Gravel Cost Calculator
A 12 ft by 20 ft area at 4 inches is 2.96 cubic yards and 4.00 short tons of gravel at 1,600 kg/m³. Type your price per ton or per yard. This page does not assume a local price.
Last updated . Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 324. Short tons use the full cubic meters × density ÷ 907.18474 kg, then round for display. The cost multiplies the unrounded weight or volume.
Go from the hole in the ground to tons, then to a cost, using the price and delivery fee on your quote. There is no city price list here. A supplier’s number belongs in the price box.
Volume to tons to your price
Each row is the default density on that material’s own page.
Volume, weight, and cost
Cubic yards
0.00
Short tons
0.00
Material
Enter your quote
Total with delivery
Enter your quote
Volume, then tons, then the quote
The shape is a rectangle. Twelve feet by 20 feet by 4 inches is 80.00 cubic feet, 2.96 cubic yards, and 2.27 cubic meters. At 1,600 kg/m³ the mass is 3624.56 kg, which is 3.99539 short tons. The ton line rounds that to 4.00. The tonne line reads 3.62. The same 1,600 kg/m³ default is what the #57, clean 3/4, pea gravel, and sand pages use. Change the material when the ticket says 304, class 5, or another product.
Leave the price blank until you have a number. The material and total lines stay on “Enter your quote.” A per-ton quote multiplies the unrounded short tons. A per-yard quote multiplies the unrounded cubic yards. Delivery is added once, not per ton. Tax and fuel surcharges are not guessed.
Worked example with a typed quote
The $40 and $75 below are sample keystrokes so you can check the arithmetic. They are not a typical price and they are not a quote for any city. With length 12 ft, width 20 ft, depth 4 in, and #57 at 1,600 kg/m³, type 40 per short ton and 75 in the delivery box. The yard line reads 2.96. The ton line reads 4.00. Material reads $159.82. Total reads $234.82. The formula line shows the 3.99539 tons that produced $159.82, so the rounded 4.00 tons is not what got multiplied. Switch the price menu to per cubic yard, clear delivery, and type 50. Material reads $148.15.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of gravel?
Find the volume, convert it to the unit on the quote, then add delivery. A 12 ft by 20 ft area at 4 inches is 2.96 cubic yards and 4.00 short tons at 1,600 kg/m³. If the quote is per ton, the cost uses the full weight before that 4.00 rounding. If it is per yard, it uses the full 2.96296 cubic yards.
What if my quote is $40 per ton and delivery is $75?
Those are sample numbers you type in, not a market price. On the 12 by 20 ft by 4 in example, the ton line reads 4.00 and the material line reads $159.82, because 3.99539 tons × $40 is $159.82. Add the $75 delivery and the total reads $234.82. Replace both numbers with your quote.
Why isn’t there a price for my city?
Delivered gravel prices move with the quarry, the haul, the season, and the quantity. This calculator does not publish a local price. Leave the price blank until the supplier gives you a number per ton or per cubic yard, and put the delivery fee in its own box so it stays separate from the material rate.
Should I use price per ton or price per yard?
Use the unit written on the quote. A yard of #57 at 1,600 kg/m³ is 1.35 short tons, so a per-ton price and a per-yard price are not the same number. At $50 per cubic yard on this 12 by 20 ft example, the material line reads $148.15 before delivery, because 2.96296 yards × $50 is $148.15.
Does the cost include compaction or waste?
No. The volume is the length, width, and depth you type. Compacted bases such as 304 often need extra loose stone. The decomposed granite calculator has a compaction allowance for that product. Add the extra before you multiply by the price, or raise the depth you type.
How many tons is this 2.96 cubic yards?
At 1,600 kg/m³ this 12 by 20 ft by 4 in area is 3.62 tonnes, and the short-ton line reads 4.00. One cubic yard at that density is 1.35 short tons and 1.22 tonnes. 304, class 5, river rock, and the other materials are on the menu at the same defaults as their own pages.
Does the total include tax?
The total is the material cost plus the delivery fee you enter. It does not add sales tax, a fuel surcharge, or a minimum-load fee. If the quote includes those, put them in the delivery box or add them after the total.
Is this the fence cost calculator?
No. The fence cost page prices fence materials. This page prices a volume of gravel, sand, or another material on the menu. The tons to yards page converts a weight you already know and does not apply a price.