Square Feet to Square Yards: Formula, Conversion Table and Carpet Examples

To convert square feet to square yards, divide by 9. One square yard is 3 ft × 3 ft = 9 square feet, so 144 sq ft ÷ 9 = 16 square yards. To go the other way, multiply square yards by 9.

Why divide by 9?

A square yard is the area of a square that is 1 yard on each side. Since 1 yard is 3 feet, that square measures 3 ft × 3 ft = 9 square feet. Area has two dimensions, so the factor of 3 shows up twice, and that is why you divide by 9 and not by 3. NIST Handbook 44 lists 1 square yard as 9 square feet exactly.

The formula

square yards = square feet ÷ 9
square feet  = square yards × 9

If you only have a length in feet, you need the width too. Multiply length (ft) × width (ft) to get square feet, then divide by 9. A 30 ft × 3 ft runner is 90 sq ft, which is 10 square yards. For help measuring odd shapes, see how to calculate square feet.

Square feet to square yards table

Common room sizes in square yards

For a room, multiply length by width, and divide by 9. A 12 ft × 15 ft room is 180 sq ft ÷ 9 = 20 square yards. For a whole house, the average square footage of a house guide gives U.S. Census figures in square feet.

How does roll width affect carpet in square yards?

Carpet is often priced per square yard but sold from rolls with a fixed width. A common roll width is 12 ft, though widths vary by product, so confirm it with your retailer. You pay for the full roll width times the length you cut, not only for the floor area, and the difference can be large.

Example 1: a room that matches the roll. The room is 12 ft × 15 ft. A 12 ft roll cut 15 ft long covers 12 × 15 = 180 sq ft, which is 180 ÷ 9 = 20 square yards. The room area and the purchase are the same.

Example 2: a narrower room. The room is 11 ft × 14 ft.

• Room area: 11 × 14 = 154 sq ft = 17.11 square yards
• Carpet bought: 12 ft wide × 14 ft long = 168 sq ft = 18.67 square yards
• The extra 1.56 square yards come from the roll being wider than the room.

Example 3: a room with one side wider than the roll. The room is 13 ft × 10 ft. Run the roll along the 13 ft side so the 10 ft width fits inside the 12 ft roll.

• Room area: 13 × 10 = 130 sq ft = 14.44 square yards
• Carpet bought: 12 ft wide × 13 ft long = 156 sq ft = 17.33 square yards

The layout, seams, pile direction and pattern all change how much carpet is cut. Ask the installer or retailer to plan the roll layout before you order. For other flooring, sold by the box, the waste and box coverage are product-specific, so use the numbers printed on the product. The Carpet Calculator shows the roll length at 12, 15 and 13 ft 6 in widths, and the Flooring Calculator counts boxes.

Other conversions

• Square yards to square meters: 1 square yard = 0.83612736 square meters, so 20 square yards = 16.72 square meters.
• Square yards to square inches: 1 square yard = 1,296 square inches (36 × 36).
• Acres: 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft = 4,840 square yards. See how many square feet are in an acre.

Common mistakes

• Dividing by 3. That converts length from feet to yards. Area needs 9.
• Mixing up square yards and cubic yards. A square yard is area (9 sq ft). A cubic yard is volume (27 cubic feet) and needs a depth. See how to calculate cubic yards.
• Entering length only. Feet alone are not an area. You need length and width.
• Buying the room area for rolled carpet. You pay for the full roll width, as in Examples 2 and 3.
• Forgetting inches. 12 ft 6 in is 12.5 ft before you multiply.

Questions people ask