Crushed Stone Calculator
Estimate crushed-stone coverage volume and weight from footprint and depth.
How the result changes
Only coverage length changes; all other inputs stay at your current values. The line illustrates the formula across the shown range. This is not a forecast of real-world outcomes.
About this calculation
Crushed stone may be ordered for drainage, a path, or a base layer. The required amount depends on finished coverage depth and the material's bulk density, which this calculator keeps separate from the measured area. Calculate crushed stone when building or resurfacing a driveway.
Formula
short tons = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
Worked example
With Coverage length: 25 ft, Coverage width: 8 ft, Finished depth: 4 in, Bulk density: 2700 lb/yd³, crushed stone volume is 2.469136 yd³.
Inputs and units
Enter feet for length and width, inches for finished depth, and pounds per cubic yard for the selected stone. The bulk-density field should account for void space between pieces; a solid rock's laboratory density is a different quantity.
- Coverage length (ft): Measure the stone-covered area along its longest straight edge.
- Coverage width (ft): For irregular areas, use separate rectangles or a defensible average width.
- Finished depth (in): Enter the planned settled stone thickness.
- Bulk density (lb/yd³): Use the product's pounds per cubic yard, not its solid-rock density.
Calculation and worked example
Compute square feet from length and width, multiply by inch depth divided by 12 for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply yards by the supplied pounds per yard and divide by 2,000 to express US short tons In compact notation, short tons = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000.
A 25 ft by 8 ft surface with 4 in of crushed stone occupies about 66.667 ft³ or 2.469 yd³. At an illustrative 2,700 lb/yd³, it corresponds to about 6,667 lb or 3.333 short tons.
How to use the answer
The volume is the planned geometric layer and may be easier to compare with bulk deliveries. The tonnage changes linearly with the bulk-density assumption, so a different stone gradation can alter the truck weight without changing covered cubic yards.
Estimate a drainage trench and a walkway separately if their depths differ. When a supplier quotes a minimum delivery weight, compare it against the short-ton result after checking for unavoidable site losses.
Assumptions and checks
The footprint is rectangular, thickness uniform, and stone distributed evenly. This does not include a fabric layer, trench side slopes, compaction, or extra stone used to level a rough subgrade.
Entering a pounds-per-cubic-foot density into the pounds-per-cubic-yard field underestimates mass by 27 times. Check the unit printed next to any supplier density before using it.
A 9 ft by 9 ft area at 4 in depth occupies exactly 1 yd³. Use that as a quick volume benchmark, then verify that 2,000 lb equals one US short ton.
Common questions
What does the crushed stone volume result represent?
It is the estimated compacted geometric volume in cubic yards. The tonnage is that volume times your entered bulk weight per yard.
What should I check before relying on this result?
Verify the finished depth, area, and supplier's density unit. Ask whether the delivery volume will be loose or compacted.
Inputs
- Coverage length (ft)
- Coverage width (ft)
- Finished depth (in)
- Bulk density (lb/yd³)