Free online tool • Every stone type
Stone Calculator
This stone calculator works out how much stone a driveway, path, landscape bed, patio base or drainage trench needs. Enter the square feet or the length and width, set the depth, pick the stone, and get cubic yards, tons, bags and cost in one step.
How Much Stone Do I Need?
How to Calculate Tons of Stone
Every stone calculator, whether it is sold as a stone tonnage calculator or a stone calculator in yards, runs the same three steps: find the area, turn it into volume, then turn the volume into weight.
1. Square feet
Multiply length by width in feet. A 20 × 10 ft parking pad is 200 sq ft. For a circle, multiply the radius squared by 3.14. If you already know the stone square footage, enter it directly with the known-area option.
2. Cubic yards of stone
Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches divided by 12, then divide by 27. At 4 inches: 200 × 0.333 ÷ 27 = 2.47 cubic yards.
3. Tons of stone
Multiply cubic yards by the stone’s density. Crushed stone weighs about 1.40 tons per cubic yard, so 2.47 × 1.40 = 3.46 tons. Add 10 percent for settling and uneven ground and order about 3.8 tons.
As a single formula: tons = sq ft × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × density. The calculator above does this for you and also shows pounds, bags and cost.
Stone Weight per Cubic Yard
Density is what turns a stone volume calculator into a stone ton calculator, and it changes with the rock and with how much fine material is mixed in. These are the loose, dry figures the calculator uses:
| Stone type | Tons per cubic yard | Pounds per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Lava rock | 0.65 | 1,300 lbs |
| River rock / river stone | 1.35 | 2,700 lbs |
| Pea stone / pea gravel | 1.35 | 2,700 lbs |
| Crushed stone (3/4, #57) | 1.40 | 2,800 lbs |
| Crushed limestone | 1.40 | 2,800 lbs |
| Decorative stone / marble chips | 1.40 | 2,800 lbs |
| Crushed granite | 1.45 | 2,900 lbs |
| Stone dust / screenings | 1.45 | 2,900 lbs |
| Rip rap | 1.45 | 2,900 lbs |
| Crusher run / 2A base | 1.50 | 3,000 lbs |
If your supplier quotes a different weight, type their price and pick the closest stone; the difference between most crushed products is under 10 percent. For straight conversions use the cubic yards to tons calculator.
Stone Coverage by Square Feet
Working the other way, one cubic yard of stone covers about 162 sq ft at 2 inches, 108 sq ft at 3 inches, 81 sq ft at 4 inches and 54 sq ft at 6 inches. One ton of crushed stone covers roughly 116, 77, 58 and 39 sq ft at the same depths.
| Depth | Sq ft per cubic yard | Sq ft per ton (crushed stone) | Tons per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 162 | 116 | 0.86 |
| 3 in | 108 | 77 | 1.30 |
| 4 in | 81 | 58 | 1.73 |
| 6 in | 54 | 39 | 2.59 |
| 12 in | 27 | 19 | 5.19 |
How Deep Should Stone Be?
- Driveway: 4 to 6 inches of compacted crusher run or 2A base, topped with 2 to 3 inches of clean crushed stone. See the driveway stone calculator for a layered estimate.
- Walkway or path: 3 inches; stone dust or pea stone packs firmest underfoot.
- Landscape bed: 2 to 3 inches of river rock, pea stone or decorative stone over landscape fabric.
- Patio or paver base: 4 to 6 inches of compacted base plus 1 inch of bedding.
- Drainage trench: 12 inches or more of clean crushed stone around the pipe.
Stone Calculator for Landscaping
Decorative stone is spread thinner than base stone but often costs three or four times as much per ton, so measuring accurately matters more. For a 10 × 20 ft bed at 3 inches the stone calculator gives 1.85 cubic yards, or 2.5 tons of river rock before waste. Lava rock is the exception: it weighs less than half as much, so the same bed needs only about 1.2 tons. The landscape stone calculator has presets for tree rings, dry creek beds and play areas.
Bags vs Bulk Stone
A 50 lb bag of stone holds about half a cubic foot, so one cubic yard is roughly 54 to 56 bags and one ton is 40 bags. Bagged stone costs $4 to $8 a bag at a home center — $160 to $320 per ton — against $30 to $60 per ton in bulk. Bags only make sense below about half a ton.
How Much Does Stone Cost?
Bulk crushed stone and limestone typically cost $30 to $45 per ton at the quarry, river rock $45 to $90, and decorative stone such as marble chips $100 to $200. Delivery adds $75 to $150 per truckload within about 20 miles. The calculator uses typical prices; type your supplier’s price per ton for an exact figure.
Related Stone Calculators
Use a material-specific tool when you already know the stone:
- Crushed stone calculator — every crushed stone size and grade
- 3/4 stone calculator — clean 3/4 inch stone and 3/4 minus
- #57 stone calculator — the most common clean crushed stone
- River stone calculator — river rock for beds and dry creeks
- 2A / 2B stone calculator — ABC and regional base grades
- Stone dust calculator — screenings for paver bedding and paths
- Rip rap calculator — large stone for shorelines and slopes
Density figures follow standard quarry ranges for crushed aggregate; the USGS crushed stone statistics publish national production and unit value data.
Stone Calculator FAQ
How do I calculate how much stone I need?
Multiply length by width in feet for square feet, multiply by the depth in inches divided by 12, and divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply cubic yards by the stone density, about 1.40 tons per cubic yard for crushed stone, to get tons, then add 10 percent.
How many square feet does a ton of stone cover?
One ton of crushed stone covers about 116 sq ft at 2 inches deep, 77 sq ft at 3 inches, 58 sq ft at 4 inches and 39 sq ft at 6 inches. River rock and pea stone cover about 4 percent more because they are slightly lighter.
How many tons of stone are in a cubic yard?
Most crushed stone weighs 1.35 to 1.50 tons per cubic yard. Clean crushed stone is about 1.40 tons, river rock and pea stone about 1.35, and crusher run with fines about 1.50. Lava rock is much lighter at about 0.65 tons per cubic yard.
How much stone do I need for a driveway?
A 12 x 50 ft driveway at 4 inches deep is 7.4 cubic yards, or about 10.4 tons of crushed stone, plus 10 percent for about 11.4 tons. A full build with a 4 inch base and 2 inch top layer needs roughly half as much again.
How much does a cubic yard of stone cost?
Bulk crushed stone runs about $40 to $65 per cubic yard, river rock $60 to $120 and decorative stone $140 to $280, before delivery. Prices per ton are about 30 percent lower because a yard weighs about 1.4 tons.
Is the stone calculator the same as a gravel calculator?
Yes. Crushed stone, river rock and gravel use the same volume formula; only the density changes. Pick the stone type in the calculator and it applies the right weight per cubic yard automatically.