Gravel and aggregate volume, mass and package planning
Gravel Calculator
Calculate geometric volume from project dimensions, known area or known volume; add one explicit allowance; then optionally estimate mass from your density and whole packages from real product data.
Estimate gravel / aggregate quantity
Measure geometry → calculate geometric volume → add one explicit allowance → optionally estimate mass from your density → optionally round to whole packages from real product data.
Volume-first aggregate planning without hidden density or compaction guesses
How the Gravel Calculator works
ProjectFigures calculates geometric gravel or aggregate volume from dimensions, known area plus depth, or a known volume. It then applies one explicit extra allowance and can optionally estimate mass from your density and whole packages from real product data.
How much gravel do I need?
Measure the physical area you intend to fill and the target layer depth. For rectangular work, volume is length × width × depth. Multiple non-overlapping rectangles can represent paths, pads, landscape beds and L-shaped work. If you already know area, use area × depth. If you already know volume, enter that volume directly.
Volume is not the same as weight or tonnage
Cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic metres measure space. Kilograms, tonnes, pounds and US short tons measure mass. V1 never converts volume to mass unless you explicitly provide a bulk density appropriate to the material condition you are planning.
Why ProjectFigures has no universal gravel density
Gravel, crushed stone, pea gravel, road base, decorative stone and drainage aggregate can differ in grading, particle shape, moisture and bulk condition. V1 therefore does not use a material dropdown that silently changes density. Your density input is authoritative when mass mode is enabled.
Target depth and compaction
Depth is the geometric layer thickness you enter. The calculator does not automatically convert a compacted finished depth into loose delivered depth, and it does not apply a generic compaction or settling multiplier. Check the actual project specification and supplier/product guidance for the material condition you need.
Extra allowance
The calculator starts at 0% extra. You may enter 0–100%, and the allowance is applied once to geometric volume. It is a transparent planning allowance—not a scientifically determined compaction factor, slope factor, delivery-loss factor or supplier rule.
Rectangular sections
Each row is one rectangular prism. The calculator safely derives one-section area and volume, then multiplies the complete prism by the identical-section quantity. It does not detect overlaps, so rectangles used to represent an L-shape should not overlap.
Known area and irregular shapes
If you already have a trustworthy area for a circle or irregular footprint, enter that known area and target depth. V1 intentionally avoids separate circle, triangle and polygon modes because they do not change the core area × depth quantity workflow.
Direct known volume
Direct-volume mode is for a known gravel/aggregate volume before the ProjectFigures extra allowance. It does not represent excavated-soil volume unless you have independently established that aggregate-planning volume.
Estimated mass from your density
When enabled, estimated mass equals adjusted planning volume × your canonical density. Supported density inputs are kg/m³, t/m³, lb/ft³ and US short ton/yd³. The result is an estimate from your stated density, not a certified scale or delivered weight.
Metric tonnes and US short tons
Mass outputs support kilograms, metric tonnes, pounds and US short tons. A metric tonne is 1000 kg. A US short ton is 2000 lb. UK long tons are not part of V1.
Package and bag planning
Bag, bulk-bag and jumbo-bag sizes vary by product and supplier. V1 can round to whole packages only when you supply an actual package volume, or an actual package mass while density mode is active. No supplier availability, pallet quantity or delivery capacity is implied.
Cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic metres and litres
Canonical volume is stored in cubic metres. The calculator supports cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres and litres using exact international-foot relationships, and unit switching is rendered from the last valid canonical value instead of rounded display text.
Worked US example
A 20 ft × 10 ft area at 4 in target depth is 66.6667 ft³, or about 2.46914 yd³, before extra. A package count is not produced unless you provide a real package capacity.
Worked metric example
A 12 m × 8 m area at 50 mm depth is 4.8 m³. At 5% explicit extra the planning volume is 5.04 m³. If—and only if—you enter 1600 kg/m³ as the density for your actual material condition, estimated mass is 8064 kg or 8.064 t.
Truckloads and delivery are outside V1
The calculator does not fabricate truck count, payload, legal axle load, supplier minimum delivery, number of deliveries or delivery price. Those depend on supplier, vehicle, jurisdiction and route.
Driveway and pavement engineering are outside V1
V1 does not design pavement structure, subgrade, base-course thickness, driveway load capacity, Proctor density, compaction specification, drainage, geotextile, slopes, retaining work, frost protection, stormwater or code compliance. Target depth is your input, not an engineering recommendation.
Excavation and soil are different quantities
Excavated-soil volume does not automatically equal required aggregate purchase volume. V1 uses no soil swell/shrink factor, soil density, haul-off quantity or disposal conversion.
Common estimating mistakes
- Using a universal gravel density without checking the actual material/bulk condition.
- Treating cubic yards and tons as interchangeable.
- Applying both a hidden compaction multiplier and a separate extra allowance.
- Using overlapping rectangles and double-counting volume.
- Using excavated-soil volume as aggregate purchase volume without a separate basis.
- Assuming every bag, bulk bag or jumbo bag has the same capacity.
- Turning a material quantity result into a truckload or structural-design claim.
Frequently asked questions
Does the calculator include a default gravel density?
No. Mass is optional and requires your explicit density.
Does it add a compaction factor automatically?
No. The single extra allowance is visible and user controlled; it is not labeled as a compaction factor.
Can I calculate bags of gravel?
Yes, but only from an actual volume per package, or an actual mass per package when density is active.
Does it calculate truckloads?
No. Vehicle capacity, legal load and supplier delivery rules are outside V1.
Can I use this for driveway design?
You can calculate quantity from a depth you supply, but V1 does not determine the structurally appropriate depth or pavement section.
Related tools
Use theContractor Job Pricing Calculator with your actual supplier, delivery, equipment and labor figures.Concrete,Fence andDeck are contextual project-material siblings; V1 does not auto-transfer values between them.
Quantity planning only. No universal density or compaction factor, truckload/delivery calculation, supplier pricing, soil swell/shrink conversion, pavement/driveway engineering or code approval.