Gravel Calculator: Cubic Feet

Why This One Is Different

Cubic feet is the right unit once a job is too small to think in yards (a planter bed, a handful of post holes, a narrow path) and you're buying by the bag rather than ordering a truckload. The geometry underneath doesn't change: multiply area by depth, and this calculator just skips the extra division into yards so you're working in the unit your bag labels already use. Because gravel is still sold and delivered by weight at any scale, the tool also converts your cubic-foot total into an approximate tonnage range, so a small order doesn't get priced off a yardage-only sheet by mistake.

Where the Numbers Come From

• Cubic feet come from the same geometry as cubic yards without the final division: area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 = cubic feet, versus ÷ 324 for yards, since 324 = 12 × 27. Source: derived from Texas AgriLife Extension's area × depth ÷ 324 volume rule
• Gravel's 1.2-1.6 ton-per-cubic-yard density band works out to roughly 90-120 lb per cubic foot, still a range, since moisture and stone type move it. Source: SME Mining Engineering Handbook density band (via construction-estimating canon)
• Small bulk orders are commonly sold bagged rather than delivered loose, and bagged material is priced per bag, not per exact cubic foot; expect to round up to the nearest bag size your supplier stocks. Source: trade convention, labeled as such (not codified in a standard)