CategoriesStone

Stone Calculators

Stone and aggregate calculators for gravel, rock, and fill materials. Calculate tonnage, coverage, and costs for driveways, landscaping, and construction.

6 Calculators

7+ stone types

Always Free

Stone is priced by the ton and spread by the yard, and the two do not convert cleanly.

Aggregate suppliers sell by weight, but you plan coverage by volume, so every stone estimate passes through a density figure. Most crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard loose, though river rock, pea gravel and rip rap all differ, and crusher run compacts to roughly 1.35 tons per cubic yard once rolled. Using the wrong density is the single biggest source of error in a stone order.

Stone size also decides how deep you need to go. A 2 inch layer works for pea gravel on a path but does nothing for 4 inch rip rap, which needs a depth of at least twice the stone diameter to lock together and stay put.

Settle this before you calculate

Stone size and type: Density varies by 20% or more between pea gravel, crushed limestone and river rock. Get the type before you get the tonnage.
Depth against stone size: Minimum depth is roughly twice the largest stone diameter. Anything thinner scatters and shows the ground through it.
Whether it is base or surface: A driveway is two layers: 4 inches of compacted base stone with 2 inches of decorative top. Pricing only the top course underestimates by two thirds.

Where the estimate goes wrong

Using one density for every stone: Ask the supplier for the tons-per-yard of the specific product. A generic 1.5 figure can be 20% out either way, which on 10 yards is two tons.
Skipping geotextile under a base: On soft or wet subgrade, fabric stops stone punching down into the soil. Without it you lose the base into the ground within a season or two.
Ordering by the truckload: A tandem holds around 15 tons, a tri-axle around 20. If you need 8, you are paying for a partial load either way, so check whether two smaller deliveries beat one.