Measurement & project guide
One aggregate resource, with different answers for different jobs
Start with the main crushed-stone takeoff, then use the material-specific worksheets for compacted crusher run, bagged pea gravel, landscape rock or direct volume-to-weight conversions. Each keeps its own assumptions visible.
- A Measured footprint
- B Installed depth
- C Supplier density
Before you calculate
- Project geometry
- Measure length, width and finished layer depth, or use a known area or volume. Split slopes and changing depths into zones.
- Density basis
- Request the supplier's bulk density for the actual grading and moisture condition. Do not use solid rock density for a pile containing voids.
- Order unit
- Confirm whether the quote is per cubic yard, US short ton, metric tonne or bag, and whether delivery has a minimum.
Read the result before using it
- Geometry and allowance
- The base volume describes the project; the order volume adds only the percentage you enter.
- Estimated mass
- A planning conversion using the entered density. A delivery scale ticket is an actual measured weight.
- Bags and loads
- Whole quantities using your entered bag mass and payload. Legal payload and delivery access still need supplier confirmation.
Check before ordering or handing over
- Specify product grading and intended use rather than requesting generic gravel.
- Keep loose-volume expansion separate from a spare-material allowance.
- Compare delivered costs on the same product, density and order quantity.
Specialist worksheet
Crusher run: compacted base to loose order
Keep finished thickness, loose delivery volume and additional ordering allowance separate. Enter a loose-to-compacted volume factor supplied for the actual material; no universal compaction percentage is assumed.
A volume factor of 1.20 means 1.20 loose units for one compacted unit. It is an example input, not a specified base depth or a compaction test result.
Specialist worksheet
Pea gravel: bags versus bulk delivery
Price the same required quantity both ways. Bag costs use whole packages; bulk costs use estimated short tons or tonnes plus the delivery charge you enter.
Compare delivered totals and handling, not just a price per bag against a price per ton. Rounded pea gravel is not a substitute for a specified dense-graded structural base.
Specialist worksheet
River rock: landscape quantity and coverage
Estimate a bed from dimensions, then check how much area a known delivered volume can cover at the same depth. Measure around plants and hardscape separately.
The depth is your specification. Stone size, voids, slopes and migration affect an installed bed; a volume estimate does not design a drain or erosion-control system.
Specialist worksheet
Convert cubic yards and tons with a stated density
Use a material-specific bulk density to convert in either direction. A cubic yard is a volume; there is no material-independent number of tons in it.
One US short ton is 2,000 lb; one metric tonne is 1,000 kg. Keep loose and compacted density on the same basis as the volume.
Detailed results and planning tools
View conversions, report and comparisons
Volume and weight conversions
Conversions use one consistent internal SI quantity and the bulk density shown in the calculator.
| Quantity | Value |
|---|
Calculation report
Includes formulas, entered assumptions, limitations and identified sources.
Compare scenarios
Keep up to three alternatives while comparing dimensions, density, allowance or supplier pricing.
Choose the aggregate for the job#
Crushed stone, crusher run, pea gravel and river rock can all be measured by volume, but they do not perform the same job. Angular crushed aggregate, dense-graded material with fines, and rounded decorative gravel need different specifications. Use the supplier's product description and the project detail before treating a familiar material name as interchangeable.
| Planning question | Worksheet on this page | Information to obtain |
|---|---|---|
| How much crushed stone fills a measured layer? | Main calculator | Footprint, finished depth and matching bulk-density basis |
| How much loose crusher run produces a compacted base? | Compacted base | Supplier's loose-to-compacted volume factor and loose bulk density |
| Are bags or bulk pea gravel cheaper for this quantity? | Decorative gravel | Bag mass, bag price, delivered bulk rate and delivery minimum |
| How far will a river-rock delivery spread? | Landscape coverage | Delivered volume and the intended installed depth |
| How many tons are in a quoted volume? | Volume and weight converter | Product-specific bulk density and whether the ton is short or metric |
The volume-to-weight calculation#
For a rectangle, volume is length × width × depth. Convert depth in inches to feet before multiplying. In US customary units:
Cubic yards = length in ft × width in ft × depth in in ÷ 324
Short tons = cubic yards × 27 × bulk density in lb/ft³ ÷ 2,000
Order quantity = base quantity × (1 + entered allowance ÷ 100)
For circles, use π × (full diameter ÷ 2)² for area. For an irregular bed, measure non-overlapping zones, deduct planted or paved exclusions once, and use the net known-area input. The square footage resource explains those measurements.
Bulk density includes the voids between particles. Solid mineral density is therefore the wrong input for a delivered pile. Grading, particle shape, moisture and the loose or compacted condition can change bulk density. The material presets are editable planning examples, not laboratory measurements of your order.
