Tonnage Calculator
Find how many tons of bulk material you need for a driveway, base, bed or fill area. Enter the coverage length and width and the depth, pick a material, and get the volume in cubic yards, the weight in tons, the number of bags, and the cost by the ton — with by-depth and by-material tables and a downloadable PDF.
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons | Bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter coverage to see depths | |||
| Material | Density | Tons | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter a volume to compare materials | |||
How to use the tonnage calculator
Enter the coverage length and width and the depth, pick a bulk material, add a waste allowance, and get the volume in cubic yards, the weight in tons, the number of bags and the cost by the ton — with by-depth and by-material tables and a downloadable PDF.
Enter the coverage
Length and width of the area, in feet, inches or yards. Add how many identical areas.
Set the depth
How deep the layer goes — 2–3″ for a top dressing, 4″ or more for a driveway or sub-base.
Pick the material
Gravel, crushed stone, sand, topsoil, fill dirt or asphalt — this sets the density for tons.
Read the result & save a PDF
See tons, cubic yards, bags and cost, compare depths and materials, and download it.
How tonnage is calculated
It comes down to volume ÷ 27 for cubic yards, then cubic yards times a density for tons. The material you pick only changes the density; the volume stays the same for any of them.
Worked example — 20 ft × 12 ft driveway, 3″ of gravel, 10% waste
Area: 20 × 12 = 240 ft²
Volume: 240 × (3 ÷ 12) = 60 ft³
Cubic yards: 60 ÷ 27 = 2.22 yd³
With 10% waste: 2.22 × 1.10 = 2.44 yd³
Tons: 2.44 × 1.4 = 3.4 tons
A 20 × 12-foot area at 3 inches of gravel needs about 2.4 cubic yards, or roughly 3.4 tons once you add for settling.
Tonnage & coverage charts
The numbers that come up most — material density, how far a ton of gravel goes at each depth, and tonnage for common project sizes.
| Material | Tons / yd³ | lb / yd³ | Weight class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil | 1.10 | 2,200 | Lightest |
| Fill dirt | 1.20 | 2,400 | Light |
| Crushed stone | 1.35 | 2,700 | Medium |
| Sand | 1.35 | 2,700 | Medium |
| Gravel | 1.40 | 2,800 | Medium |
| Asphalt | 1.98 | 3,960 | Heaviest |
Volume is the same for any material — only the weight changes. Asphalt weighs nearly twice as much per yard as topsoil, so the material choice can swing the tonnage a lot.
| Depth | 1 ton covers | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | ~193 ft² | Light top dressing |
| 2 in | ~96 ft² | Top layer / paths |
| 3 in | ~64 ft² | Driveway surface |
| 4 in | ~48 ft² | Driveway base |
| 6 in | ~32 ft² | Heavy base / fill |
For gravel at about 1.4 tons per cubic yard. One ton is roughly 0.71 cubic yards, so coverage is that spread over the depth. Lighter materials cover more per ton, heavier ones less.
| Area | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ft² (10 × 10) | 0.93 yd³ | 1.3 |
| 240 ft² (12 × 20) | 2.22 yd³ | 3.1 |
| 400 ft² (20 × 20) | 3.70 yd³ | 5.2 |
| 600 ft² (20 × 30) | 5.56 yd³ | 7.8 |
| 1,000 ft² (20 × 50) | 9.26 yd³ | 13.0 |
Tonnage before waste. Add about 10% for settling and uneven ground. At 4 inches these areas need about a third more; at 2 inches, a third less.
How much to order comes from three things: the area and the depth give the volume, and the material’s density turns that volume into the tons you order and pay for.
- Area and depth are linear — twice the area or twice the depth is twice the material.
- Material changes the weight — the volume is fixed; asphalt weighs nearly double topsoil per yard.
- Depth drives the order — a 4″ base needs roughly double a 2″ top layer over the same area.
Everything the calculator works out
One set of inputs gives you the weight in tons, the volume in cubic yards, the number of bags and the cost — plus a comparison across depths and materials, and a report to save.
The figures behind every order
Built for anyone ordering gravel, stone or fill
A driveway, a drainage bed, a garden fill, a parking pad — the tonnage decides the delivery, the price and how many loads it takes. A quick estimate before the call to the quarry saves a short delivery or a leftover pile.
