🪨 Gravel Calculator
Work out how much gravel or crushed stone you need in cubic yards and tons, plus bags and cost, for a rectangle, circle or known area.
Material weight, bags and price
2,800 lb (1.4 tons) per cubic yard — about 1,660 kg per m³ — is a common planning figure for gravel and crushed stone. Weight depends on the stone size and moisture — use your supplier’s number for the exact product when you have it.
Covers 200 ft² at 3 in deep, plus 10% extra. Bulk suppliers usually sell by the ton or the cubic yard and may round up to the nearest half or whole unit.
What Gravel Calculator Does
This gravel calculator works out how much gravel, crushed stone or similar aggregate a project needs — in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, and in tons and metric tonnes — from the size of the area and the depth you want. It also gives the number of bags for small jobs and the material cost if you enter a price per ton or per cubic yard.
Weight is where most estimates go wrong. A cubic yard of gravel commonly weighs around 1.4 tons, but the real figure depends on the stone size, how much sand and fines are mixed in, and how wet it is. Rather than presenting one number as fact, the calculator uses 2,800 lb per cubic yard as a planning default and lets you enter your supplier’s figure for the exact product.
How to Use Gravel Calculator
- Choose feet and inches or meters and centimeters
- Pick the area shape and enter its measurements
- Enter the depth and an allowance for compaction and waste
- Adjust the weight per cubic yard to your supplier’s figure
- Read cubic yards, tons, bags and optional cost
Formula Used by Gravel Calculator
Volume and weight
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in ÷ 12) × (1 + extra) ÷ 27 · Tons = cubic yards × lb per yd³ ÷ 2,000
Worked example
A 20 × 10 ft area, 3 inches deep, 10% extra, 2,800 lb per yd³.
- 20 × 10 × 0.25 = 50 ft³
- 50 × 1.10 = 55 ft³
- 55 ÷ 27 = 2.04 yd³
- 2.04 × 2,800 ÷ 2,000
Result: 2.04 cubic yards, about 2.85 tons.
Coverage of One Cubic Yard
Area covered by 27 cubic feet at each depth, before extra for compaction.
| Depth | Area covered |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 ft² |
| 2 inches | 162 ft² |
| 3 inches | 108 ft² |
| 4 inches | 81 ft² |
| 6 inches | 54 ft² |
How to Read Your Result
Ordering
Bulk suppliers sell by the ton or by the cubic yard and often have minimum loads or delivery fees, so small orders cost more per ton. Round up rather than down — a second delivery for a small shortfall usually costs more than a little extra material.
Bags vs bulk
Bagged stone is easy to carry and store and suits planters and short paths. Past about a cubic yard (54 half-cubic-foot bags), bulk delivery is almost always cheaper and faster.
Limitations & Accuracy Notes
- The default weight per cubic yard is a planning figure; actual weight varies by material, stone size and moisture.
- Depth and the number of layers for driveways and structural bases should follow your contractor’s specification or local guidance.
- Slopes and uneven ground change the volume; measure the average depth.