Gravel Calculator
Work out how much gravel you need: enter the area and the depth you want, pick the material, and get the volume in cubic yards and cubic meters, the weight in tons and pounds, and how far one ton goes at that depth.
Order 5–10% extra: loose gravel settles 10–20% once compacted or rained on, and few areas are perfectly rectangular.
Formula and calculation
Worked example
A 12 ft × 10 ft area at 3 in deep is 120 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 30 cu ft, or 1.1111 cu yd. In crushed stone that weighs 1.56 short tons, which is 3,111 lb, and one ton covers 77.14 sq ft at this depth.
How deep should gravel be?
Two inches over landscape fabric is a top dressing that stays put. Three to four inches is the working depth for a path, a dog run or a shed base. Driveways do better with two courses: a compacted 4 in base of larger crushed stone, then a 2 in top course of smaller stone. If the ground beneath is soft clay, dig it out and lay woven geotextile first — stone pushed into mud disappears, and you buy it again next spring.
Tons, cubic yards or bags?
Suppliers sell by the cubic yard, by the ton, or bagged. Ask which one the price uses, because a cubic yard of gravel weighs between about 1.25 and 1.55 short tons depending on the stone. Bags suit small touch-ups only: a single cubic yard is 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft, which nobody wants to carry.
What the results mean
- Volume
- The volume of gravel in cubic yards — the unit most yards and stone suppliers price in.
- Also
- The same volume in cubic meters, for metric quotes and drawings.
- Weight
- The weight in short tons (2,000 lb each), using the density of the material you picked. This is usually what the delivery ticket is priced from.
- Also
- The same weight in pounds, for comparing against truck and trailer limits.
- One ton covers
- How many square feet one ton of this material covers at the depth you entered — useful when the yard quotes by the ton but you think in area.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Multiply the cubic yards by the density of the material. A 12 ft × 10 ft area at 3 in deep is 1.11 cu yd, which is about 1.56 tons of crushed stone at 1.40 tons per cubic yard. Enter your own numbers above and both tons and pounds come out.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
At 2 in deep, a ton of gravel covers roughly 115 sq ft; at 3 in, about 77 sq ft; at 4 in, about 58 sq ft. The heavier the stone, the less area a ton covers. The coverage row above is worked out for your material and depth.
How much extra gravel should I order?
Order 5–10% more than the calculation. Loose stone settles 10–20% once it is compacted or rained on, and few areas are truly rectangular. The extra also lets you thin out the last few feet instead of leaving a bare patch at the far end.
What kind of gravel is best for a driveway?
A graded crushed stone holds up best, laid in two courses: a 4 in compacted base of #57 or crusher run, then a 2 in top course of smaller stone. Round river rock and pea gravel roll under tires and are better for beds, paths and play areas than for vehicles.