Aggregate Calculator
Instantly calculate how much crushed stone, gravel, road base, or sand you need for your project. Convert your area into cubic yards and tons.
Whether you are laying a new gravel driveway, pouring a concrete slab that requires a compacted base, or filling landscape beds with pea gravel, ordering the correct amount of aggregate is critical. Ordering too much wastes money on delivery fees and excess material, while ordering too little brings your project to a frustrating halt.
Our aggregate calculator takes the guesswork out of ordering bulk materials. By converting your project’s two-dimensional square footage and desired depth into a three-dimensional volume, it instantly calculates the exact cubic yards and tons of crushed stone, gravel, or sand you need.
How to Calculate How Much Aggregate You Need
Aggregates (like gravel, crushed stone, and sand) are generally sold by material yards (volume) or by the ton (weight). To figure out your total material requirement, you must perform a basic volumetric calculation.
- Find the Square Footage: Measure the length and width of your project area in feet. Multiply them together to find your total area (Length × Width = Area).
- Convert Depth to Feet: You will likely measure your desired gravel depth in inches. You must divide this number by 12 to convert it to feet (e.g., 4 inches ÷ 12 = 0.333 feet).
- Calculate Cubic Feet: Multiply your total square footage by your depth in feet.
- Convert to Cubic Yards: Because there are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard, divide your total cubic feet by 27.
- Convert Yards to Tons: Finally, multiply your cubic yards by the specific density of your chosen material (usually between 1.35 and 1.5 tons per yard).
The Aggregate Calculation Formula
Cubic Yards = (Area in sq ft × (Depth in inches ÷ 12)) ÷ 27
Tons = Cubic Yards × Material Density
Common Aggregate Types & Densities (Yards to Tons)
The accuracy of an aggregate calculator relies heavily on using the correct material density. Not all rocks weigh the same. A cubic yard of dense, dust-filled base rock weighs significantly more than a cubic yard of lightweight lava rock.
| Aggregate Type | Average Density (Tons per yd³) | Best Use Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Crusher Run / Road Base (ABC) | ~1.50 tons | Driveway bases, under concrete slabs, paver bases. Packs tightly. |
| Standard Crushed Stone (#57) | ~1.40 tons | French drains, driveway top layers, landscaping. |
| Pea Gravel / River Rock | ~1.35 tons | Walkways, playgrounds, decorative garden beds. |
| Sand (Concrete, Masonry) | ~1.35 tons | Paver leveling beds, concrete mixing, sandboxes. |
Note: If you are calculating in metric, 1 cubic meter (m³) of standard aggregate weighs approximately 1.6 to 1.8 metric tonnes.
Aggregate Coverage Chart
If you prefer a quick reference without doing the math, use this aggregate coverage chart. It shows how many square feet one ton of standard crushed stone (~1.4 tons/yd³) will cover based on your desired depth.
| Depth (Inches) | 1 Ton Covers (Square Feet) | 1 Cubic Yard Covers (Square Feet) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch deep | ~215 sq ft | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches deep | ~107 sq ft | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches deep | ~71 sq ft | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches deep | ~54 sq ft | 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches deep | ~36 sq ft | 54 sq ft |
Why You Must Account for Compaction (Waste Factor)
The Yield Loss Rule
If you are laying a driveway base and using a plate compactor or heavy roller, the volume of your aggregate will shrink. You must account for this “yield loss” before ordering.
Materials like Crusher Run (ABC stone) contain a mixture of jagged stones and fine rock dust. When vibrated and compacted, the fine dust fills the voids between the larger stones, creating an incredibly hard, concrete-like surface.
Because of this interlocking process, a 5-inch layer of loose crusher run will compact down to roughly 4 inches. If you order the exact mathematical volume calculated for a 4-inch depth, you will run out of material after compaction. Always add a 5% to 10% waste/compaction factor to your order when using base materials.
Ordering Bulk: Dump Truck Load Sizes & Costs
If you need more than a few bags of stone, you will need to order bulk delivery from a local quarry or landscape supply yard. Understanding truck sizes helps optimize delivery fees.
- Single-Axle Dump Truck: Typically holds 5 to 7 tons (about 4 to 5 cubic yards).
- Tandem-Axle Dump Truck: Typically holds 12 to 15 tons (about 9 to 11 cubic yards).
- Tri-Axle Dump Truck: Typically holds 18 to 22 tons (about 13 to 16 cubic yards).
How much would a dump truck load of gravel cost?
The cost of gravel varies wildly by region and proximity to a quarry. Generally, standard crushed stone costs between $20 and $40 per ton. Therefore, a full tri-axle load (20 tons) of gravel will typically cost between $400 and $800, plus a delivery fee of $75 to $150 depending on mileage.
What’s the cheapest way to get gravel? The cheapest way to buy aggregate is to go directly to a local quarry rather than a retail landscape yard, and order full truckloads to minimize the per-ton delivery cost. Using recycled asphalt millings or crushed concrete is also significantly cheaper than virgin quarried stone.
Worked Calculation Examples
How many tons of gravel for a 100 ft driveway?
Assume your driveway is 100 feet long, 10 feet wide, and needs a standard 4-inch depth of crushed stone.
- Area: 100 × 10 = 1,000 sq ft.
- Depth in Feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
- Volume: (1,000 × 0.333) ÷ 27 = 12.33 cubic yards.
- Tons: 12.33 yards × 1.4 (density) = 17.26 tons.
You would order roughly 18 tons of gravel.
How much gravel do I need to cover a 20×20 area?
Assume you are building a 20×20 patio (400 sq ft) and need a 2-inch leveling base of pea gravel.
- Area: 400 sq ft.
- Depth in Feet: 2 ÷ 12 = 0.166 ft.
- Volume: (400 × 0.166) ÷ 27 = 2.45 cubic yards.
- Tons: 2.45 yards × 1.35 (pea gravel density) = 3.3 tons.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Multiply your project’s length by its width to get square footage. Multiply that by your desired depth in feet (inches divided by 12) to get cubic feet. Divide by 27 to find cubic yards. Finally, multiply your cubic yards by the density of the specific aggregate (usually ~1.4) to find the required tons.
It depends entirely on your square footage and depth. For a standard 4-inch deep application, one cubic yard of aggregate will cover exactly 81 square feet. Simply divide your total square footage by 81 to find the yards needed for a 4-inch depth.
At a standard depth of 2 inches, 1 ton of crushed stone will cover approximately 107 square feet. If you spread it thicker to a 4-inch depth (common for driveways), 1 ton will only cover about 54 square feet.
Two tons of standard gravel will cover roughly 215 square feet at a depth of 2 inches. If you need a deeper 4-inch base, 2 tons will cover approximately 108 square feet.
Assuming a standard driveway width of 10 feet and a recommended depth of 4 inches, a 100-foot long driveway equals 1,000 square feet. This requires roughly 12.3 cubic yards, which translates to about 17 to 18 tons of crushed stone.
A 20×20 area equals 400 square feet. To cover this area with a 2-inch layer of gravel (ideal for patios or walking paths), you will need roughly 2.5 cubic yards or about 3.5 tons of material.
The cheapest way to buy gravel is to order in bulk (by the dump truck load) directly from a local quarry, cutting out the retail middleman. Additionally, choosing recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) or asphalt millings is usually significantly cheaper than virgin quarried stone.
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavement_(band)