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Calculate cubic yards and estimated weight in US tons for driveways, garden pathways, French drains, and patio sub-bases.
💡 Contractor Tip: For quantities exceeding 2 to 3 tons, purchasing bulk aggregate delivered by dump truck is significantly cheaper than purchasing individual 50-lb bagged stone from retail centers.
Convert depth in inches into feet (depth ÷ 12), multiply by length and width to find cubic feet, and divide by 27:
For example, a 50 ft × 4 ft walkway at 3 inches deep: (50 × 4 × 0.25) ÷ 27 = 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 cubic yards.
Landscape aggregate and crushed stone typically weigh 1.4 tons (2,800 lbs) per cubic yard:
1.85 cubic yards × 1.4 = 2.59 tons (~5,180 lbs).
Vibratory plate compaction settles loose gravel by 5% to 10%. Dense crusher run with fine rock powder weighs up to 1.5 tons/yd³, whereas lightweight volcanic stone weighs closer to 0.8 tons/yd³.
Gravel, Crushed Stone & Aggregate Calculator. Calculate gravel volume in cubic yards, cubic feet, and required tons for driveways, pathways, and drainage foundations. ZechKit provides this tool completely free and online, optimized for instant, accurate computations directly inside your web browser.
A Gravel Calculator estimates the volume and weight of crushed stone, pea gravel, and road base aggregates needed for driveways, patios, and drainage systems.
Formulas: Volume (cu ft) = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft). Volume (cu yds) = Volume (cu ft) / 27. Weight in Tons = Volume (cu yds) × Bulk Density Factor (typically 1.35 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard for standard crushed stone).
Compaction Factor: Crushed gravel compacts by 15% to 20% when rolled or plate-tamped; order extra material to achieve your target finished depth.
Landscape Fabric: Installing heavy-duty woven geotextile fabric beneath gravel stops weeds and prevents gravel from sinking into subsoil.
What is the formula to convert cubic yards of gravel to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by 1.4 (e.g., 10 cubic yards × 1.4 ≈ 14 tons of crushed gravel).
