Stone calculator
Stone Yard Calculator
Landscape suppliers sell by the cubic yard. This tells you how many yards your job takes and how far each one goes.
Your project
Density is what turns volume into tons. Confirm it with your quarry when ordering.
Stone needed
4.44
cubic yards
- Coverage per cubic yard
- 108 sq ft at 3"
- Weight per cubic yard
- 1.35 tons
- Total weight
- 6 tons
- Pickup truck loads (1/2 yd)
- 9
- Estimated cost
- $244
A half-ton pickup legally carries about half a cubic yard of stone. A full yard is roughly 2,700 lb and will overload the rear axle.
The shareable link reopens this calculator with your exact inputs.
What one cubic yard of stone covers
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread 1 inch deep it covers 324 sq ft, at 2 inches 162 sq ft, at 3 inches 108 sq ft, and at 4 inches 81 sq ft. Those four numbers cover almost every landscape job.
Weight per yard depends on the stone: 1.3 tons for pea gravel, 1.35 for clean crushed stone, 1.8 for compacted base, and about 0.7 for lava rock.
Buying by the yard versus by the ton
Landscape supply yards usually price mulch, topsoil and decorative stone by the cubic yard, while quarries price crushed aggregate by the ton. Converting between them needs the density, which is exactly why the same pile can be quoted two ways at what looks like different prices.
Delivery is generally a flat haul fee up to the truck's capacity, so ordering three yards costs almost the same in freight as ordering one. Combine deliveries where you can.
Coverage from one cubic yard
| Depth | Square feet covered |
|---|---|
| 1" | 324 |
| 2" | 162 |
| 3" | 108 |
| 4" | 81 |
| 6" | 54 |
| 12" | 27 |
Frequently asked questions
+How much does a yard of stone cover?
108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 at 2 inches, 81 at 4 inches. Coverage halves every time the depth doubles.
+How much does a cubic yard of stone weigh?
About 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) for typical crushed stone, up to 3,600 lb for compacted dense-graded base.
+How many yards fit in a pickup truck?
Half a cubic yard of stone in a half-ton pickup, one yard in a 3/4-ton, and about two yards of light mulch in either.
+Is stone cheaper by the yard or by the ton?
Neither by itself — they are the same rock. Convert using tons per yard (about 1.35 for crushed stone) and compare the delivered totals.