Gravel calculator

Crushed stone runs about 1.2–1.4 US tons per loose cubic yard, pea gravel about 1.25, dry sand about 1.3, topsoil 0.9–1.1 and river rock up to 1.35. This calculator uses typical loose bulk densities — your quarry ticket may differ slightly, so confirm before a big order.

A residential driveway needs 8–12 in of compacted crushed stone laid in 2–3 in lifts; a walkway or patio base needs about 4 in; a decorative top dressing 2 in. For mulch in beds use 2–3 in — deeper starves roots of air.

Crushed stone loses roughly 15–20% of its loose volume when compacted, so a 10 ft × 10 ft × 4 in compacted base needs about 1.5 loose cubic yards, not 1.23. Tick the compaction option and the calculator orders the loose volume for you.

Above roughly one cubic yard or one ton, loose delivery or a 1-ton bulk bag beats 0.5 cu ft bags on price by a wide margin — bagged aggregate typically costs 3–5× more per ton. Bags win only for small top-ups and jobs with no access for a truck.