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Methodology, formulas & sources

Updated May 2026 3 min read

Every calculator on this site shares one math library. This page is the source of truth for the formulas and density assumptions. Real product weight varies by moisture, compaction, and supplier — we always show the assumption with each result.

Volume formulas

Quantity	Formula
Cubic feet	`area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12`
Cubic yards	`cubic feet ÷ 27`
Cubic meters	`cubic feet × 0.0283168`
Tons	`cubic feet × density (lb/ft³) ÷ 2000`
Bag count	`cubic feet ÷ bag size (cu ft), rounded up`
With settling	`baseline cubic feet × (1 + buffer)`

Density library

Values shown are landscape-industry typicals. The range column is the realistic spread we observe across suppliers.

Material	lb / cu ft	Range	Settling buffer
Mulch	22	18–30	+10%
Gravel	100	85–110	+5%
Topsoil	75	60–100	+15%
Sand	100	90–110	+5%
Paver base	105	95–115	+10%
Concrete	150	140–155	+10%

Sources

USDA NRCS soil bulk density references — for topsoil weight ranges.
ASTM D-7382 / industry references — for aggregate (gravel, sand, paver base) bulk densities.
Lowe's, Home Depot, Kurtz Bros & Mulch.com published bag-yield averages — for bag-size mapping.
ACI 211.1 / Quikrete published yields — for concrete bag yield (60 lb → 0.45 cu ft, 80 lb → 0.60 cu ft).

Last audit

May 2026

Audit cadence

Quarterly

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