Price Per Yard Calculator
This tool calculates the standardized cost per yard for any item sold by length. It's perfect for comparing prices of materials like fabric, ribbon, rope, or cable, especially when they are sold in different units.
Enter the Total Price you paid and the Total Length of the item. Select the correct unit of measurement for the length.
Enter Your Item's Details
Understanding Price Per Yard & Formulas
Why Calculate Price Per Yard?
Price per yard is a standard unit price that allows for an easy "apples-to-apples" comparison of materials sold by length. A store might sell fabric for $15 per meter, while another sells a similar one for $14 per yard. By converting both to a price per yard, you can instantly see which is the better value.
Unit Conversion Formulas Used
To standardize the price, the calculator first converts the total length you provide into its equivalent in yards using these standard formulas:
- From Feet to Yards:
Yards = Feet / 3 - From Inches to Yards:
Yards = Inches / 36 - From Meters to Yards:
Yards = Meters * 1.09361 - From Centimeters to Yards:
Yards = Centimeters / 91.44
Once the total length is in yards, the final calculation is straightforward:
Price Per Yard = Total Price / Total Length in Yards
10 Real-Life Examples
Click on an example to see how the calculation works in practice.
Example 1: Basic Fabric Purchase
Scenario: You buy 3 yards of cotton fabric for a total of $45.
1. Inputs: Price = $45, Length = 3, Unit = Yards.
2. Conversion: No conversion needed as the unit is already yards.
3. Calculation: $45 / 3 yards
4. Result: The price is $15.00 per yard.
Example 2: Ribbon Sold by the Foot
Scenario: A craft store sells a 10-foot spool of satin ribbon for $5.00.
1. Inputs: Price = $5, Length = 10, Unit = Feet.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 10 feet / 3 = 3.333 yards.
3. Calculation: $5 / 3.333 yards
4. Result: The price is $1.50 per yard.
Example 3: Trim Sold by the Inch
Scenario: You find a small package of decorative trim containing 72 inches for $3.50.
1. Inputs: Price = $3.50, Length = 72, Unit = Inches.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 72 inches / 36 = 2 yards.
3. Calculation: $3.50 / 2 yards
4. Result: The price is $1.75 per yard.
Example 4: Fabric from Europe (Metric)
Scenario: You are shopping online and find a fabric from a European store that costs €20 for 1 meter.
1. Inputs: Price = 20, Length = 1, Unit = Meters.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 1 meter * 1.09361 = 1.094 yards.
3. Calculation: €20 / 1.094 yards
4. Result: The price is approximately €18.29 per yard.
Example 5: Garden Hose Comparison
Scenario: A 50-foot garden hose costs $29.99.
1. Inputs: Price = $29.99, Length = 50, Unit = Feet.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 50 feet / 3 = 16.667 yards.
3. Calculation: $29.99 / 16.667 yards
4. Result: The price is approximately $1.80 per yard.
Example 6: Bulk Electrical Wire
Scenario: A 250-foot roll of electrical wire is priced at $65.
1. Inputs: Price = $65, Length = 250, Unit = Feet.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 250 feet / 3 = 83.333 yards.
3. Calculation: $65 / 83.333 yards
4. Result: The price is $0.78 per yard.
Example 7: Lace Trim in Centimeters
Scenario: An imported lace trim is sold in 500 cm packages for $12.
1. Inputs: Price = $12, Length = 500, Unit = Centimeters.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 500 cm / 91.44 = 5.468 yards.
3. Calculation: $12 / 5.468 yards
4. Result: The price is approximately $2.20 per yard.
Example 8: Comparing Ropes
Scenario: Store A sells a 50-foot rope for $15. Store B sells a 20-yard rope for $20.
Store A: Input Price=$15, Length=50, Unit=Feet -> Result: $0.90 per yard.
Store B: Input Price=$20, Length=20, Unit=Yards -> Result: $1.00 per yard.
Conclusion: Store A's rope is the better value.
Example 9: Buying Upholstery Fabric
Scenario: You need 4.5 yards of upholstery fabric that costs $112.50 in total.
1. Inputs: Price = $112.50, Length = 4.5, Unit = Yards.
2. Conversion: No conversion needed.
3. Calculation: $112.50 / 4.5 yards
4. Result: The price is $25.00 per yard.
Example 10: Pricing Crafting Foil
Scenario: A roll of crafting foil is 5 meters long and costs $9.95.
1. Inputs: Price = $9.95, Length = 5, Unit = Meters.
2. Conversion: Length in Yards = 5 meters * 1.09361 = 5.468 yards.
3. Calculation: $9.95 / 5.468 yards
4. Result: The price is approximately $1.82 per yard.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is the main purpose of this calculator?
Its primary purpose is to standardize the price of items sold by length to a common unit (price per yard), which makes it easy to compare costs and find the best value, regardless of the original unit of sale.
2. What units of length can I use as input?
You can enter the length in Yards, Feet, Inches, Meters, or Centimeters. The calculator will handle the conversion to yards automatically.
3. I see "$NaN" or "$Infinity" in the result. What did I do wrong?
This error occurs if one of the input fields is left blank, or if you enter a zero or negative number. Both "Total Price" and "Total Length" must be positive numbers for a valid calculation.
4. Does the calculator only work for US Dollars ($)?
No. While the display uses the "$" symbol, the math is currency-agnostic. You can enter the price in any currency (like Euros, Pounds, etc.), and the resulting "price per yard" will be in that same currency.
5. How do I enter fractional lengths like 2 and a half yards?
You should enter all fractions as their decimal equivalents. For "2 and a half", you would enter `2.5`. For "6 inches", you would enter `0.5` feet or just use the inches unit.
6. Is this calculator useful for bulk purchases?
Yes, absolutely. It's perfect for finding the unit price of large rolls. For example, you can enter the total price and length of a 300-foot roll of carpet to see its price per yard.
7. Why is "Price Per Yard" the standard for comparison?
In many industries, especially textiles and fabrics in the United States, the yard is the most common unit of sale. Using it as a baseline makes comparisons intuitive for a wide range of materials.
8. The calculator doesn't work on my webpage. What's the problem?
This tool is designed as a self-contained block. If it fails, it's likely due to a conflict with your website's theme or another plugin that aggressively modifies scripts. This version is built to be robust, but severe conflicts can still occur.
9. How accurate are the metric-to-imperial conversions?
The calculator uses internationally recognized standard conversion factors (e.g., 1 meter = 1.09361 yards). This provides high accuracy suitable for all consumer and commercial price comparisons.
10. Can I use this to calculate price per foot or price per meter?
While this tool is specifically designed to output price per yard, you could find the price per foot by taking the final result and dividing it by 3. To find the price per meter, you could take the final result and divide it by 1.09361.
