Disclaimer
Every figure on this site is an estimate. The arithmetic is sound and the densities are typical, but your supplier’s material, your ground and your prices are specific to you. Check the number before you order against it.
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Estimates, not quotes
The calculators work out quantities from the dimensions you enter and published typical values for the material. That is enough to plan a job, budget for it and have a sensible conversation with a supplier. It is not a quotation, and no supplier is bound by anything shown here.
Prices shown as defaults are indicative figures for guidance only. They move with region, season, fuel cost and how far you are from the quarry, sometimes by a wide margin. Where a calculator lets you enter your own price, that is the number worth trusting.
Why material weights vary
Bulk materials are natural products. The weight of a cubic yard depends on the parent rock, how finely it has been screened, how much moisture is in the pile and how long it has been sitting. Two yards from different quarries can differ by a couple of hundred pounds.
We use one consistent set of typical densities across the whole site, so a chart on one page never contradicts the tool on another. That consistency does not make them right for your yard. If your order sits close to a truck weight limit, ask your supplier what their material actually runs at.
Order a margin, not the exact figure
Trench walls slump, ground is never perfectly flat, and material settles as it is spread and compacted. A calculated figure is the theoretical minimum, and ordering exactly that amount tends to leave you short.
Where a calculator includes an overage or compaction allowance, the page says so and explains the percentage used. Where it does not, adding around 10% is normal practice. Running short by half a ton on a Saturday costs a whole extra delivery.
Not professional advice
These are quantity calculators. They are not a substitute for engineering, structural, drainage, geotechnical or horticultural advice, and they do not assess whether what you are building is a good idea or safe.
Anything structural, anything carrying a vehicle load, anything affecting how water leaves your property and anything near a boundary, a foundation or a buried service deserves a qualified professional. Drainage in particular: where water goes after your drain is a design question this site does not answer.
Playground surfacing depths are given as general figures and are not a certified fall-height rating. Take that specification from the equipment manufacturer.
Check before you dig
Several calculators here size trenches, driveway excavations and foundation pads. Before breaking ground, have buried utilities located. In the United States that is free and starts by calling 811. Elsewhere your national equivalent does the same job.
Permits, setbacks, drainage rules and covenants are local and are your responsibility to check. Nothing here tells you whether the work you are planning is permitted where you live.
Limitation of liability
This site is provided free and as-is, without warranty of any kind. We take reasonable care over the arithmetic and the reference figures, but we do not warrant that any result is accurate, complete or fit for your particular project.
To the fullest extent the law allows, Landscaping Calculators accepts no liability for loss or damage arising from use of these calculators, including material ordered in the wrong quantity, work carried out on the basis of an estimate, or costs incurred as a result. The decision to order is yours, and confirming it with your supplier is the step that protects you.
Found something wrong?
If a figure looks incorrect, tell us and we will check it. Corrections are the most useful mail we get, and a density or formula error affects everyone who uses that page, so it gets fixed quickly. Write to support@landscapingcalculators.com or use the contact page.