Landscape Material Calculator
How much landscape material do you actually need? This free landscape material calculator gives DIYers and contractors a complete take-off — cubic yards, cubic feet, tons, bag counts at every retail bag size, and a truck-size and order-format recommendation — for every common landscape material in one tool. Crushed stone (#57, #67, #8, crusher run / road base), pea gravel, decomposed granite (natural / stabilized / resin), river rock (½"–8"), Mexican beach pebbles, lava rock, ASTM C33 concrete sand, ASTM C144 mason sand, play sand, fill sand, screened topsoil, loam, garden mix, compost, fill dirt, and PennDOT R-3 through R-8 riprap and one/two/three-man landscape boulders.
Three things separate the materials and trip up almost everyone the first time. First, density: a yard of crushed stone weighs about 2,700 lb but a yard of lava rock weighs only 1,300 lb — comparing per-ton prices alone makes lava rock look expensive when in cubic yards it's competitive. Second, compaction: crushed stone, crusher run, and decomposed granite shrink 15–25% during install, so you have to order more loose volume to land at the spec depth — the calculator handles this automatically. Third, the bag-vs-bulk break-even: under ½ yard, bagged from Home Depot is the right call; over 2 yards, bulk delivery saves $300–$600 per ton vs bagged retail.
Built on ASTM D448 / AASHTO M43 aggregate sizes, ASTM C33 (concrete aggregates) and ASTM C144 (mortar sand), USDA NRCS soil definitions, NCSA / PennDOT Pub 408 §703 R-class riprap and the parallel VDOT weight-based riprap classes, NSSGA / USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries production data, and supplier ticket density data — runs in under a minute, no signup.
Landscape Material Calculator
Cubic yards, tons, and bag count for gravel, crushed stone, sand, decomposed granite, river rock, lava rock, topsoil, riprap, and landscape boulders — one calculator across every material.
Project area
Recommended for crushed stone — #57: 2–4".
Material
Planning density: 2,700 lb/yd³ (range 2,565–2,835). Default compaction 20%, default waste 10%. Sold by the ton.
Compaction & waste (optional override)
Compaction is the loose-to-compacted multiplier (decorative materials = 0%; crusher run / DG = 20–25%). Waste covers spillage, edge tolerance, and irregular shapes — bump to 15–20% on slopes or curved beds.
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How to Use This Calculator
- Pick a shape for your project area: rectangle, circle, triangle, or annulus (ring around a tree). For irregular footprints, add multiple sections — areas are summed across sections.
- Enter dimensions in feet (length × width, diameter, base × height, or outer × inner diameter for the ring) and depth in inches.
- Pick the material: every common landscape material is in one dropdown — crushed stone, pea gravel, decomposed granite, river rock, lava rock, sand, topsoil, riprap, and landscape boulders. Density, default compaction, and default waste are applied per material.
- Pick a bag size for the bagged-equivalent count (0.5 cu ft for decorative rock and 50-lb sand, 1 cu ft, 1.5 cu ft and 2 cu ft for topsoil/compost, or 40-lb topsoil bags ≈ 0.75 cu ft).
- Optional: override the compaction or waste percentage if your supplier publishes a different value, and toggle "wet topsoil" to use the upper-end planning weight.
- Click Calculate: see cubic yards, cubic feet, tons (typical / low / high), estimated weight in pounds, bag counts at every bag size, the smallest truck that fits the load, and a bagged-vs-bulk-vs-tandem order-format recommendation.
Why density and compaction get more complicated than they look
Three things drive most ordering errors. (1) Density varies 1.5–3× across materials — a yard of lava rock weighs less than half what a yard of river rock weighs, so a per-ton price alone can't be compared across products. The calculator always shows BOTH cubic yards and tons. (2) Compactable materials (crushed stone, crusher run, DG, structural fill sand) shrink 15–25% during install — order the calculator's "loose" volume so the in-place compacted depth matches the spec. Decorative rounded materials (pea gravel, river rock, lava rock, beach pebbles, riprap, boulders) don't compact and use a 0% compaction multiplier. (3) Topsoil weight is the most variable number in landscape materials — Caterpillar tables span 1,000 lb/yd³ dry to 3,000 lb/yd³ saturated. Default planning weight is 2,200 lb/yd³ for damp screened topsoil; toggle the "wet" checkbox to bump it to the upper end of the range. Bag-vs-bulk break-even is roughly 2 cubic yards: under that, bagged retail is the practical choice; over that, bulk delivery saves 5×–24× per unit even after the $50–$150 delivery fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate cubic yards for landscape material?
The universal formula is (Length_ft × Width_ft × Depth_in) ÷ 324 = cubic yards. The 324 constant is (27 ft³ per yd³) × (12 in per ft) folded together — it converts square feet plus depth-in-inches directly to cubic yards in one step. Example: a 20 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches deep is (20 × 10 × 3) ÷ 324 = 1.85 yd³. Round shapes use π × radius² × depth ÷ 324. Triangles use (base × height ÷ 2) × depth ÷ 324. Rings (mulch around a tree) use π × (R_outer² − R_inner²) × depth ÷ 324.
What's the difference between gravel and crushed stone?
Gravel is naturally rounded by water action (river rock, pea gravel) — it does not compact, drains freely, and looks decorative. Crushed stone is mechanically broken, so it has angular faces that interlock and compact tightly when vibrated. The calculator exposes this as a 'compactable: yes/no' flag because users overordering or underordering compactable material by 10–25% is the single most common landscape ordering error. Crushed stone is roughly 100–115 lb/ft³; rounded gravel is 95–105 lb/ft³ in undisturbed bulk.
