Gravel Calculator

Convert a driveway or path into cubic yards and tons, at the depth and density you set.

Your measurements

The area you are filling

Measure the finished area you want covered, not the excavation. If the shape is irregular, split it into rectangles and add the results together.
Both measurements are in feet. For anything measured in inches, divide by twelve first. A 30 inch path is 2.5 feet wide.
In inches, because that is how depth is specified on site. What counts as usual depends on the material: an inch of bedding sand under pavers, 2 to 3 inches of gravel or mulch over a prepared bed, 4 inches for a concrete patio slab, 5 or 6 for a driveway carrying vehicles, and 6 to 12 inches of topsoil depending on what has to grow in it.
Use this when the same measurement repeats, such as four identical pads or three beds of the same size. Leave it at one for a single area.
Ten percent is the usual allowance, and what running short actually costs is rarely the material. On a bulk delivery it is a second haulage charge for a part load. On a concrete pour it is worse, because a slab finished in two goes has a cold joint through it. 10.00%
Material and price
Weight per cubic foot varies by material and with how wet the load is. Loose gravel and crushed stone run about 100 to 110, dry concrete sand near 100, screened topsoil nearer 74, and compacted hot mix asphalt about 145. Ask the supplier if the load matters, because the same volume weighs more after rain.
Enter the price and then say what it is per, below. Delivery and any minimum load charge are not included here.
Bagged material is priced per bag, delivered aggregate per ton, and ready-mix per cubic yard. Pick whichever matches the quote you are working from.
Material to order
3.67 cu yd
9%
is spare
The job itself 3.33 cu yd
Waste allowance 0.33 cu yd
Order this much 3.67 cu yd
Area covered
360 sq ft
Same in cubic feet
99 cu ft

What to buy

Weight 5.2 tons
Material cost $218
Works out per cubic yard $59.54

Every figure here is a planning estimate, not a professional takeoff. Yields, waste factors and code requirements vary by product, supplier and jurisdiction, so confirm quantities against the manufacturer’s data and your local building department before you order.

Generated by Mathterial

Gravel is measured in cubic yards and sold by the ton, and that mismatch is where most orders go wrong. This gravel calculator works out both from the same measurements, so you can quote the supplier the number they actually price against.

Yards in, tons out

A cubic yard of crushed stone at 105 pounds per cubic foot weighs about 1.42 tons. That single conversion is the one to get right, because a quarry quoting $42 a ton and a landscape yard quoting by the yard are not offering comparable prices until you convert.

A 30 by 12 foot driveway at 3 inches deep needs 3.67 cubic yards once a 10% allowance is added, which is 5.2 tons and about $218 at that rate.

Density is not a constant. It moves with stone size and moisture, and a wet load weighs more than a dry one for the same volume. The density field above is there to be changed. Ask the supplier what their material runs at rather than accepting the default, because on a large order the difference is measured in tons.

Depth drives the cost, and it drives it linearly

Area is fixed by the site. Depth is the one variable you control, and it scales the order in direct proportion. On that same driveway:

  • 2 inches is 2.44 cubic yards, 3.47 tons, about $146.
  • 4 inches is 4.89 cubic yards, 6.93 tons, about $291.
  • 6 inches is 7.33 cubic yards, 10.4 tons, about $437.

Specifying an inch more than the job needs is a straightforward waste of budget. Specifying an inch less on a driveway that carries vehicles is a rutting problem you will pay to fix, so this is a decision to make deliberately rather than by rounding.

What depth the job actually calls for

  • Walkways and garden paths: 2 to 3 inches over a compacted subgrade.
  • Residential driveways: 4 inches of base plus a 1 to 2 inch surface course, laid and compacted in layers rather than in one lift.
  • Drainage and French drains: depth is set by the trench, so measure the excavation rather than the surface.

Aggregate compacts as it is rolled, typically by around a fifth from loose to compacted, and that is separate from the waste allowance above. If you are specifying a finished compacted depth, order for the loose volume that compacts down to it.

Ordering without a shortfall

Delivery is the dominant cost on a small load, so a second trip to cover a shortfall usually costs more than the material you were trying not to over-order. The 10% allowance above covers spillage, an uneven subgrade and the material that disappears into the ground on the first pass.

For the bedding layer that goes on top of a compacted base under pavers, the sand calculator handles that separately, and the concrete calculator covers anything being poured rather than spread.

Gravel calculator FAQ

How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?

About 1.42 tons for crushed stone at 105 pounds per cubic foot. Denser material runs heavier and a wet load heavier still, so confirm the figure with your supplier before converting a large order.

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?

A 30 by 12 foot driveway at 3 inches deep needs about 3.67 cubic yards, or 5.2 tons, including a 10% allowance. Most residential driveways want 4 inches of base plus a 1 to 2 inch surface course laid in compacted layers.

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

Four inches of compacted base with a 1 to 2 inch surface course for a residential driveway carrying cars. Paths need only 2 to 3 inches. Going deeper than the job requires scales the cost in direct proportion.

Should I order gravel by the yard or by the ton?

Order in whichever unit your supplier prices in, but convert before comparing quotes. Volume is what the site needs and weight is what the truck carries, so a yard price and a ton price are not comparable until you apply the density.