Calculate cut and fill earthwork volumes from a grid of field elevation shots. Enter your existing ground elevations and design grades, set the grid spacing, and instantly see total cut, fill, and net balance in cubic yards — with a color-coded grid showing where material moves. Perfect for grading plans, pad certification, and earthwork bid estimates.
The grid method (also called the borrow-pit method) is one of three standard earthwork volume methods alongside the average end area method and prismoidal method. It divides the site into a regular grid, takes an elevation at each grid point, and calculates volume as the sum of prismoidal columns.
The grid method works best for sites with moderate topographic variation. For highly irregular terrain or deep cuts, supplement with cross-sections or drone-based point clouds. The accuracy improves as grid spacing decreases — a 25-ft grid is roughly 3–5× more accurate than a 100-ft grid for the same site.
Each grid cell represents a prismoidal column of earth. The volume per cell = (existing elevation − design elevation) × cell area / 27 (to convert cubic feet to cubic yards). Positive difference = cut; negative = fill. All cells are summed for totals.
Soil changes volume when excavated (swell) or compacted (shrink). A shrink factor of 1.25 means 1 CY of bank soil becomes 1.25 CY of loose material. Applied to cut volumes, it gives you the "loose" volume needed for haul trucks. Fill calculations typically use a compaction factor (0.8–0.9) to account for material densification.
Common grid spacings: 50-ft grid for large grading sites, 25-ft for medium sites or slopes, 10-ft for small areas or high precision. Tighter grids give more accurate results but require more shots. For rough estimates, 50-ft grids are adequate; for pad certification, use 10–25 ft grids.
Type elevations in each row, separated by tabs, spaces, or commas. One row per line. For example: "100.0 100.2 99.8" on one line means three points across that row. Paste directly from a spreadsheet for fastest entry.
Net balance = Total Cut − Total Fill. Positive net = more cut than fill (surplus material to export). Negative net = more fill than cut (need to import material). Zero net = balanced cut/fill — ideal for minimizing haul costs.
Calculate cut and fill earthwork volumes from a grid of field shots. Enter existing and design elevations, get CY volumes per cell, total cut, fill, and net balance. Color-coded grid shows where material moves.
1.0 = balanced, 1.25 = typical cut
Tab, comma, or space-separated. One row per line.
Same grid layout as existing.
Get a GPS rover or data collector for fast, accurate shot grids in the field.
Shop Express Tools →Each grid cell represents a prismoidal column of earth. The volume per cell = (existing elevation − design elevation) × cell area / 27 (to convert cubic feet to cubic yards). Positive difference = cut; negative = fill. All cells are summed for totals.
Soil changes volume when excavated (swell) or compacted (shrink). A shrink factor of 1.25 means 1 CY of bank soil becomes 1.25 CY of loose material. Applied to cut volumes, it gives you the "loose" volume needed for haul trucks. Fill calculations typically use a compaction factor (0.8–0.9) to account for material densification.
Common grid spacings: 50-ft grid for large grading sites, 25-ft for medium sites or slopes, 10-ft for small areas or high precision. Tighter grids give more accurate results but require more shots. For rough estimates, 50-ft grids are adequate; for pad certification, use 10–25 ft grids.
Type elevations in each row, separated by tabs, spaces, or commas. One row per line. For example: "100.0 100.2 99.8" on one line means three points across that row. Paste directly from a spreadsheet for fastest entry.
Net balance = Total Cut − Total Fill. Positive net = more cut than fill (surplus material to export). Negative net = more fill than cut (need to import material). Zero net = balanced cut/fill — ideal for minimizing haul costs.