Turn an area and a depth into cubic yards, tons and bags for gravel, sand, fill dirt, topsoil, mulch and asphalt. Each page explains the weight per yard it uses and where that figure comes from, so you can match it to your supplier.
Which landscaping calculator do you need?
Every bulk material is sold one of three ways: by the cubic yard (most garden centers and quarries), by the ton (stone yards and aggregate suppliers), or by the bag (home stores). Pick the calculator for your material, enter the area and depth, and it gives you all three so you can order the way your supplier sells. Not sure how much area you have? Start with the square footage calculator to get the area first.
| Project | Typical depth | Calculator |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel driveway (new) | 4–6 in, in two layers | Gravel, Crushed stone |
| Patio or walkway base under pavers | 4–6 in base + 1 in sand | Paver base, Sand |
| Garden beds and borders | 2–3 in mulch | Mulch |
| Raised beds | Full bed depth | Raised bed soil |
| New lawn | 4–6 in topsoil, then sod or seed | Topsoil, Sod, Grass seed |
| Decorative rock and drainage | 2–4 in | River rock, Pea gravel, Rock |
| Leveling and fill | Varies | Fill dirt |
| Paths with a natural look | 3–4 in, compacted | Decomposed granite |
How much does a cubic yard weigh?
Weight is why the same yard of material can cost very different amounts to deliver. These are the ranges our calculators use; check your supplier’s figure, because moisture and gradation change it.
| Material | Weight per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Gravel, crushed stone, river rock | 2,500–2,900 lb |
| Pea gravel | 2,700–2,900 lb |
| Decomposed granite | 2,800–3,200 lb |
| Sand (dry; damp is heavier) | 2,500–2,900 lb |
| Fill dirt | 2,200–2,500 lb |
| Topsoil (dry) | 1,500–2,200 lb |
| Mulch, bark, wood chips | 500–800 lb |
A standard pickup bed safely carries about half a cubic yard of gravel or sand, so anything over a yard is usually cheaper to have delivered. For the math behind yards and tons, see how to calculate cubic yards and the cubic yards to tons calculator.
Three mistakes that lead to short orders
- Forgetting compaction. Gravel and base compact by roughly 10–15%, so order extra for driveways and paver bases.
- Measuring depth in the wrong unit. Enter depth in inches, not feet; 3 inches is 0.25 ft, not 3 ft.
- Ignoring irregular shapes. Split the area into rectangles and circles, total them, then add 5–10% for waste.