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Gravel Calculator Guide
Ordering the right amount of gravel the first time saves you a second delivery fee and keeps your project on schedule. This calculator converts your area and depth into cubic yards and tons, then estimates cost — so you can order with confidence for driveways, paths, drainage, or landscaping beds.
Cubic yards = (length × width × depth in feet) ÷ 27. Then tons = cubic yards × density (gravel is about 1.4 tons per cubic yard). One cubic yard fills 27 cubic feet, or roughly a 10 ft × 10 ft area at 3 inches deep.
How Much Gravel Do I Need?
Multiply your length by your width to get the area, then multiply by the depth (converted to feet) to get cubic feet. Divide by 27 to get cubic yards, and multiply by the material's density to get tons. Most landscape gravel weighs about 1.4 tons (2,800 lbs) per cubic yard, though crushed limestone runs a little heavier and mulch much lighter.
Recommended Gravel Depth by Project
| Project | Recommended Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Walkway / path | 2 inches | Over a compacted base |
| Gravel top layer (driveway) | 2–3 inches | Per layer; driveways use multiple layers |
| New gravel driveway (total) | 4–6 inches | Base + middle + top layers combined |
| Drainage / French drain | Fill the trench | Calculate by trench volume |
| Landscape / decorative bed | 2–3 inches | Deeper looks fuller but costs more |
Approximate Densities (tons per cubic yard)
- Gravel / pea gravel: ~1.4 tons per cubic yard
- Crushed stone / limestone: ~1.5 tons per cubic yard
- River rock: ~1.4 tons per cubic yard
- Sand: ~1.35 tons per cubic yard
- Topsoil: ~1.1 tons per cubic yard
- Mulch: ~0.5 tons per cubic yard
These are averages — moisture content and stone size shift the real number, so ask your supplier for their exact density if you need to be precise on a large order.
Worked Example
For a driveway 20 ft long × 10 ft wide topped with 3 inches of gravel: area = 200 sq ft; volume = 200 × (3 ÷ 12) = 50 cubic feet; cubic yards = 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³; tons = 1.85 × 1.4 = 2.6 tons. Order about 2.6 tons (round up to allow for compaction and settling).
Tips for Ordering Gravel
- Order 5–10% extra. Gravel compacts as it settles and spreads unevenly, so a little surplus prevents a short delivery.
- Buy by the ton for big jobs, by the bag for small ones. Bulk delivery is far cheaper per ton once you pass roughly one cubic yard.
- Prep a base. For driveways, a compacted sub-base under the gravel prevents rutting and sinking.
- Add landscape fabric under decorative gravel to block weeds and stop the stone from mixing into the soil.
Planning a full driveway or patio? Pair this with our Paver Calculator and Sand Calculator to size the base layers too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much gravel do I need?
Multiply length × width × depth (in feet), divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by about 1.4 to get tons of gravel.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 tons (roughly 2,800 lbs) for typical gravel, though crushed limestone is closer to 1.5 tons per cubic yard.
How deep should gravel be?
Use 2 inches for paths and 2–3 inches per layer for driveways; a full new gravel driveway totals about 4–6 inches across its layers.
How do I convert gravel yards to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the material density — about 1.4 for gravel — to get the weight in tons.
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