Material Calculator
This free material calculator estimates how much concrete, mulch, gravel, or tile a project needs, from its length, width, and depth (or a waste allowance for tile). Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.
How to Use It
- Select your project type: Concrete, Mulch, Gravel, or Tile.
- Enter the length and width of the area.
- Enter the depth (or waste percentage for tile).
- The amount needed updates instantly, no submit button.
How It Works
For concrete, mulch, and gravel, this calculator finds the volume in cubic feet from the area's length, width, and depth, converts that to cubic yards (the unit these materials are actually ordered in), then rounds up to the next quarter yard. For tile, it finds the floor area, adds a waste percentage for cuts and breakage, and rounds up to the next whole square foot.
Formulas
concrete, mulch, gravel: cubic yards = (length × width × depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27
tile: square feet = length × width × (1 + waste% ÷ 100)
A worked example: a 10 by 10 foot concrete slab poured 4 inches deep comes to 33.3 cubic feet, which is 1.23 cubic yards, rounded up to 1.25 cubic yards for ordering. An 11 by 13 foot tile floor with a 10% waste allowance needs 157.3 square feet of actual coverage, rounded up to 158 square feet to buy.
Everything runs client-side in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere or stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this round up to a quarter cubic yard instead of showing the exact amount?
Concrete, mulch, and gravel are ordered and delivered in bulk by the cubic yard, not to an arbitrary decimal. Rounding up to the next quarter yard is the safer default, running short partway through a pour or a garden bed is a much bigger problem than having a small amount left over.
What waste percentage should I use for tile?
10% is a widely used starting point for a straightforward layout. More complex jobs, a diagonal pattern, a small room with lots of cuts around fixtures, or a first-time DIY installation, often benefit from 15% or even 20% to avoid running short and needing to match a dye lot that may no longer be available.
Why doesn't this calculator convert to bags or tons?
Gravel and mulch density varies enough between specific products (crushed stone versus pea gravel, or a dense hardwood mulch versus a lighter shredded one) that a single generic conversion factor would create false precision rather than a genuinely reliable number. Checking the specific product's own listed coverage per bag or per ton at the supplier gives a more accurate answer than a one-size-fits-all conversion.
What depth should I use for each project type?
Mulch and gravel are typically spread 2 to 4 inches deep for most garden beds and paths. A concrete slab for a patio, walkway, or shed floor is typically poured 4 inches deep, driveways and anything load-bearing usually need more and should follow local code or a contractor's recommendation rather than a general guideline.
Can you give a worked example for each project type?
A 10 by 10 foot concrete slab poured 4 inches deep needs 1.25 cubic yards. A 20 by 15 foot mulch bed spread 3 inches deep needs 3 cubic yards. A 12 by 6 foot gravel path 3 inches deep needs 0.75 cubic yards. An 11 by 13 foot tile floor with a 10% waste allowance needs 158 square feet of tile.