Volume: area times depth
Every calculator for a loose material does the same thing. It adds up the areas you entered, takes away the cut-outs, and multiplies by the depth.
- Rectangle: length × width
- Circle: π × diameter² ÷ 4
- Ring: π × (outer diameter² − inner diameter²) ÷ 4
- Triangle: base × height ÷ 2
- L-shape: overall length × overall width − the missing corner
Inside, lengths are kept in feet and volumes in cubic feet, so that a 10 × 12 ft bed at 3 in is exactly 30 cu ft. Metric measurements are converted by the exact definitions: 1 ft = 0.3048 m, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. One cubic yard is 27 cu ft.
Weight: loose, or compacted in place
Weight is volume times a density. Two kinds of density are kept apart:
- Loose, as the material is delivered. Used for gravel, soil and compost spread at the depth you enter.
- Compacted in place, for a base that is rolled or plate-compacted. The depth you enter is the finished one. The layer is weighed at its in-place density, and that weight is turned back into loose cubic yards, which is what a supplier loads. The loose volume is larger than the space it ends up filling.
Rounding
- An exact result shows two decimals.
- A purchase count, such as bags, always rounds up to the next whole one, and never down.
- Bulk to order rounds up to the next quarter of a cubic yard, or of a cubic metre.
- Weight to order rounds up to the next tenth of a ton.
- Several areas are added before anything is rounded: bags are counted once, on the total.
- Lengths show to 1/16 in, or to 1 mm.
Extra, when you ask for it, is added before the rounding. Loose materials start at no extra, because nothing is cut to fit; 5 and 10% are one press away.
What the materials weigh
Every figure below is a default: you can type your supplier’s own in its place on any calculator. Weight changes with the kind of rock or soil and with how wet it is, which is why each has a range.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57) | 1.4 (2,800 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Pea gravel | 1.35 (2,700 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Crusher run and driveway gravel | 1.4 (2,800 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Decomposed granite | 1.35 (2,700 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Outdoor Warehouse Supply |
| Compacted stone base, compacted in place | 1.89 (3,780 lb) | 1.82 to 1.89 | Iowa Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands |
| Topsoil | 1.1 (2,200 lb) | 1 to 1.3 | Sands & Soils, Topsoil.com |
| Fill dirt | 1.3 (2,600 lb) | 1 to 1.5 | Sands & Soils, Topsoil.com |
| Compost | 0.58 (1,150 lb) | 0.25 to 0.58 | Washington State University Extension, Sands & Soils |
| Wood mulch | 0.28 (550 lb) | 0.25 to 0.3 | Sands & Soils |
Sources
Each figure was read at its source on the day shown. They are read again every three months.
- Earthstone Rock, Cubic Yards vs. Tons for Landscape Rock. Landscape rock about 2,800 lb per cubic yard; decomposed granite, landscape gravel and pea gravel about 2,700 lb; most rock between 1.3 and 1.5 tons per cubic yard. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Wash Rock. A cubic yard of #57 wash rock weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Raleigh Wash Rock. A cubic yard of wash rock, sold as #67 stone and as pea gravel, weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Crush and Run. A cubic yard of crush and run weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Outdoor Warehouse Supply, Decomposed Granite, 1/4 in minus. A cubic yard of decomposed granite weighs approximately 2,700 to 3,000 lb, depending on moisture. Read on .
- Iowa Department of Transportation, Design Manual 1B-4: Densities for Use in Estimating Quantities. Class A crushed stone and rolled stone base: 140 lb per cubic foot (revision of 21 May 2026). Read on .
- Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands, Application Rates and Weights for Estimating Purposes. Aggregate base: 139.0 lb per cubic foot. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Topsoil. A cubic yard of topsoil weighs approximately 2,200 lb. Read on .
- Topsoil.com, Cubic Yard of Topsoil Weight. Dry topsoil 1,500 to 2,200 lb per cubic yard (about 2,000 on average), moist 2,200 to 2,600 lb, saturated 2,600 to 3,000 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Fill Dirt. A cubic yard of fill dirt weighs approximately 2,600 lb. Read on .
- Washington State University Extension, Recommended Compost Best Management Practices Guide (2016). To convert cubic yards of compost to tons, use 1,150 lb per cubic yard, or the bulk density on the compost’s own analysis. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Leaf Compost. A cubic yard of leaf compost weighs approximately 500 to 600 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Triple Shredded Hardwood Mulch. A cubic yard of triple shredded hardwood mulch weighs approximately 500 to 600 lb. Read on .
- US Rock, How to Install a Gravel Driveway or Pathway. Gravel 2 to 3 in deep for pathways and 3 to 4 in for driveways, over 3 to 4 in of compacted road base or crushed rock. Read on .
- Oregon State University Extension Service, How to Use Compost in Gardens and Landscapes (EM 9308). On a lawn, spread compost one-quarter to one-half inch deep after core aeration. New vegetable beds: 3 to 4 in of compost, worked into the top 8 to 12 in. Existing beds: one-quarter to 1 in a year. Read on .
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Core Aeration of Lawns. Top-dress a lawn with a thin layer (1/4 in) of fine compost, together with core aeration. Read on .
- Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment. A minimum of 4 to 6 in (settled depth) of good-quality topsoil is typically needed to establish good-quality turf. Read on .
- University of Illinois Extension, Proper Mulching Techniques. The recommended mulch depth is 2 to 4 in: composted materials 2 to 3 in, coarse mulches 3 to 4 in. Keep mulch at least 4 in away from the trunk. Read on .
- Scotts, Nature Scapes Color Enhanced Mulch, 1.5 cu ft. Sold in 1.5 cu ft bags. Spread 3 in deep and keep it several inches from tree trunks. Read on .
- Quikrete, All-Purpose Gravel (No. 1151). Clean gravel of about 3/8 in, sold in 50 lb bags. Read on .
What the calculators do not cover
Nothing structural: no spans, no footing or post sizes, no slab thickness, no rebar design. No building-code verdicts. Where a page shows a reference value from a code, it stands beside your own figure without a pass or a fail, and your local code may differ.
Reporting an error
If a result looks wrong, write to [email protected] with the address of the page as you had it. The address holds your inputs, so we can repeat the calculation exactly. We fix what is wrong and change the date on the page.
Updated . Found a mistake? Tell us.