Calculate gravel volume and weight for paths, drives and drainage — volume from area and depth, weight from the stated density of the material chosen. Runs entirely in your browser — your numbers never leave this device.
Densities are typical published values for loose material; your supplier's figure governs. Wet material weighs noticeably more than dry.
| Material | Density |
|---|---|
| Gravel — general | 100 lb/ft³ |
| Pea gravel | 96 lb/ft³ |
| Crushed stone | 105 lb/ft³ |
| River rock | 98 lb/ft³ |
| Decomposed granite | 86 lb/ft³ |
Gravel estimating is two multiplications. Volume comes first — area times depth, with depth converted to the area's unit — and weight follows by multiplying the volume by the material's density. Density is where gravel parts company with mulch: materials differ, so the table states the density used for each — general gravel at 100 lb per cubic foot, pea gravel at 96, crushed stone at 105, river rock at 98 and decomposed granite at 86 — and the weight in any result can be traced to the density selected.
Weight is the figure that decides delivery and vehicle loads, so it is reported in pounds, US tons and kilograms. Bag counts use the common 0.5 ft³ bag: the first example's 33.3 ft³ is 67 bags, which is the arithmetic case for ordering that quantity in bulk instead. As with every material here, volume counts are rounded up for purchase.
Densities for natural aggregates vary with stone type and moisture, so the table values are stated planning figures, not laboratory values for a specific quarry product. A supplier quoting by weight will state the density or tonnage basis for their material; where it differs from the table, the volume from this page still stands and the weight rescales in proportion.
Volume is geometry — area times depth — and is identical for any fill. Weight multiplies that volume by density, and densities differ by material: the same 33.3 ft³ weighs 3,333 lb as general gravel and 3,200 lb as pea gravel in the worked examples.
The tons here are US tons of 2,000 lb, so 3,333 lb is 1.67 tons. Kilograms are shown alongside — 3,333 lb is 1,512 kg — for suppliers who quote in metric tonnes of 1,000 kg.
Because their stone's actual density and moisture content differ from any planning table. The densities here are stated per material so the basis is visible; a supplier's own figure for their product rescales the weight while the volume from this page stays the same.
The arithmetic answers it: the first example needs 67 bags of 0.5 ft³ for one modest area. Past a cubic yard or so, bulk delivery is usually the practical route, and the volume and weight figures here are exactly what a bulk order is placed in.
No. The calculation runs entirely in the browser and nothing entered is uploaded, stored or tracked.
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