Gravel calculator
Cubic yards or cubic metres of gravel, stone or sand, and its weight
Type the area and depth. The example is a 10 ft by 10 ft area, 3 inches deep.
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- Same volume, other units
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- Approximate weight
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- Before the extra
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An estimate of quantity from the sizes you typed, not an order list or a price. Check structural work, and anything covered by a building code, with your local code or a qualified person.
How the amount is worked out
Volume is area x depth. The depth is turned into feet or metres first: 3 inches is 0.25 ft and 75 mm is 0.075 m. Then the extra allowance is added. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet (3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft).
Weight
Quarries and yards often sell by weight, so the volume is multiplied by the weight of one cubic yard or cubic metre. That figure depends on the stone, its size, how wet it is and how tightly it is packed, so the box starts at a typical figure for crushed stone. Ask your supplier for the figure for the product you are buying and type it in. US tons here are short tons of 2,000 lb; a metric tonne is 1,000 kg (about 1.1 short tons).
Worked example
10 ft x 10 ft x 3 in: 10 x 10 x 0.25 = 25 cu ft, or 0.926 cu yd. Add 10%: 27.5 cu ft, or 1.019 cu yd. At 1.35 tons per cubic yard that is about 1.38 tons.
What it does not know
It does not know how deep a base must be for a drive, a shed or a patio. That depends on the load, the ground and the local rules, so check with your supplier, the product maker or a qualified person. For bagged decorative stone, use the bag size printed on the bag. For loose bark, see the mulch calculator.
Defaults and where they come from
Every default is only a starting point. Change any box to match what you are buying or building.
| Default | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Weight of gravel | 1.35 tons per cu yd (1.60 tonnes per m³); usual range about 1.1 to 1.6 tons per cu yd | No standard sets this: it changes with stone type, size, moisture and packing. Suppliers quote their own figure; ask for it. |
| Extra allowance | 10% (usual 5 to 15%) | Common practice for compaction, uneven ground and spillage. No standard sets a figure. |
| Conversions | 1 cu yd = 27 cu ft = 0.764555 m³; 1 short ton = 2,000 lb = 907.18 kg | Exact definitions. |