Gravel Calculator
Give the area as length and width or as a total, and the depth, in feet and inches or in meters and centimeters. Add a price per ton, per cubic yard or per bag if you want a cost, or leave it empty. Press Calculate. You get the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, the number of 0.5 cu ft bags, the weight in pounds, kilograms, US tons and metric tonnes, counted at 2,800 lb per cubic yard, and the cost at your price.
How to use the Gravel Calculator
- Enter your numbers in the Gravel Calculator above.
- Press the Calculate button to see the result.
- To try other numbers, change any value and press the button again.
The gravel calculation
Volume = Area × Depth · · · Weight = Cubic yards × 2,800 lb · · · US tons = Pounds / 2,000 · · · Bags = Cubic feet / 0.5 · · · Cost = Amount × Price
Area and depth have to be in the same unit before you multiply, so 4 inches counts as 4/12 of a foot. The calculator does that for you. It uses one weight for all gravel, 2,800 lb per cubic yard or about 1,661 kg per cubic meter, so the weight and the tons are estimates. Your supplier can tell you the weight of the stone you buy. A cost per ton depends on that weight. A cost per cubic yard does not. A cost per bag is counted on whole bags, rounded up. No cost adds delivery, tax or extra stone.
Worked example
200 sq ft, 4 inches deep: 200 × 4/12 = 66.67 cubic feet, or 2.47 cubic yards. At 2,800 lb per cubic yard the calculator puts the weight at 6,914 lb, which is 3.46 US tons. In 0.5 cu ft bags that is 134 bags. At a price of $45 per ton the gravel costs $155.56. At $60 per cubic yard it costs $148.15, and at $6 per bag it costs $804.00. These prices are examples, so enter what your supplier charges.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel do I need?
The calculator shows US tons of 2,000 lb and metric tonnes of 1,000 kg. It counts every gravel at 2,800 lb per cubic yard, or 1.4 US tons, so 200 sq ft at 4 inches deep comes to 3.46 US tons or 3.14 tonnes. If your supplier gives another weight per cubic yard, multiply the cubic yards by that weight and divide by 2,000.
How do I work out the cost of gravel?
Type the price and pick what it is per: a US ton, a cubic yard or a bag, or a tonne or cubic meter in metric. Leave the price empty and the calculator skips the cost. The cost covers only the amount shown. It has no delivery, tax or extra stone in it, and the note under the result suggests 10–15% extra.
Bagged vs. bulk gravel?
Bulk gravel is sold by volume or by weight, bagged gravel by the bag. The calculator gives the cubic yards, the tons and the number of 0.5 cu ft bags, and you can price any of them to compare.
Can I use it for sand or topsoil?
Yes. Click Sand or Topsoil instead of Gravel. Sand counts 2,700 lb per cubic yard in 0.5 cu ft bags, topsoil 2,200 lb per cubic yard in 1 cu ft bags.