Free Materials Estimator
Gravel Calculator
Work out exactly how much gravel you need for a driveway, path, patio base or garden bed. Enter your area and depth, pick a stone type, and this gravel calculator returns cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic metres, weight in tons and tonnes, bag counts and a live delivered cost estimate.
- 10 stone types with real densities
- Tons, yards, metres and bags
- Waste and compaction allowance
- No sign-up, works offline
Gravel calculator tool
Your project
Updates as you type
Your estimate
Pea gravel
- Cubic yards-
- Cubic feet-
- Cubic metres-
- Metric tonnes-
- Bags (0.5 ft³)-
- Surface area-
Weights use typical dry densities. Wet or freshly quarried stone can run 5-10% heavier, so most suppliers round up to the nearest half ton.
Why this gravel calculator gives a better answer
Most gravel calculators stop at cubic yards. Ordering stone is a weight transaction at almost every quarry and landscape yard, so a volume-only answer leaves you guessing at the counter. This tool closes that gap.
Volume and weight together
Cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic metres, US tons and metric tonnes are calculated at once, so you can order in whichever unit your supplier quotes.
Ten real stone densities
Pea gravel, crusher run, river rock, decomposed granite and lava rock all weigh differently. Picking your actual material changes the tonnage, not just a generic average.
Waste and compaction built in
A 5% default covers spillage, uneven subgrade and settling. Raise it to 10% for compactable crusher run so you are not one wheelbarrow short.
Bagged and bulk both covered
Small garden beds are cheaper in bags, big driveways are cheaper loose. You get the bag count and the bulk tonnage side by side.
Live cost estimate
Price per ton, per tonne, per cubic yard, per cubic metre or per bag. Enter your quoted rate and see the material cost update instantly.
Fast, private, mobile-first
Everything runs in your browser with no libraries and no data sent anywhere. It loads instantly on site, even on a weak mobile signal.
How to use the gravel calculator
Four inputs is all it takes to work out how much gravel you need.
Pick your area shape
Rectangle for driveways, paths and patios. Circle for fire pits and tree rings. Triangle for corner beds and odd wedges. Split awkward areas into simple shapes and add the results.
Enter the measurements
Type length and width in feet, inches, yards, metres or centimetres. The calculator converts everything internally, so you never have to do the maths yourself.
Set the depth
Depth drives the result more than anything else. Use 2 inches for a decorative top-up, 4 inches for a walkway, and 8 to 12 inches in layers for a new driveway.
Choose stone and price
Select your gravel type so the tonnage uses the right density, then add your quoted price to see the material cost. Round up to the next half ton when you order.
How deep should gravel be?
Depth is the number most people get wrong. These are the working depths contractors use for each job type.
| Project | Recommended depth | Typical stone | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decorative top-up over existing gravel | 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) | Pea gravel, river rock | Just enough to refresh colour and cover thin patches. |
| Garden bed or landscape mulch | 2-3 in (5-7.5 cm) | Pea gravel, marble chips, lava rock | Use fabric underneath to stop stone sinking into soil. |
| Garden path or walkway | 3-4 in (7.5-10 cm) | Crushed stone #57, decomposed granite | Edge restraint keeps stone from migrating into the lawn. |
| Patio or shed base | 4-6 in (10-15 cm) | Crusher run compacted | Compact in 2 in lifts for a stable, level base. |
| New residential driveway | 8-12 in (20-30 cm) in layers | Base of #3, middle #57, top crusher run | Three layers outperform a single thick layer. |
| Driveway resurface over solid base | 3-4 in (7.5-10 cm) | Crusher run, #57 | Only works if the existing base is not rutted. |
| Drainage trench or French drain | Full trench depth | Washed #57 or river rock | Washed stone keeps voids open for water flow. |
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
A cubic yard of gravel typically weighs between 1.2 and 1.5 US tons, but the exact figure depends on the stone. These are the densities this calculator uses.
