About the Yards of Gravel Calculator
When you call a landscape supply yard, the first question is usually "How many yards?" A cubic yard is a cube 3 feet on each side, 27 cubic feet, and it is the standard way gravel, soil and mulch are sold by volume in the United States. Working it out by hand means juggling feet and inches and remembering to divide by 27, and many areas are not neat rectangles.
This yards of gravel calculator gives the cubic yards for a rectangle, a circle or a triangle at your chosen depth. It rounds up to the half-yard steps most yards sell in, and turns the answer into practical terms: how many wheelbarrow loads it is, roughly how much it weighs, how many trips in a pickup, and how much area one yard covers at that depth.
How to Use the Yards of Gravel Calculator
Choose the shape of the area.
Enter the length and width for a rectangle, the base and height for a triangle, or the diameter for a circle, all in feet.
Enter the depth in inches.
The Formulas
rectangle area = length × width
triangle area = base × height ÷ 2
circle area = π × diameter² ÷ 4
cubic feet = area × depth ÷ 12
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27 (= area × depth ÷ 324)Step-by-Step Examples
A 30 × 10 ft path, 3 inches deep.
area 30 × 10 = 300 ft²
volume 300 × 3 ÷ 12 = 75 ft³
yards 75 ÷ 27 = 2.78 yd³ → order 3 yd³
weight about 3.9 tons
loads 13 wheelbarrows, 3 pickup tripsA 12 ft circle, 3 inches deep.
area π × 12² ÷ 4 = 113.1 ft²
yards 113.1 × 3 ÷ 324 = 1.05 yd³The 324 Shortcut
Because there are 12 inches in a foot and 27 cubic feet in a yard, multiplying square feet by depth in inches and dividing by 324 gives cubic yards directly. It also gives coverage the other way round: one yard covers 324 ÷ depth square feet, so about 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches and 81 at 4 inches. Keeping that in mind makes it easy to sense-check any quote.
Odd Shapes
Most areas can be split into rectangles, triangles and circles or parts of circles. Measure each piece, run the calculator for each one and add the yards together. A half circle is half the circle result. For a curved bed, a quick method is to measure the length along the middle and the average width, then treat it as a rectangle. Small errors in measuring matter less than choosing the right depth.
Hauling It Yourself
Gravel is heavy: a cubic yard weighs about 1.4 tons. Most full-size half-ton pickups have a payload between about 1,500 and 2,000 pounds once people and fuel are counted, so a full yard can overload them. The calculator assumes about one yard per trip as an upper limit, and many owners carry half that. A 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow holds about a ninth of a yard when sensibly loaded; for a large job, a delivery tipped close to the work saves hours of hauling.
Ordering
Yards sell gravel in half or whole yards, and many have a minimum delivery. Rounding up covers settling, uneven ground and spillage. If you are on the boundary between two order sizes, check the depth: a quarter-inch less across a large area can bring you down a step. Ask whether the price includes delivery and whether the truck can reach where you want the pile.
Choosing the Depth
The depth depends on the use. Decorative beds and garden paths need about 2 to 3 inches of gravel over fabric. A driveway surface needs 3 to 4 inches on top of a compacted base. Drainage trenches and French drains are filled to their full depth, often 12 to 18 inches, which uses yards quickly even when the trench is narrow. Too little gravel looks patchy and lets weeds through, while too much on a path is loose and hard to walk on.
Which Gravel?
Pea gravel is smooth and comfortable underfoot but rolls and spreads. Crushed stone such as #57 locks together and stays put, making it better for drives and slopes. Crusher run with fines compacts into a hard base. Decorative stones come in many colours and are often sold by the bag as well as in bulk. The yards are the same for all of them; only the weight changes.
Measuring Accurately
Measure in feet and tenths rather than guessing, and take the width at several points if the area tapers, using the average. For depth, push a stake into the existing surface or dig a small test hole to see how much needs adding. Remember that excavated paths are filled to ground level, so the depth you dig is the depth you fill.
Understanding Your Result
The headline gives the exact cubic yards.
The working line shows the area, volume and the order size rounded to half yards.
The hauling line gives wheelbarrow loads, weight and pickup trips.
The coverage line shows the area one yard covers at your depth.
When Should You Use This Calculator?
Use it before calling a supplier for a delivery quote.
Use it for round or triangular areas that are awkward to work out by hand.
Use it to decide whether to haul the gravel yourself.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to divide by 27. Cubic feet are not cubic yards.
Mixing feet and inches. Area is in feet, depth in inches.
Overloading a pickup. One yard of gravel can exceed its payload.
Ordering the exact yardage. Round up to the next half yard.