Gravel Calculators
Ian Welkins
I'm Ian Welkins, an independent web developer based in Houston, Texas. I build small, single-purpose calculator websites — tools that do one job, show their working, and ask for nothing: no sign-up, no accounts, nothing to install.
Gravel Calculators is mine end to end: I built the calculators, sourced the density figures, wrote the guides, and I answer the error reports. That matters more here than on most sites, because these numbers turn into real truckloads — a density figure that's off by a few percent is a pile of stone you paid for and can't use, or a driveway that comes up short. So every figure the site uses is printed on the page that uses it, and checked against hand calculations before it goes live.
What I'm responsible for
- Building and maintaining every calculator on this site.
- Checking each calculator's formulas and density figures against hand calculations before publication, and whenever an error is reported.
- Writing and reviewing the guides.
- Handling error reports sent via the report-an-error page and ianwelkins@gmail.com, and publishing corrections when a confirmed error is fixed.
- Reviewing the site's pages at least every 6 months — each page shows the date of its last review.
Guides by Ian Welkins
- How Much Gravel Do I Need? — the formula, depth guidance, and worked examples.
- Gravel Types and Sizes Explained — what grading codes mean and where each grade belongs.
- Gravel Driveway Guide — layers, depths, materials, and maintenance.
- Are Online Gravel Calculators Accurate? — what an estimate can and cannot tell you.
Key tools by Ian Welkins
- Gravel Calculator — the main all-in-one tool.
- Gravel Cost Calculator — single-layer and two-layer driveway pricing.
- Gravel Weight Calculator — volume-to-weight conversion with a density table.
- Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator — bidirectional conversion.
All tools are listed on the calculators hub and the applications hub. The formulas and testing behind them are documented in the methodology.
Find me elsewhere
You can find me, and check that this is one real person, on these profiles:
- GitHub — my projects and code
- Dev.to — notes on building these tools
- About.me — all my sites and profiles in one place
- Gravatar — my verified profile
A note on AI
I use AI tools to help draft page text and code, the way many independent developers do now. The numbers are a different matter: every formula and density figure on this site comes from published material references and supplier specifications, and is verified against hand calculations by me before publication — that checking is never delegated. If something is wrong, the error report form reaches a person — me — and I fix it.
Contact
Corrections, feedback, and questions are welcome at ianwelkins@gmail.com, or through the error report form.