How to use it
- Enter length in feet
- Enter width in feet
- Enter depth in inches
- Read cubic feet, cubic yards and ton estimate
What it does – The Gravel Calculator turns the dimensions of your project (length, width, depth) into three practical measures: cubic feet, cubic yards, and estimated tons of material. Knowing cubic yards lets you order the right volume from suppliers; cubic feet helps when you need to compare to other materials; the ton estimate is useful for budgeting and truck load planning. The tool uses the standard conversion (feet × feet × inches ÷ 12 = cubic feet, then ÷ 27 = cubic yards) and applies the industry‑standard weight of 1.4 US tons per cubic yard. How to read the results – Cubic feet is the raw volume, cubic yards is the volume most vendors quote, and tons gives a quick weight estimate for cost and logistics. You can adjust the depth to account for compaction, and the calculator updates instantly, so you can experiment with different dimensions before ordering.
Pro tips
- Add 10% waste allowance to the cubic yard result to avoid shortages
- Round up to the nearest whole cubic yard when ordering
- Order in whole tons if the supplier quotes by weight
- Never forget to convert depth inches to feet before calculating
Real-life examples
- Planning a new garden path and need exact gravel volume
- Estimating material for a driveway base before hiring a contractor
- Budgeting for a landscaping project and want weight‑based cost estimates
Case study
Sam needed 300 sq ft of driveway base at 4 in depth. Using the calculator he saw the job required 1.48 cubic yards (≈2.07 tons). He ordered 2 cubic yards, avoiding a costly short‑fall and saved $120 on material.