckets (1 ÷ 0.67 = 1.49)
1.5 cubic foot bag fills 2.2 buckets (1.5 ÷ 0.67 = 2.24)
2 cubic foot bag fills 3 buckets (2 ÷ 0.67 = 2.99)
3 cubic foot bag fills 4.5 buckets (3 ÷ 0.67 = 4.48)
Filling 10 five-gallon buckets for container gardening?
10 buckets × 0.67 cubic feet = 6.7 cubic feet of soil needed
That’s about four 1.5 cu ft bags or three 2 cu ft bags.
Always buy an extra bag. Soil settles when watered. Filled 15 buckets last spring, watered them good, next morning the soil was down 2-3 inches in every bucket. Had to buy more bags to top them off.
Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends buying 10-15% extra for settling. Wish I’d known that sooner.
Container Volume for Different Plant Pots
| Container Size | Cubic Feet | Soil Bags Needed (2 cu ft) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 gal pot | 0.13 cu ft | 15 pots per bag |
| 3 gal pot | 0.40 cu ft | 5 pots per bag |
| 5 gal bucket | 0.67 cu ft | 3 buckets per bag |
| 7 gal pot | 0.93 cu ft | 2 pots per bag |
| 10 gal pot | 1.34 cu ft | 1.5 pots per bag |
| 15 gal pot | 2.00 cu ft | 1 pot per bag |
Most vegetables grow fine in 5 gallon buckets (0.67 cubic feet). Tomatoes, peppers, beans, herbs all work. For more info on space requirements, check out this guide on room measurements – similar math applies to growing space.
Cubic Feet of Concrete in a 5 Gallon Bucket
An 80-pound bag of concrete mix makes about 0.6 cubic feet when mixed with water.
That’s basically one 5 gallon bucket capacity worth of concrete.
Project needs 2 cubic feet of concrete? 2 cu ft ÷ 0.6 cu ft per bag = 3.3 bags (buy 4) Or about 3 five-gallon buckets of mixed concrete
Small concrete jobs work fine mixing in buckets. Pour in the dry mix, add water according to bag directions, stir with a stick or drill mixer. Takes maybe 10 minutes per bucket.
Bigger than 5-6 buckets get a wheelbarrow or rent a mixer. Your arms will thank you.
Check USGS water density info for precise water-to-cement ratios if you’re picky about that.
Concrete Volume by Bucket
| Cubic Feet Needed | 5 Gallon Buckets | 80-lb Bags |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft | 1 bucket | 1 bag |
| 1 cu ft | 1.5 buckets | 2 bags |
| 2 cu ft | 3 buckets | 3 bags |
| 5 cu ft | 7.5 buckets | 8 bags |
| 10 cu ft | 15 buckets | 17 bags |
Gravel Cubic Feet and Weight in 5 Gallon Bucket
A 5 gallon bucket holds 0.67 cubic feet of gravel but gravel is HEAVY.
5 gallon bucket weight by gravel type:
- Pea gravel: 65 pounds
- Crushed stone: 75 pounds
- River rock: 70 pounds
- Sand: 50-55 pounds
One cubic foot of gravel weighs about 100 pounds. Your 0.67 cubic foot bucket holds roughly 67 pounds of gravel.
Don’t fill buckets all the way. Half full (about 0.35 cubic feet) is way easier to carry – around 35 pounds instead of 70.
Did a French drain project and filled 5 gallon buckets to the brim with gravel. Could barely lift them. My back was wrecked for three days. Learn from my mistakes.
Mulch Coverage Using 5 Gallon Bucket Volume
One 5 gallon bucket (0.67 cubic feet) of mulch covers about 2.5 square feet at 3 inches deep.
Common mulch amounts:
- 2 cu ft bag = 3 five-gallon buckets
- 3 cu ft bag = 4.5 buckets
- 1 cubic yard = 27 cu ft = 40 buckets
Got a 10×20 foot garden bed needing 3 inches of mulch?
- 200 square feet ÷ 100 sq ft per yard = 2 cubic yards needed
- 2 cubic yards = 54 cubic feet
- 54 cu ft ÷ 0.67 per bucket = 80 buckets
Get bulk delivery. Costs $40-50 per cubic yard delivered versus $100+ in bags. Plus you’re not hauling 80 buckets.
