Bulk materials
Gravel Calculator
Gravel is ordered by the ton but measured by volume, so this calculator gives you both. Pick your stone, enter the area and depth, and you'll get cubic yards, tons, and a delivered cost range.
Updated
Area to cover
Add a section for each part of the space. Odd shapes are easiest as two or three simple ones.
Area = length × width
Material and depth
Angular edges lock together, so it stays put on slopes and under traffic.
2–3 in for beds and paths. A driveway needs 4–8 in of base plus a surface course.
5% covers settling and uneven ground. Use 10% on rough or sloped sites.
The standard retail size.
Only affects the weight figures, never the volume. Typical range 2500–3000 lb/cu yd, wet material sits at the top.
Enter your measurements to see results.
Which gravel should I use?
Tell the assistant what the area is for and how it drains, and it will suggest a stone size, depth, and base build-up.
Written by AI from the figures above. The quantities themselves are calculated deterministically and are never generated by AI. Check anything consequential, permits, utility locates, and chemical labels especially, before acting on it.
How this is calculated
Volume first, then weight
Gravel yards work in tons, but tons are not a measurement you can take with a tape. So the calculation runs in two stages: find the volume from your dimensions, then convert that volume to weight using the density of the specific stone.
This is where most gravel estimates go wrong. Density varies meaningfully between products, decomposed granite is roughly 10% heavier per yard than pea gravel, and using a generic figure can leave you a quarter ton short on a big order.
tons = (area sq ft × depth in ÷ 12 ÷ 27) × lb per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
How deep, and how many layers
A decorative gravel bed or path needs 2 to 3 inches of stone. That is enough to read as a finished surface and hide the fabric or soil beneath.
A driveway is a different structure entirely. It wants 4 to 6 inches of angular base rock compacted in lifts, then 1 to 2 inches of surface stone on top, 8 to 12 inches total in cold climates. A single 3-inch layer of rounded pea gravel over bare soil will rut within a season.
Angular crushed stone locks together and stays where you put it. Rounded stone like pea gravel and river rock migrates, especially on any slope, which is why crushed stone belongs under traffic and rounded stone belongs in beds.
| Use | Depth | Stone type |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative bed or border | 2 in | Pea gravel, river rock |
| Garden path (foot traffic) | 2–3 in | Crushed stone, decomposed granite |
| Driveway surface course | 1–2 in | Crushed stone ¾ in |
| Driveway base course | 4–8 in | Crushed aggregate base |
| French drain trench fill | Fill trench | Washed ¾ in clean stone |
Worked example
Resurfacing a gravel driveway
A driveway 40 ft long and 12 ft wide, topping up with 2 inches of ¾ in crushed stone.
- Area
- 40 ft × 12 ft = 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 480 × (2 ÷ 12) = 80 cu ft
- Cubic yards
- 80 ÷ 27 = 2.96 cu yd
- Weight
- 2.96 × 2,800 lb = 8,296 lb
- Tons
- 8,296 ÷ 2,000 = 4.15 tons
Order about 4.2 tons, or round to 4.5 for the inevitable low spots. At $30–70 per yard delivered, that is roughly $90–210 in stone plus a delivery fee.
Frequently asked questions
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