Landscaping Calculators

Which landscaping calculator do you need?

• Driveways, paths and bases: the gravel calculator gives tons and cubic yards, with compaction for road base.
• Garden beds: the mulch calculator compares bulk yards with 2 ft³ bags.
• Lawns, beds and raised gardens: the topsoil calculator covers topsoil, garden blends, compost and fill dirt, with settling.
• Paver bedding, leveling and sandboxes: the sand calculator counts tons and 50 lb bags.
• Patios and walkways: the paver calculator counts pavers with pattern waste, plus the base and sand underneath.
• New lawns: the sod calculator gives slabs, rolls and pallets.
• Decorative borders and dry creek beds: the landscape rock calculator shows how far a ton of river rock or lava rock goes.

Volume, weight and the 324 rule

Almost every landscaping material starts with the same sum: area × depth. With the area in square feet and the depth in inches, divide by 324 to get cubic yards (324 is 12 inches × 27 cubic feet). A 200 ft² bed at 3 inches deep needs 200 × 3 ÷ 324 = 1.85 cubic yards. What changes between materials is how they are sold. Mulch and topsoil are usually sold by the cubic yard; gravel, sand and stone are often sold by the ton, so the calculators convert volume to weight using a typical weight per yard, which you can replace with your supplier’s figure.

Settling, compaction and waste

Loose materials do not stay as loose as they arrive. Mulch and topsoil settle after watering, often 10–20% for soil, and road base compacts when it is rolled. Each calculator adds a sensible default allowance for its material and lets you change it. Pavers and sod have a different kind of waste: cutting around curves, edges and patterns, typically 5–15%.

Bulk or bags?

Bags are convenient for small beds, top-ups and places a truck cannot reach, but they cost much more per yard and add up fast: one cubic yard is 13.5 bags of 2 ft³ mulch or about 54 bags of 50 lb sand. From around one cubic yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper even with a delivery fee. Every calculator shows both, so you can compare with real prices from your local yard.

Before you order

• Measure each area separately and add them; most landscapes are a mix of rectangles and curves.
• Check where the truck can tip and lay a tarp to protect the lawn or driveway.
• Mind your vehicle’s limits: a cubic yard of gravel or wet soil can weigh well over a ton.
• Lay landscape fabric and edging under rock and gravel to keep weeds down and material in place.