Gravel Volume, Weight, and Cost Estimator

Enter length L and width W in feet, depth D in inches, an assumed mass factor F in US short tons per yd³, and price P in dollars per short ton. Area = L × W ft²; volume = area × D ÷ 12 ft³; yd³ = ft³ ÷ 27; short tons = yd³ × F; cost = short tons × P; coverage = area ÷ short tons in ft² per short ton.

For 18 ft × 9 ft at 4 in deep, F = 1.4 US short tons/yd³ and P = $25 per short ton: area is 162 ft², volume 54 ft³ = 2 yd³, estimated mass 2.8 short tons, cost $70, and coverage 57.86 ft² per short ton.

The preset 1.4 short tons/yd³ is a calculator assumption, not a verified density for every gravel. Check the supplier’s mass per cubic yard and whether its “ton” means 2,000 lb. The calculator does not account for compaction, moisture, uneven ground, or waste.

Ask the quarry for mass per cubic yard for the exact grading and moisture condition, and whether its “ton” is a US short ton. Enter its quoted price per short ton; delivery fees and minimum loads are outside the cost output. If the design calls for a compacted depth, ask how much loose material will produce it, since this form uses the entered geometric depth with no compaction factor.

Related calculators: Cubic Yards from Length, Width, and Depth, Square Footage from Room Dimensions, Sand Volume and Weight from Metric Dimensions, Concrete Volume and Bag Calculator for Rectangular Pours.

• NIST Guide to the SI — unit conversion factors
• NIST — US short ton of 2,000 lb
• FHWA — moisture and compaction in granular materials

Last reviewed: 2026-09-28.