Aggregate & Material Calculators
Turn area and depth into cubic yards and delivered tons.
Aggregate and material calculators answer the question every bulk delivery depends on: how many tons is that? Gravel, crushed stone, road base, sand and mulch are measured as an area at a depth, quoted by the cubic yard, and delivered by weight — three different units for one order, with a material-specific density sitting between them.
These tools carry the density for each material, apply a compaction allowance where it matters, and show the conversion so you can check the figure against what the quarry quotes.
Calculators in this category
Who these calculators are for
Anyone ordering a delivery
Aggregate arrives by the truckload and is charged by weight. Ordering short means a second delivery charge for a fraction of a load; ordering long means paying to have surplus dumped on your drive.
Homeowners doing driveways and paths
A gravel driveway is one of the cheapest surfaces available at $1–$3 per square foot, but only if the depth is right. Too shallow and it rutts within a season; too deep and you have paid for stone that does nothing.
Landscapers and garden projects
Mulch, topsoil and decorative stone are all area-times-depth calculations, usually across several beds of different shapes. Mulch at 3 inches behaves very differently from mulch at 1 inch, both in cost and in whether it actually suppresses weeds.
Contractors specifying base layers
Sub-base under paving, bedding under pipe, backfill in trenches — all priced by the ton and all sensitive to the compaction factor between loose delivered volume and compacted in-place volume.
How they help
They convert volume to delivered weight
Loose gravel runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, or 2,800 lb. That figure varies by stone size, moisture and material, so the density used is stated rather than assumed silently.
They account for compaction
Aggregate is delivered loose and installed compacted, and the difference is real — commonly 15–25% depending on material and effort. Ordering to the compacted volume without allowing for it leaves you short.
They match depth to purpose
A footpath, a car driveway and a road base need very different depths. The right depth is what determines whether the surface survives a winter, and it is more consequential than any pricing difference between suppliers.
They price by the unit you actually buy
Some suppliers quote by the ton, some by the cubic yard, some by the bag. Results carry all three so you can compare quotes that are not stated in the same units.
Worth saving for next time
Aggregate calculations recur constantly and rarely arrive one at a time — a driveway base, then bedding sand, then decorative stone for the borders, each a different material with a different density over the same measured area.
Having the densities in one consistent place, with the assumption visible on every result, is what stops two calculations from quietly using two different figures. Results share as a link and print as a job sheet for the delivery driver.
Aggregates & Materials guides
Gravel Driveway Cost — A gravel driveway installs at $1–$3 per square foot — a fifth the price of asphalt. Here is the cost itemised into stone, hauling and compaction, with the tonnage arithmetic shown.
Aggregates & Materials calculator FAQ
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Work out cubic yards — length × width × (depth in inches ÷ 12), divided by 27 — then multiply by about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for loose gravel. A 20 × 10 ft area at 4 inches is 2.47 cubic yards, or roughly 3.5 tons.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
Around 2,800 lb, or 1.4 tons, loose. Crushed stone runs slightly heavier and washed or rounded stone slightly lighter, and wet material can add 5–10%.
How deep should a gravel driveway be?
4–6 inches of compacted material for cars, ideally in two layers — a coarser base and a finer top. Light foot paths manage on 2–3 inches. Anything carrying heavy vehicles needs 8 inches or more over a properly prepared subgrade.
How much mulch do I need?
Multiply bed area by depth. At the usual 3 inches, one cubic yard covers about 108 square feet. Bagged mulch is typically 2 cubic feet per bag, so a cubic yard is 13–14 bags.
Should I order extra for compaction?
Yes. Aggregate is delivered loose and compacts 15–25% once rolled or driven on. If your depth figure is the finished compacted depth, add that allowance or you will finish short.
Is it cheaper to buy gravel in bulk or bags?
Bulk, once you are past roughly a cubic yard. Bagged stone can cost several times as much per unit volume, but bulk carries a delivery charge and needs somewhere to be tipped — so small jobs still favour bags.