How much does a cubic yard of landscape material weigh?
Density varies widely by material. Crushed stone (#57, #67) ≈ 2,700 lb/yd³ (1.35 t/yd³); crusher run / road base ≈ 3,000 lb/yd³ (1.50 t/yd³); pea gravel ≈ 2,800 lb/yd³ (1.40 t/yd³); decomposed granite ≈ 2,800 lb/yd³ loose (1.40 t/yd³); river rock 1"–2" ≈ 2,600 lb/yd³ (1.30 t/yd³); lava rock ≈ 1,300 lb/yd³ (0.65 t/yd³) — about half the weight of river rock; concrete sand ≈ 2,700 lb/yd³ (1.35 t/yd³); mason sand ≈ 2,500 lb/yd³ (1.25 t/yd³); damp screened topsoil ≈ 2,200 lb/yd³ (1.10 t/yd³); riprap 2,800–3,100 lb/yd³ (1.40–1.55 t/yd³). Wet topsoil and saturated sand can run 10–25% heavier.
What is #57 stone, #67 stone, and where do the size numbers come from?
These are ASTM D448 / AASHTO M43 standard aggregate gradations — the same numbered sizes used by every U.S. quarry and DOT. #57 is the most common landscape grade: 100% pass 1½" sieve, 95–100% pass 1", 25–60% pass ½", with most material in the ½"–¾" range. #67 is one step down: 100% pass 1", 90–100% pass ¾". #8 is the pea-gravel-equivalent for concrete: 100% pass ½", 85–100% pass 3/8". #10 (also called 'screenings' or 'stone dust') is the smallest, used as paver setting bed and pathway compaction. Crusher run / DGA / road base is a #57-sized top blended with stone dust fines designed to compact tightly.
How much should I add for waste and compaction?
Two separate factors. Compaction (the loose-to-compacted multiplier): 20% for crushed stone and crusher run, 25% for decomposed granite, 17% for paver-base sand, 15% for topsoil settle. Decorative rounded materials (pea gravel, river rock, lava rock, beach pebbles, riprap, boulders) get 0% — they don't compact. Waste (spillage, edge tolerance, irregular shape): 5% for simple bagged install, 10% for standard projects, 15% for curved or sloped beds, 15–20% for riprap on slopes, 20% for boulders. The calculator applies both: Order = Calculated × (1 + Compaction%) × (1 + Waste%).
Should I order bagged or in bulk?
The break-even is roughly 2 cubic yards. Bagged decorative stone runs $300–$600 per ton equivalent (Bovees 2026 cost data); bulk delivered runs $25–$55 per ton — about 5×–24× cheaper per unit. Under 0.5 yd³, bulk delivery minimums (typically 1–3 yd³) and per-load fees ($50–$150) make bagged the practical choice. Between 0.5 and 2 yd³, either format works — depends on whether your local supplier offers small-bulk delivery and whether you can haul it. Over 2 yd³, bulk delivery is dramatically cheaper. Over 6 yd³, a tandem dump (10–14 yd³, 12–16 tons) is cheaper per unit than two single-axle loads.
How is riprap classified — what's the difference between R-class and VDOT class?
Two parallel systems. PennDOT, the National Crushed Stone Association (NCSA), and most northeastern, midwestern, and several southern states use R-3 through R-8 (size-based, in inches): R-3 is 2"–6", R-4 is 3"–12", R-5 is 4"–18", R-6 is 9"–24", R-7 is 12"–30", R-8 is 15"–42". VDOT and several southern states use Class AI / I / II / III and Type I / II (weight-based, in pounds): Class AI is 25–75 lb stone (≈ R-3/R-4), Class II is 150–500 lb (≈ R-5), Type I is 1,500–4,000 lb (≈ R-7). Both systems describe the same physical stone — only the naming differs. When in doubt, specify by d50 (median stone diameter) plus the application; the supplier translates.
What's the difference between topsoil and fill dirt?
Topsoil is the upper soil horizon (USDA 'A horizon') containing 1–6% organic matter — it supports plant growth. Fill dirt is subsoil from the B/C horizon — low organic content, intended for structural fill only. Plants grow poorly in fill dirt. For grade changes, the right approach is fill dirt for the bottom 60–70% of depth, capped with 4–6 inches of topsoil for the growing layer. Cost gap: fill dirt $5–$25/yd³ vs screened topsoil $25–$50/yd³. Some suppliers in heavy-clay regions (TX, OK) sell high-clay subsoil as 'topsoil' — verify with the supplier or ask for a 'screened loam' or 'super loam' upgrade.
Why is lava rock so much lighter than other rock?
Lava rock is porous volcanic material with vesicles (gas bubbles trapped during cooling). At ~1,300 lb/yd³ planning weight (range 1,100–1,500), it weighs less than half what river rock weighs (~2,600 lb/yd³). A ton of lava rock covers about 2.4× the area of a ton of river rock. This makes lava rock look expensive per ton but competitive per cubic yard of coverage — always compare in cubic yards, not tons. It's also the most regionally volatile decorative rock: sourced from western U.S. quarries (OR, ID, UT), shipping to East Coast destinations adds $80+/ton freight surcharges that can double the delivered cost.