Gravel Calculator: Yards, Tons & Cost
Calculate gravel needed in cubic yards, cubic feet, tons, and bags for driveways, patios, walkways, and landscaping with customizable material density, waste margin, and costs.
Calculate gravel needed in cubic yards, cubic feet, tons, and bags for driveways, patios, walkways, and landscaping with customizable material density, waste margin, and costs.
Actual weight varies by moisture, rock quarry source, and compaction. Confirm density with your supplier when ordering by weight.
10% recommended for driveways and compacted gravel paths
- Area: Length (12.00 ft) x Width (30.00 ft) = 360.00 sq ft (33.45 sq m)
- Depth: 0.333 ft (4.0 inches / 10.2 cm)
- Base Volume: 360 x 0.333 = 120.00 cu ft = 4.44 cubic yards (3.40 cu m)
- Waste Buffer (10%): 4.44 cu yd x 1.10 = 4.89 cubic yards (+0.44 cu yd)
- Density: 1.45 tons/yd³ (Crushed Stone #57)
- Weight: 4.89 cu yd x 1.45 = 7.09 US Short Tons (14,181 lb / 6.43 t)
About Gravel Calculator: Yards, Tons & Cost
Gravel is a fundamental bulk material used for driveways, landscaping beds, French drains, patio sub-bases, and footing pads. Estimating accurate volume and tonnage before ordering prevents costly dump truck short-load fees, mid-project delays, and surplus material waste.
Bulk aggregate compacts significantly when rolled, tamped, or driven upon. Loose gravel delivered by a dump truck settles 10% to 20% once packed down. Ordering exact excavation volumes without factoring in settling results in thin, rutted surfaces.
This Gravel Calculator and Cost Estimator computes exact material requirements across rectangular, circular, triangular, and multi-section layouts. It converts linear measurements into cubic yards and cubic meters, applies material-specific densities for tons and tonnes, calculates bag counts, and provides itemized cost estimates.
To coordinate hardscaping projects, calculate foundation pads with the concrete slab calculator and estimate surface paving with the tile pattern waste calculator.
Step-by-step practical guide
- Select your preferred measurement system (Imperial feet and inches, or Metric meters and centimeters).
- Choose your project shape or use a calculation mode like Driveway Mode, Pea Gravel Mode, Bag Mode, or Coverage & Depth Mode.
- Enter length, width, or diameter, and pick a depth preset (2 in, 3 in, 4 in, or 6 in) or enter a custom thickness.
- Choose your gravel material (Crushed Stone #57, Crushed Limestone, Pea Gravel, Landscape Gravel, River Rock, or DG), or input custom density.
- Set your waste and compaction allowance (10% is standard for driveways and compacted gravel paths).
- Toggle the optional Bag Calculator or Cost Estimator if buying bagged stone or budgeting material expenses and freight delivery.
Engineering specifications and execution details
Imperial volume formula: Volume (cu ft) = Area (sq ft) * (Depth (in) / 12).
Cubic yards conversion: Volume (cu yd) = Volume (cu ft) / 27.
Metric volume formula: Volume (cu m) = Area (sq m) * (Depth (cm) / 100).
Crushed stone (#57 base) density: 1.45 US short tons per cubic yard (1.72 metric tonnes per cubic meter).
Crushed limestone density: 1.43 US short tons per cubic yard (1.70 metric tonnes per cubic meter).
Pea gravel (3/8 inch) density: 1.35 US short tons per cubic yard (1.60 metric tonnes per cubic meter).
Landscape gravel and decorative pebble density: 1.32 US short tons per cubic yard (1.57 metric tonnes per cubic meter).
River rock density: 1.30 US short tons per cubic yard (1.54 metric tonnes per cubic meter).
Retail bag yields: 0.5 cu ft bag yields 0.0185 cu yd (54 bags per cu yd); 1.0 cu ft bag yields 0.0370 cu yd (27 bags per cu yd).
Data privacy and memory isolation
All calculations, area additions, and pricing estimates run locally in your web browser memory.
No personal contractor proposals, job-site dimensions, or project cost figures are stored on remote servers.
Common production use cases
- Homeowners determining whether bulk dump truck delivery or bagged gravel from a store is more economical.
- Paving contractors, landscapers, and earthwork crews calculating quarry tonnage tickets prior to placing orders.
- Property owners estimating material budgets for private roads, parking pads, and landscape walkways.
Edge cases and operational boundaries
- Moisture content: Saturated gravel from outdoor quarry stockpiles can weigh 10% to 20% more per cubic yard without increasing coverage area.
- Soft subgrade: Placing gravel over soft dirt without geotextile fabric allows stone to sink into the soil, requiring extra material.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert cubic yards of gravel to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by material density. For standard crushed stone, multiply cubic yards by 1.45. For example, 10 cubic yards of crushed stone weighs 14.5 US tons (29,000 lbs).
How much gravel do I need for a 100 foot driveway?
A 100 foot by 10 foot single-lane driveway at a 4-inch depth equals 12.35 cubic yards. Adding a recommended 10% compaction allowance brings the order to 13.58 cubic yards, which equals approximately 19.7 US tons of crushed stone.
What is the best depth for pea gravel on a patio or walkway?
For residential patios and walkways, a pea gravel depth of 2.5 to 3 inches is ideal. Depths over 3 inches create a sinking feeling when walking, while depths under 2 inches can expose the base fabric.
Is it cheaper to buy gravel by the bag or in bulk?
Buying gravel in bulk from a quarry or landscape yard is significantly cheaper. A 0.5 cubic foot bag costs $4 to $6 ($216 to $324 per yard), whereas bulk gravel costs $40 to $75 per cubic yard delivered.
What is the difference between crusher run and clean crushed stone?
Crusher run contains stone dust and fine particles mixed with crushed rock, which compacts into a solid sub-base. Clean crushed stone (like #57 stone) is screened to remove fines, allowing water to drain through freely without trapping moisture.
Why is geotextile landscape fabric recommended under gravel?
Non-woven geotextile fabric prevents gravel from sinking into subgrade soil while stopping weeds from growing upward. It stabilizes the base and prevents stone loss over time, extending driveway and patio life.
How much compaction allowance should I add to a gravel order?
Add a 10% to 15% allowance for gravel driveways, paths, and parking pads. Compaction from rollers, plate tampers, and vehicle traffic packs loose aggregate, reducing thickness by roughly one-eighth to one-sixth.
What size gravel is best for French drains and water drainage?
Washed #57 crushed stone or 3/4-inch to 1-inch clean round river rock is ideal for French drains. Clean aggregate lacks rock dust, allowing water to flow freely into perforated drainage pipes without clogging.