Landscaping
Landscaping Gravel Calculator
Calculate gravel for a job including sub-base, edging and the compaction it needs.
Result
Gravel compacts, typically by 10% to 20% of its loose depth, so the waste allowance here is mostly compaction. Sold by the ton in most places, which is why the tonnage matters more than the volume.
Get a Free Business AuditWhat moves the number
- Finished depth plus any sub-base beneath it.
- Compaction, since aggregate reduces in volume when it is compacted properly.
- Edge restraint, without which the gravel spreads and thins.
Where this one goes wrong
Quoting a gravel surface without an edge. Loose aggregate migrates, the surface thins where it is walked or driven, and the customer sees a job that failed within a season.
Questions
About this calculator
How much does aggregate compact?
Enough that ordering to the loose volume leaves the job short of finished depth. Suppliers can advise on the compaction factor for a specific material.
Does a gravel drive need a sub-base?
For anything carrying vehicles, yes. Gravel laid straight onto soft ground is pushed into it, and the drive develops ruts within months.
What edging works for gravel?
Something that physically retains the material at the level it is laid to. Without it, the answer is always more gravel next year.
The formula
cubic yards = area x (depth / 12) / 27
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How to use this calculator
- Length (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 40 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 10 ft.
- Gravel depth (inches) (in). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 3 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%). Enter your own figure; the page starts at 12%.
- Cost per cubic yard ($). Enter your own figure; the page starts at $48.
The result updates as you type, so you can try a figure, see what it does to cubic yards needed, and change it back. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or saved.
A worked example
These are the figures the calculator opens with. Every number in the results column below is produced by the same calculation the page runs, so you can follow it through before putting your own figures in.
What goes in
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Length (ft) | 40 ft |
| Width (ft) | 10 ft |
| Gravel depth (inches) | 3 in |
| Waste / compaction allowance | 12% |
| Cost per cubic yard | $48 |
What comes out
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed main result | 4.1 |
| Cubic feet | 112.0 |
| Approximate tons | 5.8 |
| Estimated cost | $199.11 |
You need about 4.1 cubic yards (5.8 tons), costing roughly $199.11 delivered.
How sensitive the answer is
Holding everything else steady and changing only cost per cubic yard, this is what happens to cubic yards needed. It is worth knowing which of your inputs the answer actually hinges on, and which barely move it.
| Cost per cubic yard ($) | Cubic yards needed |
|---|---|
| $24 | 4.1 |
| $36 | 4.1 |
| $48 example above | 4.1 |
| $72 | 4.1 |
| $96 | 4.1 |
Every other input is held at the example value while this one changes, which is not how a real job behaves. Treat it as a guide to which number matters most, not as five separate quotes.
What each figure means
- Length (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 40 ft.
- Width (ft) (ft)
- Measured in ft, starting at 10 ft.
- Gravel depth (inches) (in)
- Measured in in, starting at 3 in.
- Waste / compaction allowance (%)
- A percentage, between 0 and 60, starting at 12%.
- Cost per cubic yard ($)
- A money amount, starting at $48.
What the results tell you
| Result | What it is |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards needed | The headline result. A decimal figure. |
| Cubic feet | A decimal figure. |
| Approximate tons | A decimal figure. |
| Estimated cost | A money figure. |
Seasonality is not in this
Coverage and material figures assume the area you enter. Slope, access for machinery, existing growth and the time of year all affect both quantity and labour, and none of them appear in a calculation like this.
Keep going
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