Landscaping & hardscape calculators

Ordering bulk materials and pavers

Gravel, mulch and topsoil are bought by volume (cubic yards) and often delivered by weight (tons), so these calculators give both. Enter the area and depth and they return cubic yards, bag counts for smaller jobs and an approximate weight from typical material densities. The paver calculator counts pavers by size and pattern and adds compacted base, bedding sand, polymeric sand and edge restraint.

One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 108 square feet at 3 inches and 81 square feet at 4 inches. Order about 10% extra for gravel base that will be compacted and for mulch on uneven beds, and 5 to 10% extra pavers for cuts at the edges. Weight varies with moisture and grading; the material weight chart lists typical figures, but ask your supplier for the weight of their product before you order by the ton.

The material weight chart converts cubic yards to tons for gravel, sand, soil and mulch, and shows roughly how much a pickup can carry before you plan to haul it yourself. Deck boards and joists are in the framing calculators.

Call 811 a few days before you dig so buried utilities can be marked. Retaining walls taller than about 4 feet commonly need an engineered design and a permit, and anything that changes drainage toward a building or a neighbor’s lot is worth running past a landscape contractor first.

How each calculator is specified, tested and corrected is described on our methodology page.