Gravel and Mulch Calculator
Find how much gravel, crushed stone, sand, topsoil or mulch to order in cubic yards, cubic metres, tons and bags for a bed, path or driveway.
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About this toolWhat is the Gravel and Mulch Calculator?
Landscape suppliers sell loose material in two ways at once. The yard quotes a price per cubic yard or per ton, the garden centre sells bags by the cubic foot or litre, and your plan is in square feet and inches of depth. This calculator joins them up: enter the area and depth, pick a material, and read the volume in cubic yards and cubic metres, the weight in short tons and tonnes, and the number of bags in the size you are buying.
Areas can be rectangles, circles or triangles, or you can type in an area you already know. The material list sets a typical density for gravel, crushed stone, dry sand, topsoil and wood mulch, and you can overwrite it with the figure your supplier uses. A small extra allowance covers settling and spill; raise it for material that compacts, such as road base.
Prices per bag and per bulk cubic yard or metre show how the two buying routes compare. Bulk is nearly always cheaper per unit, but delivery fees can flip that for small jobs.
- Gravel, crushed stone, sand, topsoil, mulch or a custom density
- Cubic yards, cubic metres, short tons, tonnes and bags at once
- Rectangle, circle, triangle or known-area input with depth in inches or centimetres
- Bagged versus bulk cost comparison
- Density reference table; copy and share results
How to use the Gravel and Mulch Calculator
- Choose imperial or metric and select the material. The typical density fills in automatically.
- Pick the area shape and enter its dimensions, or choose "I know the area" and type it in.
- Enter the depth: about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) for mulch, 2 to 3 inches for a gravel path, 4 inches or more per layer for a driveway.
- Adjust the density if your supplier gives one, and the extra percentage for settling.
- Read cubic yards, cubic metres, tons and bags, then compare the bagged and bulk cost.
Worked examples
Gravel path
Input
10 x 10 ft, 3 in deep, gravel at 2,800 lb/yd³, 5% extra
Output
0.97 yd³ (0.74 m³); 1.36 short tons; 53 bags of 0.5 ft³
This is the default example. At under a cubic yard, a single bulk delivery or a pickup-truck load covers it.
Mulching flower beds
Input
200 ft² of beds, 3 in deep, wood mulch, 5% extra, 2 ft³ bags
Output
1.94 yd³; 27 bags of 2 ft³; about 0.58 tons
A cubic yard is 13.5 bags of 2 ft³, so two yards of bulk mulch would cover this with a little left over.
Metric driveway top-up
Input
12 x 3 m, 10 cm deep, crushed stone at 1,600 kg/m³, 5% extra
Output
3.78 m³ (4.94 yd³); about 6.05 tonnes
Switching units converts the density too, so the stone weighs the same whichever way you look at it.
Background and insight
Volume is area times depth, with depth converted from inches to feet (divide by 12) or centimetres to metres. A 10 x 10 ft bed covered 3 inches deep holds 25 cubic feet, which is 0.93 cubic yards. Weight then depends on density, and loose aggregate varies more than most people expect: dry gravel and crushed stone are around 2,700 to 2,800 lb per cubic yard (1.35 to 1.4 short tons), topsoil around 2,200 lb, and wood mulch only a few hundred pounds. Wet sand and soil can be 10 to 20% heavier.
The densities in this tool are typical published values for loose, dry material and are labelled as approximate. Quarries weigh each load on a scale, so a ton of their product may be a little more or less volume than the estimate. When you buy by the ton, ask the yard for their conversion factor and enter it.
Common use cases
Paths and patios
Size the base and top layer for a gravel path or a paver patio bed of sand.
Garden beds
Order mulch or topsoil for new and existing beds without a second trip to the garden centre.
Driveways and parking pads
Convert a driveway plan to tons of crushed stone for a quarry delivery.
Comparing bags and bulk
See how many bags a job takes and whether a bulk delivery is cheaper once the fee is included.
Tips and limitations
- Order by volume for mulch and soil and by weight for stone if that is how your supplier sells it. Ask for their tons-per-yard figure.
- Depth matters more than area. Going from 2 to 3 inches adds 50% to the order.
- Compacted base (crushed stone with fines) shrinks when tamped, so add 15 to 25% for driveways and paver bases instead of 5%.
- Mulch deeper than about 3 inches can starve roots of air and holds moisture against tree bark. Keep it clear of trunks.
- Check the delivery truck size. Many bulk trucks carry 10 to 15 tons, and a minimum delivery charge applies to small loads.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 short tons (2,800 lb) for typical dry gravel, and 1.35 for crushed stone. The exact figure depends on the stone size and moisture, so use your supplier number if they give one.
How much area does a cubic yard of mulch cover?
At 3 inches deep, one cubic yard covers 108 ft². At 2 inches it covers 162 ft², and at 4 inches 81 ft². The rule is 324 divided by the depth in inches.
How many 2 cubic foot bags of mulch make a yard?
13.5 bags, because a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Round up to 14 bags per yard you need.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
Driveways are commonly built from a 4 to 6 inch compacted base of larger crushed stone with 2 to 3 inches of finer gravel on top. Soft ground or heavy vehicles call for a deeper base.
How much does a cubic yard of topsoil weigh?
Roughly 2,000 to 2,200 lb dry, or about 1.0 to 1.1 short tons, and more when wet. In metric that is about 1,200 to 1,300 kg per cubic metre.
How do I convert cubic yards of gravel to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the density in tons per cubic yard. For gravel at 1.4 tons per yard, 5 yards is about 7 tons. The calculator does this from the density field, which you can change.
Is there an in-depth guide to the Gravel and Mulch Calculator?
Yes. “Estimating Concrete, Flooring, Tile and Gravel Without Running Short” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
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