Water Weight in 5 Gallon Bucket Cubic Feet
5 gallons of water = 0.67 cubic feet = 42 pounds
Water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon. Times 5 equals 41.7 pounds.
Water bucket weights:
- 1 gallon (0.13 cu ft) = 8.3 lbs
- 3 gallons (0.40 cu ft) = 25 lbs
- 5 gallons (0.67 cu ft) = 42 lbs
- 10 gallons (1.34 cu ft) = 83 lbs
Two full 5 gallon buckets is 84 pounds total. That’s carrying a person basically.
Went camping and filled two buckets to haul water from the spigot. Got maybe 50 feet before my arms gave out. Just make two trips.
Weight vs Cubic Feet in a 5 Gallon Bucket
The bucket volume stays 0.67 cubic feet but weight changes depending on what’s in it:
| Material | Weight per 5 Gal Bucket (0.67 cu ft) |
|---|---|
| Water | 42 lbs |
| Potting soil (dry) | 35-40 lbs |
| Garden soil | 45-50 lbs |
| Sand | 50-55 lbs |
| Gravel | 65-75 lbs |
| Concrete (wet) | 70-80 lbs |
Same 0.67 cubic feet bucket capacity. Totally different weights.
How to Calculate Cubic Feet for Any Container
Rectangular containers: Length (feet) × Width (feet) × Height (feet) = Cubic Feet
Example: Planter box 3 feet long, 1 foot wide, 1 foot deep 3 × 1 × 1 = 3 cubic feet = 22.5 gallons = about 4.5 five-gallon buckets
Cylindrical containers get complicated because of taper. Just use the gallon rating × 0.134.
Or skip the math and use Calculator.net’s volume tool.
Bulk Material Cubic Feet Conversions
Mulch, soil, and gravel sold in bulk use cubic yards.
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet = 202 gallons = 40 five-gallon buckets
Need 50 buckets of material?
- 50 buckets × 5 gallons = 250 gallons
- 250 gallons ÷ 202 gallons per yard = 1.24 cubic yards
- Order 1.5 cubic yards to be safe
Bulk is way cheaper past 10-15 bags. Cubic yard of mulch delivered costs $45. Same amount in 2 cubic foot bags costs $90-100 and you haul it yourself.
Cubic Yard to Bucket Conversion
| Cubic Yards | Cubic Feet | 5 Gallon Buckets |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 yard | 6.75 cu ft | 10 buckets |
| 0.5 yard | 13.5 cu ft | 20 buckets |
| 1 yard | 27 cu ft | 40 buckets |
| 2 yards | 54 cu ft | 80 buckets |
| 3 yards | 81 cu ft | 120 buckets |
Food Storage Bucket Capacity in Cubic Feet
People store rice, beans, wheat in 5 gallon buckets. The 0.67 cubic feet holds:
- 35 pounds wheat berries
- 33 pounds white rice
- 30 pounds dried beans
- 25 pounds flour
- 20 pounds oats
Use food-grade buckets. Regular buckets can leach chemicals into food. Food-grade costs the same, just look for the symbol.
One 5 gallon bucket (0.67 cubic feet) of rice feeds one person about a month. EPA has resources on food storage and composting.
Common Questions About 5 Gallon Bucket Cubic Feet
How many cubic feet is a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket?
0.67 cubic feet. All standard 5 gallon buckets from Home Depot, Lowe’s, or anywhere else hold the same volume. Bucket capacity is standardized.
How do you convert 5 gallons to cubic feet?
Multiply 5 by 0.134. Formula is gallons × 0.134 = cubic feet. So 5 × 0.134 = 0.67 cubic feet.
How many 5 gallon buckets in a cubic yard?
About 40 buckets. One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. Divide 27 by 0.67 cubic feet per bucket and you get 40.3 buckets.
What is the cubic feet of a 5 gallon bucket of concrete?
The bucket holds 0.67 cubic feet total volume. An 80-pound bag of concrete mix makes about 0.6 cubic feet when mixed with water, so basically one bucket worth.
How much soil in cubic feet for 10 five-gallon buckets?
10 buckets × 0.67 cubic feet per bucket = 6.7 cubic feet of soil. That’s four 1.5 cu ft bags or three 2 cu ft bags. Buy extra because soil settles when watered.
How many gallons is 2 cubic feet?
About 15 gallons. Formula is cubic feet × 7.48 = gallons. So 2 × 7.48 = 14.96 gallons.