| Material | US tons per yd³ | lb per yd³ | Tonnes per m³ | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 1.40 | 2,800 | 1.66 | Paths, play areas, beds |
| Crushed stone #57 | 1.35 | 2,700 | 1.60 | Drainage, driveway middle layer |
| Crusher run / QP | 1.50 | 3,000 | 1.78 | Compacted bases and driveways |
| River rock | 1.30 | 2,600 | 1.54 | Decorative beds, dry creek beds |
| Decomposed granite | 1.45 | 2,900 | 1.72 | Firm, walkable pathways |
| Crushed limestone | 1.35 | 2,700 | 1.60 | Driveways, general fill |
| Sand (bedding) | 1.30 | 2,600 | 1.54 | Levelling course under pavers |
| Marble chips | 1.35 | 2,700 | 1.60 | Bright decorative accents |
| Lava rock | 0.60 | 1,200 | 0.71 | Lightweight mulch, roof gardens |
What you gain from estimating before you order
Gravel is cheap per ton and expensive per mistake. A five-minute estimate protects the budget in three ways.
You stop paying for second deliveries
A short load means another delivery fee, often 60 to 150 dollars, for a fraction of a ton. Adding a small waste allowance up front costs far less than a return trip.
You avoid a pile you cannot get rid of
Over-ordering leaves stone in the driveway for months. Knowing the tonnage to two decimal places lets you order confidently and round up only where it makes sense.
You can compare quotes properly
One yard quotes per ton, another per cubic yard. Converting both to the same basis shows which supplier is actually cheaper before you commit.
You choose bags or bulk correctly
Bagged gravel usually wins under about half a cubic yard. Past that, bulk delivery is dramatically cheaper per unit, and the bag count here makes the crossover obvious.
Gravel calculator FAQ
The questions people ask most before placing a gravel order.
How much gravel do I need for a 20 x 12 ft driveway?
At 4 inches deep, a 20 by 12 foot area needs about 2.96 cubic yards of gravel, which is roughly 4.15 US tons of pea gravel once you add a 5% waste allowance. Bump the depth to 6 inches for a heavier-use driveway and the requirement rises to about 4.44 cubic yards, or 6.2 tons. Enter your own numbers above to get the exact figure for your stone type.
How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?
One US ton of typical gravel is close to 0.72 cubic yards, or 19.3 cubic feet. Spread 2 inches deep that covers about 116 square feet, at 3 inches about 77 square feet, and at 4 inches about 58 square feet. Lighter stone such as lava rock covers more than double that area per ton because it weighs far less for the same volume.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
A cubic yard of gravel weighs roughly 2,400 to 3,000 pounds, which is 1.2 to 1.5 US tons. Pea gravel averages about 2,800 pounds per cubic yard, crusher run runs heavier at around 3,000 pounds because the fines fill the voids, and washed river rock is lighter at about 2,600 pounds. Wet stone can add another 5 to 10%.
How many bags of gravel equal a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 54 bags of the common 0.5 cubic foot size, 27 bags of the 1 cubic foot size, or about 36 bags of a 50 lb bag holding roughly 0.75 cubic feet. Once you need more than 20 to 25 bags, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
A new driveway built from scratch wants 8 to 12 inches of stone installed in three compacted layers: a coarse base, a mid layer of #57, and a 3 to 4 inch top of crusher run. If you are resurfacing over a solid, unrutted base, 3 to 4 inches of fresh stone is enough. Anything under 2 inches will scatter and rut within a season.
Should I order gravel by the ton or by the cubic yard?
Order however your supplier quotes, but always check the other unit before you agree. Quarries and landscape yards usually sell by weight because trucks are weighed on a scale, while bagged retail and some delivery services price by volume. This calculator shows both at the same time so you can compare quotes on a like-for-like basis.
How much extra gravel should I add for waste?
Add 5% for loose decorative stone on a flat, prepared area. Use 10% for compactable material such as crusher run, since compaction reduces the finished volume, and 10 to 15% if the ground is uneven, sloped, or you are working around edges and curves. Suppliers deliver in half-ton or full-yard increments, so round up to the next increment.
Get your gravel number before you call the supplier
Measure the area, pick your depth and stone type, and you will walk into the quote with exact tonnage, cubic yards and a cost figure. That is the difference between an estimate and a guess, and it usually saves a second delivery fee on its own.
Run the gravel calculator