Worked stone takeoff: a 20 × 10 ft layer#
For an illustrative 4 in layer, volume is 20 × 10 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.469 yd³. At an entered bulk density of 100 lb/ft³, the base mass is 3.333 short tons. A separately chosen 5% allowance gives 2.593 yd³ and 3.500 short tons.
| Quantity | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Net layer volume | 200 ft² × 4/12 ft | 66.667 ft³ |
| Volume with 5% allowance | 66.667 × 1.05 | 70 ft³ |
| Estimated order mass | 70 × 100 | 7,000 lb |
| 50 lb bags | round up(7,000 ÷ 50) | 140 bags |
The 4 in depth and 100 lb/ft³ density demonstrate the calculation. They do not select a base design or establish the density of a local product.
Compaction and spare material are different assumptions#
Suppose a 200 ft² base needs a specified 4 in compacted layer. Its finished volume is 2.469 yd³. If a supplier provides a loose-volume factor of 1.20, the loose requirement is 2.469 × 1.20 = 2.963 yd³ before any separate ordering allowance. At an entered loose density of 100 lb/ft³, that is 4 short tons.
In that example, a further 5% allowance produces 3.111 yd³ and 4.2 short tons. Use either a documented loose-volume factor with loose density, or a consistent compacted mass calculation. Do not apply a compaction percentage to both volume and density and then add it a third time as waste. A factor of 1.20 is not a universal recommendation.
Compare pea-gravel bags with delivered bulk#
An 80 ft² bed at 2 in depth needs 13.333 ft³ before allowance. At 100 lb/ft³ and 5% extra, the quantity is 1,400 lb, or 28 whole 50 lb bags and 0.7 short ton. For illustrative quotes of USD 6 per bag versus USD 70 per short ton plus USD 90 delivery:
Bag purchase: 28 × USD 6 = USD 168
Bulk delivery: 0.7 × USD 70 + USD 90 = USD 139
Those example prices do not establish the cheaper option for another project. Bulk minimums, bag handling, storage access, delivery placement and tax can change the comparison. Enter current quotes in the worksheet.
River-rock coverage from a known delivery#
At a uniform illustrative 3 in depth, one cubic yard covers 108 ft²: 27 ft³ ÷ 0.25 ft. At 2 in it covers 162 ft²; at 4 in it covers 81 ft². These are geometric coverage figures before exclusions, uneven ground or additional allowance. Large stones and voids make a thin decorative layer less uniform than a perfect slab.
Depth is a project choice. This resource does not turn decorative rock into a drainage or erosion-control specification. Keep stone away from details requiring separate clearances or maintenance access, and have drainage conditions assessed where water flow matters.
Cubic yards, short tons and metric tonnes#
One cubic yard contains exactly 27 cubic feet. At an assumed 100 lb/ft³, it corresponds to 1.35 US short tons; at 120 lb/ft³ it corresponds to 1.62 short tons. The difference is density, not a change in the size of a yard.
One short ton is 2,000 lb; one metric tonne is 1,000 kg. A supplier's quote must identify which is intended. Switching the worksheet to metric converts physical measurements rather than merely replacing the unit labels.
Supplier questions and source notes#
Ask for product grading, density and moisture basis, loose versus compacted sales quantity, delivery minimum, vehicle payload and where the load can be placed. Truckloads are rounded from the payload you enter; a calculator cannot establish legal axle loads or site access.
- NIST: volume units and mass units support the unit conventions.
- ASTM C29/C29M identifies the bulk-density and voids test context; this calculator does not perform that test.
- Vulcan Materials product calculators provide industry tonnage-estimating context. Supplier measurements remain preferable to an example density.
The worked examples are reproducible arithmetic scenarios, not field trials, local price data or claims about material suitability.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate crushed stone tonnage?
Calculate area, multiply by installed depth to obtain volume, then multiply volume by the entered bulk density. The calculator converts the result to US short tons or metric tonnes and applies the separate order allowance once.
Does the stone tonnage calculator work for circles and irregular areas?
Yes. Use Circle for a round bed, Known area for a measured irregular footprint, or Known volume when volume has already been established. Split complex projects into measurable sections and add their quantities.
What crushed-stone density should I use?
Use the producer, supplier or project-test value for the exact product and condition. The displayed values are editable planning examples because loose unit weight varies with source, gradation, particle shape, moisture and measurement method.
What does the order allowance include?
It is one explicit percentage applied to the calculated volume and mass. It may help cover measurement uncertainty, settlement, handling loss or project-specific extra material, but it is not an automatic compaction specification and should not duplicate an allowance already included elsewhere.
How are bags and truckloads calculated?
The order mass is divided by the bag weight or load capacity entered, then rounded up to a whole count. The result does not verify vehicle payload, axle limits, supplier minimums, delivery access or bag availability.
Is the result a supplier quote or final construction quantity?
No. It is a planning estimate based on the dimensions, density, allowance and prices entered. Confirm product, density, compaction requirements, available load sizes and order rounding with the project specification and supplier.
Where did the crusher run, pea gravel and river rock calculators go?
Their useful functions are now specialist worksheets on this resource: compacted-base ordering, bags versus bulk, landscape coverage and direct volume/weight conversion. Each keeps its material assumptions visible.
Is a loose-volume factor the same as an order allowance?
No. A supplier-specific loose-volume factor converts finished compacted volume into loose delivery volume. A separate allowance adds spare material. Do not apply either assumption twice.