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Landscape stone calculator
Put your bed length, width, depth and stone density in: a 10 ft by 10 ft bed at 3 in deep is 100 sq ft, 25 cu ft — 1.3 tons exact, 1.5 tons at 1.4 tons per cu yd.
★ CONSTRUCTION · LANDSCAPING · STONE
Landscape Stone Calculator: 1.5 Tons for 10x10 ft Bed
On the defaults — a 10 ft by 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 1.4 tons per cu yd — you need 1.5 tons of landscape stone. This is the landscape stone tool: measure the bed once, allow for the settling, and order the stone once — a half-stoned bed waits for no second delivery.
What does landscape stone needed 1.5 tons mean?
It means one and a half tons of stone cover a 10 ft by 10 ft bed at 3 inches deep. The bed itself is 100 square feet, since 10 times 10 is 100; at 3 inches deep that is 25 cubic feet, and since one cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, the volume is 0.93 cubic yards. At 1.4 tons per cubic yard the exact weight is 1.3 tons, rounded up to the nearest half-ton, 1.5 tons, because stone is sold by the half-ton and the ton, not by the tenth. The spare half-ton is not spare stock exactly — it is the stone the bed consumes in settling and uneven ground, so a bed stoned to the exact ton shows bare patches before the season ends.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bed area | length × width | 100 sq ft — 10 × 10. |
| Volume | area × (depth ÷ 12) ÷ 27 | 0.93 cu yd — 25 cu ft ÷ 27. |
| Tons | volume × density, rounded up to the half-ton | 1.5 tons — 1.3 exact, rounded up. |
Three things to check before you trust the number
First, check the density of the stone you are actually buying: 1.4 tons per cubic yard is the common figure, but a denser stone at 1.6 raises this bed to 1.48 tons exact, and a lighter stone at 1.2 drops it to 1.11 tons, while the bed volume never changes. Second, remember the volume follows the area times the depth, not the length alone: a 10 ft by 10 ft bed is 100 sq ft, and a bed measured by one side under-orders. Third, judge the depth honestly: stone settles into soil, so 3 in fits a bed on firm ground, but soft ground can want a deeper layer, since every dip takes stone. Weed fabric and edging are bought separately — see the topsoil calculator for the soil under a bed like this one.
Worked example
10 ft long, 10 ft wide, 3 in deep, 1.4 tons per cu yd. Area: 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft. Volume: 100 × (3 ÷ 12) = 25 cu ft, and 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cu yd. Tons exact: 0.93 × 1.4 = 1.3 tons. Tons to buy: 1.5, rounded up to the nearest half-ton. In practice that means ordering 1.5 tons, and expecting the last half-ton to go on settling and uneven ground. If the same bed used a stone at 1.6 tons per cu yd instead, the need would rise to 1.48 tons exact, but the bed covered would be identical.
Every branch, checked
With a 12 ft long bed instead of 10 ft, the area rises to 120 sq ft and the need to 2 tons. With a 12 ft wide bed, the area rises to 120 sq ft and the need to 2 tons, since the bed area is the same either way. With a 4 in layer, the volume rises to 33.33 cu ft and the need to 2 tons. With a stone at 1.6 tons per cu yd, the volume stays 0.93 cu yd but the exact weight rises to 1.48 tons, while the buy stays 1.5 tons, since 1.48 tons still fits a half-ton rounding. Bed size, depth and density each move the order on their own, so a wrong density figure is as costly as a wrong measurement.
The reverses, worked backwards
The length behind 1.5 tons is 10 ft: at 8 ft the need is 1.5 tons (8 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 80 sq ft, 20 cu ft, 0.74 cu yd, 1.04 tons exact, 1.4 tons per cu yd); at 12 ft it is 2 tons (12 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 120 sq ft, 30 cu ft, 1.11 cu yd, 1.56 tons exact, 1.4 tons per cu yd). The depth behind 1.5 tons is 3 in: at 2 in the need is 1 ton (10 ft × 10 ft bed, 2 in deep, 100 sq ft, 16.67 cu ft, 0.62 cu yd, 0.86 tons exact, 1.4 tons per cu yd); at 4 in it is 2 tons (10 ft × 10 ft bed, 4 in deep, 100 sq ft, 33.33 cu ft, 1.23 cu yd, 1.73 tons exact, 1.4 tons per cu yd). The density behind 1.5 tons is 1.4 tons per cu yd: at 1.2 the need is 1.5 tons (10 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 100 sq ft, 25 cu ft, 0.93 cu yd, 1.11 tons exact, 1.2 tons per cu yd); at 1.6 it is 1.5 tons (10 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 100 sq ft, 25 cu ft, 0.93 cu yd, 1.48 tons exact, 1.6 tons per cu yd). Each reverse moves one input and holds the rest, so the step is exactly one dimension, depth or density change.
What the defaults assume
The defaults assume a 10 ft by 10 ft rectangular bed, a 3 in stone layer, and 1.4 tons per cubic yard. They do not assume weed fabric, edging or plants — a bed that needs edging counts its edging separately, and the plants are bought by the plant, not by the ton.
Who uses this
- A homeowner stoning a bed: the 1.5-ton order settles the yard call before the first shovel is lifted.
- A DIY gardener refreshing a flower bed: the same maths on the bed alone gives the tons, not a whole yard.
- A contractor quoting a job: bed area, depth, density — the quote follows the same three steps, and the density line shows the client why.
- A landlord budgeting a garden refit: the bed size off the plans, multiplied out, gives the ton line on the refit budget.
Accuracy & limitations
The arithmetic is exact for the inputs entered; the judgement is the depth and the density. Real ground is uneven, and the stone on the ground overrides any planning figure; a bed measured gross over-orders, and a density figure read off a different stone under-orders. Treat 1.5 tons as the planning order for a 10 ft by 10 ft bed at 3 in deep with stone at 1.4 tons per cu yd, and allow a deeper layer for soft ground that swallows stone.
Cite this calculator
Bright Side Kit, “Landscape Stone Calculator: 1.5 Tons for 10x10 ft Bed”, https://brightoolbox.com/landscape-stone-calculator/, accessed 3 November 2026. Students and researchers: cite the calculator name, the page URL and the date you used it, and quote the defaults (10 ft × 10 ft bed, 3 in deep, 1.4 tons per cu yd) so the 1.5-ton result can be checked.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of stone do I need for a 10x10 ft bed?
1.5 tons at 3 in deep and 1.4 tons per cu yd. The volume is 25 cu ft, or 0.93 cu yd; at 1.4 tons per cu yd that is 1.3 tons exact, rounded up to the nearest half-ton, 1.5.
How do I work out landscape stone from a bed size?
Multiply length by width for the area, multiply by depth in feet for cubic feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, multiply by the density and round up to the half-ton. A 10 ft by 10 ft bed at 3 in is 100 sq ft, or 1.5 tons at 1.4 per cu yd.
How deep should landscape stone be?
3 in for a bed on firm ground, deeper on soft ground that swallows stone. Every inch of depth is another layer across the whole bed, so depth moves the order directly.
Does this count the weed fabric too?
No — this calculator counts stone only. Weed fabric and edging are counted separately, by the bed.
Should I buy the exact tons or round up?
Round up to the half-ton: stone is sold by the half-ton, and the spare stone is the settling stock. A bed stoned to the exact ton shows bare patches before the season ends.
What if my bed is not a rectangle?
Split it into rectangles, work out each area, and add them before multiplying by the depth. The square footage calculator handles the area step section by section.