Topping a gravel drive, filling a bed or building a pad, and needing to know how many tons to order and whether to go bulk or bagged.
- Tons and bags for the job
- Pick the right depth
- Compare materials by weight
Pricing jobs by the ton and ordering bulk, where the tonnage per area drives both the quote and the number of truck loads.
- Cost from price per ton
- Total tons for delivery
- Save the PDF to the quote
Hauling material by the truckload, where the total tonnage decides the number of loads and keeps each one within the axle limit.
- Total tons for the loads
- Match tonnage to the truck
- Account for compaction
7 tips for estimating tonnage
The things that throw off a bulk order — and the checks that keep you from a short delivery or a leftover pile.
Tonnage calculator FAQ
The coverage, depth and material questions people ask most when ordering gravel, stone, sand or fill.
Multiply length by width by depth, all in feet, to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply cubic yards by the material’s density in tons per cubic yard to get the tonnage.
A 20 by 12-foot area at 3 inches of gravel is 240 square feet times 0.25 feet, or 60 cubic feet, which is about 2.2 cubic yards; at roughly 1.4 tons per yard that is about 3.1 tons. Add 10 percent for settling and the calculator does this for any size, depth and material.
It depends on the material, but most bulk materials run about 1.1 to 2.0 tons per cubic yard. Topsoil is light at around 1.1, fill dirt about 1.2, gravel and crushed stone 1.35 to 1.4, and asphalt the heaviest at about 2.0.
Moisture and compaction nudge the figure up, since water adds weight and tightly packed material fits more into a yard. The by-material table shows tonnage for your exact volume across every material at once.
About 1.4 tons, or roughly 2,800 pounds, for a typical cubic yard of gravel. Crushed stone and sand are close behind at around 1.35 tons per yard.
That means a single cubic yard is already more than a small pickup should carry, so plan deliveries and trailer loads around the tonnage, not the volume. The calculator gives both the cubic yards and the tons so you can match them to your truck or supplier.
At 2 inches deep, a ton of gravel covers roughly 100 square feet; at 3 inches about 70 square feet, and at 4 inches about 50. Coverage drops as the depth goes up because the same ton has to spread thinner or thicker.
Lighter materials like topsoil cover a bit more area per ton, and heavier ones like asphalt less. Enter your depth in the calculator and it works the coverage and tonnage out together.
A top dressing or refresh over an existing base needs only 2 to 3 inches. A new driveway or a compacted sub-base wants 4 inches or more, often built in layers, and soft or heavily loaded ground needs more depth still.
Deeper layers use proportionally more material, so depth is the biggest lever on your tonnage. Set the depth in the calculator and it adjusts the tons, cubic yards and cost automatically.
For any real quantity, order in bulk — most quarries and landscape yards sell and deliver by the ton or the cubic yard, and it is far cheaper than bagged material. Many suppliers price by the ton, so knowing your tonnage lets you compare quotes directly.
Bagged material only makes sense for very small jobs, where a few 0.5 cubic-foot bags beat a bulk delivery. The calculator gives both the bulk tonnage and a bag count so you can decide.
A 10 percent allowance is a common starting point, covering settling, uneven ground and spillage at the edges. Add more for soft ground that will compact a lot, or for a large area where small errors add up.
Compacted material also takes more loose volume than the finished depth suggests, so erring high keeps you from coming up short on delivery day. The calculator adds your waste percentage to the order quantity and cost.
Bulk materials are natural and variable, so density shifts with the material, the source, the moisture and how well it compacts. Wet gravel weighs more than dry, and well-graded stone packs denser than loose, open material.
The calculator uses typical densities and a clean geometric volume, which is accurate for planning deliveries and cost. Treat it as a solid estimate, add for compaction, and confirm the coverage and tonnage with your supplier before ordering.
Estimate Only — Confirm With Your Supplier: This calculator finds volume as length × width × depth ÷ 27 for cubic yards, then applies a typical density to estimate tons. Bulk materials are sold by the ton or cubic yard; tonnage uses typical densities of about 1.1–2.0 tons per cubic yard that vary with the material, moisture and how well it compacts. A 2–3″ depth suits a top layer, with 4″ or more for a driveway or sub-base, and compacted depth is less than loose depth. Use the result to plan material, cost and delivery, not as a certified weight. For reference and estimating only; confirm coverage, material, tonnage and delivery with your supplier before ordering.