Can I measure cubic feet with a 5 gallon bucket?
Yeah. Each 5 gallon bucket equals 0.67 cubic feet. Three buckets equals about 2 cubic feet. Not lab-precise but close enough for gardening and construction projects.
How many cubic inches in a 5 gallon bucket?
About 1,155 cubic inches. One cubic foot equals 1,728 cubic inches. So 0.67 cubic feet × 1,728 = 1,158 cubic inches.
What’s the difference between 5 gallon bucket volume and capacity?
Same thing. Volume and capacity both refer to how much the bucket holds – 5 gallons or 0.67 cubic feet.
5 Gallon Pail Cubic Feet Metric Conversion
For metric users:
5 US gallons = 18.9 liters = 0.67 cubic feet = 0.019 cubic meters
Most countries call these 19 liter buckets or 20 liter pails.
Conversion factors:
- 1 gallon = 3.785 liters
- 1 cubic foot = 28.3 liters
- 1 cubic foot = 0.0283 cubic meters
- 0.67 cubic feet = 18.9 liters
Metric makes more sense honestly. Simpler math.
Different Types of 5 Gallon Buckets
All hold 0.67 cubic feet but made differently:
Standard utility buckets (Home Depot orange, Lowe’s blue) – regular plastic, 5 gallons
Paint buckets – usually 5 gallons, sometimes 4.25 to leave mixing space
Food-grade buckets – same 5 gallon capacity, food-safe plastic that won’t leach
Gamma seal buckets – regular bucket with screw-top lid, still 5 gallons
Restaurant buckets – frosting, pickles, whatever came in them, usually true 5 gallons
Some cheap off-brand buckets aren’t really 5 gallons. Check the label for actual bucket capacity.
Practical Tips Using 5 Gallon Bucket Volume
After using buckets for 15+ years:
Don’t overfill with heavy stuff. Half full (0.35 cubic feet) is way easier to carry than full (0.67 cubic feet).
Buy 10-15% extra material. Soil settles, stuff spills, measurements are always a bit off.
Label buckets with marker. Ten identical white buckets all look the same.
Empty buckets nest inside each other. Saves storage space.
Gamma seal lids cost $8-10 but worth it if you open buckets frequently. Regular lids are a pain.
Think about weight before filling. 0.67 cubic feet of gravel weighs 70 pounds. Can you lift that?
When Exact Cubic Feet Measurements Matter
Most bucket projects don’t need perfect precision. Close enough works.
But some situations need accurate cubic feet calculations:
- Mixing chemicals at specific ratios
- Aquarium medication dosing
- Structural concrete pours
- Resin or epoxy with exact requirements
- Any project where safety depends on precision
For those use proper measuring tools and check NIST measurement standards.
For regular gardening, hauling mulch, mixing concrete for fence posts? The 0.67 cubic feet estimate works fine.
Why 5 Gallon Buckets Are Better
Used probably 50 different storage containers over 20 years. 5 gallon buckets with 0.67 cubic feet capacity still beat everything else.
Reasons:
- Cheap ($3-5 new, often free from restaurants)
- Standardized volume (5 gallons/0.67 cu ft everywhere)
- Last forever (got 15 year old buckets still good)
- Stack when empty
- Easy to clean
- Have handles for carrying
- Lids available and cheap
- Food-grade options
- Waterproof
- Handle weather okay
Way better than plastic bins that crack or weird-shaped containers that don’t stack right.
Plus the standard 5 gallon = 0.67 cubic feet conversion makes all calculations easier.
Final Answer on 5 Gallon Bucket Cubic Feet
A 5 gallon bucket equals 0.67 cubic feet. Every standard bucket from Home Depot, Lowe’s, paint stores – same bucket capacity.
The conversion formula:
- Gallons to cubic feet: multiply by 0.134
- Cubic feet to gallons: multiply by 7.48
This gallon cubic foot conversion comes up constantly. Buying soil in cubic foot bags but filling gallon buckets. Mixing concrete measured in cubic feet using gallon containers. Hauling gravel or mulch. Food storage. Water transport. Emergency prep.
You’ll probably forget the exact numbers. That’s fine. Google “5 gallon bucket cubic feet” again next time.
But maybe now you understand what 5 gallons actually means in cubic feet and how bucket volume relates to buying materials.
And seriously don’t try carrying two full buckets of gravel. 140 pounds total. Your back won’t forgive you.