Home › Gravel calculator
Gravel Calculator: Cubic Yards and Tons
Calculate how much gravel, crushed stone, pea gravel, river rock or sand you need for a driveway, path or patio base, in cubic yards, tons and bags.
How to calculate gravel
Gravel is ordered by the cubic yard or the ton. First work out the volume: length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27. A 40 × 10 ft driveway 4 inches deep is 40 × 10 × 0.333 = 133 cu ft, or 4.94 cu yd. Then multiply by the material's weight to get tons: at about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, that is roughly 6.9 tons.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
| Material | Tons per cu yd | Coverage per ton at 2 in |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel / pea gravel | about 1.4 | about 115 sq ft |
| Crushed stone | 1.3 to 1.5 | about 120 sq ft |
| River rock | about 1.35 | about 120 sq ft |
| Dry sand | 1.3 to 1.4 | about 120 sq ft |
Weights vary with stone type and moisture. Ask your supplier for their number if they sell by the ton.
How deep should gravel be?
- Walkways and garden paths: 2 to 3 inches of pea gravel or fine crushed stone.
- Driveways: 4 to 6 inches of crushed stone on top of a compacted base, often 8 to 12 inches total for a new driveway.
- Patio and paver base: 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone. See our paver calculator.
Crushed stone compacts by 10 to 15%, so add that much extra when you will run a plate compactor over it.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?
A 12 × 50 ft driveway 4 in deep is 7.4 cu yd, which is about 10.4 tons of gravel at 1.4 tons per yard.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
About 1.4 tons (2,800 lb), though it ranges from about 1.3 to 1.5 tons depending on the stone and moisture.