Square Feet to Square Yards Converter

Nine square feet make one square yard. That's the whole conversion, and the number catches people out because a yard is three feet, so the instinct is to divide by 3. Area squares the length conversion, so it's 9. Enter your square footage below and the converter runs it either way.

The formula

Square yards = square feet / 9

Square feet = square yards x 9

A yard is 3 feet, so a square yard is a square 3 feet on each side: 3 x 3 = 9 square feet. The same logic gives 144 square inches in a square foot (12 squared) and 10,000 square centimeters in a square meter (100 squared). Every area conversion is its length conversion squared.

That means a 12 by 16 foot room at 192 square feet is 192 / 9 = 21.3 square yards. A 10 by 12 bedroom at 120 square feet is 13.3 square yards.

Square feet to square yards table

Square feet	Square yards
10 sq ft	1.11 sq yd
25 sq ft	2.78 sq yd
50 sq ft	5.56 sq yd
100 sq ft	11.11 sq yd
150 sq ft	16.67 sq yd
200 sq ft	22.22 sq yd
250 sq ft	27.78 sq yd
300 sq ft	33.33 sq yd
400 sq ft	44.44 sq yd
500 sq ft	55.56 sq yd
750 sq ft	83.33 sq yd
1,000 sq ft	111.11 sq yd
1,500 sq ft	166.67 sq yd
2,000 sq ft	222.22 sq yd

Square yards to square feet table

Square yards	Square feet
1 sq yd	9 sq ft
5 sq yd	45 sq ft
10 sq yd	90 sq ft
15 sq yd	135 sq ft
20 sq yd	180 sq ft
25 sq yd	225 sq ft
30 sq yd	270 sq ft
40 sq yd	360 sq ft
50 sq yd	450 sq ft
75 sq yd	675 sq ft
100 sq yd	900 sq ft
150 sq yd	1,350 sq ft
200 sq yd	1,800 sq ft

Why this conversion exists: carpet

Almost everyone who needs this is buying carpet. Carpet is most commonly sold by the square yard in the United States, while rooms are measured in square feet, so the two units meet at the point of sale and the quote gets confusing.

It also makes price comparison treacherous. A carpet at $30 per square yard and one at $3.50 per square foot sound like different worlds until you convert: $30 per square yard is $3.33 per square foot, so the second one is more expensive. Always get both quotes into the same unit before comparing.

Worked example. A 14 by 18 foot living room is 252 square feet, which is 28 square yards. At $32 per square yard, the carpet is $896 before padding, installation, and waste.

Roll width changes what you actually order

Converting the area is only half of a carpet order. Most residential carpet comes in 12 foot wide rolls, with 13.5 and 15 foot widths available on some lines, and the roll width decides how much of it you end up paying for.

A room 13 feet wide needs either a seam or a 15 foot roll, and with a 12 foot roll you'll be charged for the full width across the room's length regardless of the foot you didn't use. That's why installers add 5 to 20 percent over the actual square footage for waste, with the high end on patterned carpet, where the pattern has to align across seams.

The practical version: give the installer your room dimensions, not just the square footage. They plan the seam placement and the roll direction, and that decides the order. The flooring calculator applies a waste factor by material, and the room calculator handles L-shaped rooms first.

Where else square yards turn up

Concrete and asphalt paving. Road and driveway work is often quoted per square yard rather than per square foot.

Fabric and upholstery. Sold by the linear yard off a bolt of known width, which is a different calculation. The linear foot calculator covers converting area to length when the width is fixed.

Topsoil and sod. Sod is commonly sold by the square yard or in pallets covering a set area, while sod pallets and lawn coverage are worked out from square feet.

Metric conversions. A square yard is 0.836 square meters, so 100 square yards is about 83.6 square meters. A square meter is slightly larger than a square yard, by about 19.6 percent.

Common mistakes

Dividing by 3. The most common error by far. A yard is 3 feet, but a square yard is 9 square feet.

Comparing a per-square-yard price to a per-square-foot price. Divide the square yard price by 9 first. A $27 per square yard carpet is $3 per square foot.

Ordering the converted area exactly. Carpet comes off a fixed-width roll, so the amount billed is usually more than the room's area. Add the waste factor.

Confusing square yards with linear yards. Fabric and some carpet are quoted by the linear yard off a roll of known width. That's a length, not an area.

Frequently asked questions

How many square feet are in a square yard?

9 square feet. A square yard is a square 3 feet on each side, and 3 x 3 = 9.

How do I convert square feet to square yards?

Divide the square footage by 9. A 300 square foot room is 300 / 9 = 33.3 square yards. To go the other way, multiply square yards by 9.

Why do I divide by 9 and not 3?

Because you're converting an area, not a length. A yard is 3 feet, so a square yard is 3 feet by 3 feet, which is 9 square feet. Area conversions always square the length factor, which is also why there are 144 square inches in a square foot.

How many square yards is a 12x12 room?

16 square yards. A 12 by 12 room is 144 square feet, and 144 / 9 = 16.

How do I calculate square yards for carpet?

Measure the room's length and width in feet, multiply for the square footage, then divide by 9. Add 5 to 20 percent for waste, and give the installer your room dimensions too, since the 12 foot roll width decides where the seams fall and how much gets billed.

How many square yards is 1,000 square feet?

111.11 square yards. Divide any square footage by 9.

How do I convert square yards to square meters?

Multiply by 0.836127. A square yard is slightly smaller than a square meter, so 100 square yards is 83.6 square meters.

Is carpet sold by the square foot or square yard?

Most US carpet is sold by the square yard, though some retailers quote per square foot to look cheaper by comparison. Convert both quotes to the same unit before deciding: $30 per square yard is $3.33 per square foot.

Square Feet to Square Yards Converter