Estimate the volume and weight of gravel (or sand) needed to cover an area at a chosen depth. Enter a known area, a rectangle, or a circle. Results include cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres, liters, pounds, kilograms, and tons, plus an optional material-cost estimate.
How to use this calculator
- Enter a known area, or choose a rectangle or circle and enter its dimensions.
- Set the depth and check its unit. Inches and feet must not be treated as interchangeable.
- Choose a material density or enter a supplier-provided value.
- Optionally enter a price or bag size to estimate material cost or whole bags.
Use the depth and material specified for your project. The calculator estimates quantities from those inputs; it does not choose the construction specification.
Understanding your results
| Result | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Volume | Compare cubic yards, cubic feet, or cubic metres with the supplier's selling unit. |
| Weight | Check whether the quote uses pounds, US short tons, kilograms, or metric tons. Weight depends on the selected density. |
| Bags | The number of whole bags required for the entered bag size, rounded up. |
| Material cost | The estimate using your price and selling unit; delivery and labor are excluded. |
Volume and weight describe the same quantity in different ways. A cubic yard is not a ton: changing density changes the estimated weight without changing the geometric volume. Compare the supplier's density and units before ordering.
Example coverage
The rows below show how entered area and depth affect volume. They do not recommend a construction depth.
| Area | Depth | Volume | Weight (gravel 1,680 kg/m³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 sq ft | 3 in | 50 ft³ / 1.85 yd³ | 5,244 lbs / 2.62 short tons |
| 20 ft × 15 ft | 3 in | 75 ft³ / 2.78 yd³ | 7,866 lbs / 3.93 short tons |
| 10 ft diameter circle | 3 in | 19.6 ft³ / 0.73 yd³ | 2,059 lbs / 1.03 short tons |
Gravel is a loose mix of rock fragments from erosion or crushing. Size classifications differ: the Udden-Wentworth scale splits granular gravel (2–4 mm) from pebble gravel (4–64 mm); ISO 14688 uses fine / medium / coarse (2–63 mm). Sand is smaller; cobbles and boulders are larger.
Examples
200 square feet at 3 inches
Default total area. Volume is 50 ft³ (1.85 yd³, 1.42 m³, 1,416 L). Typical gravel weighs 5,244 lbs (2.62 short tons, 2,379 kg, 2.38 metric tons). At $10 per cubic foot the material cost is $500.00.
20 ft by 15 ft rectangle
Length × width is 300 sq ft (33.3 yd², 27.9 m²). At 3 in the volume is 75 ft³ (2.78 yd³), about 7,866 lbs of gravel.
10 ft circular patio
A 10 ft diameter at 3 in is 19.6 ft³ (0.73 yd³) and 2,059 lbs. The area prints as 79 sq ft.
Bags of 50 lb gravel
The default 50 ft³ / 5,244 lb load is 105 bags of 50 lb mix (counts round up). At $5 per bag the material cost is $525.00.
Formula
Lengths convert through metres (1 ft = 0.3048 m). Volume is area × depth. Mass is volume × bulk density.
V_m³ = area_m² × depth_m
V_ft³ = V_m³ / 0.028316846592
V_yd³ = V_ft³ / 27
V_L = V_m³ × 1000
weight_kg = V_m³ × density_kg/m³
weight_lb = weight_kg / 0.453592
Density presets (kg/m³):
gravel (0.2–2 in) 1680
gravel with sand 1920
dry sand 1500
wet sand 1900
Custom density may be kg/m³, g/cm³ (× 1,000), or lbs/ft³. Rectangle area is length × width; circle area is π (diameter / 2)².
Assumptions and limits
Unit conversions use the international foot, exactly 0.3048 m, consistent with NIST conversion guidance. The calculated volume is compact geometric space. A delivered loose volume can differ after handling and compaction. Weight is especially sensitive to grading, voids, moisture, and the supplier's measurement method. The page does not select a base depth, aggregate type, drainage design, or compaction target. Its optional price excludes delivery, minimum loads, tax, labor, equipment, and supplier rounding.