Gravel Calculator
Enter the dimensions of the area you are covering with gravel and this calculator returns both cubic yards (how landscape supply yards price it) and tons (how stone quarries weigh it). Default density is 1.4 tons per cubic yard, typical for crushed stone — adjust for pea gravel or road base.
Your answer
- Cubic Yards
- 1.85
How it works
Formula
Cubic Yards = (L × W × Depth/12) ÷ 27 • Tons = Cubic Yards × Density
Worked example
A 20 ft × 10 ft area at 3 in deep = 1.85 yd³. At 1.4 tons/yd³ that is about 2.6 tons of crushed stone.
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How to estimate gravel — yards vs tons
Landscape supply yards price gravel by the cubic yard (a volume). Rock quarries price it by the ton (a weight). To get both, calculate the volume first (length × width × depth ÷ 27), then multiply by the density of the stone you are ordering. Density varies by rock type: crushed limestone ≈ 1.4 tons/yd³, river rock ≈ 1.5, dense-graded crusher run ≈ 1.6–1.7, pea gravel ≈ 1.4. Ask the supplier for the exact figure — a 15% swing in density is a 15% swing in the tonnage you pay for.
Gravel driveway depth guidelines
A gravel driveway needs at least 4 inches of stone in two layers: a coarse base of #4 or #57 crushed stone 2–3 inches deep for drainage, topped with a 2-inch layer of dense-graded aggregate (crusher run, #411, or item 4) that packs down smooth. Total 4–6 inches is typical; 8 inches for heavy trucks or clay subgrade. Excavate the topsoil first — do not lay gravel over grass.
Coverage cheat sheet
One ton of crushed stone at 2 inches deep covers about 100 ft²; at 3 inches deep, 65 ft²; at 4 inches deep, 50 ft²; at 6 inches deep, 33 ft². One cubic yard covers 108 ft² at 3 inches deep or 81 ft² at 4 inches deep. Multiply those figures by the number of tons or yards to size any project.
Worked example
A 40 ft × 12 ft gravel driveway at 4 inches deep: 40 × 12 × (4 ÷ 12) = 160 ft³ ÷ 27 = 5.93 yd³. At 1.4 tons/yd³ that is 8.3 tons. Add 10% for settling and spread → 9.1 tons. Order 9.5 tons — the truck will unload full tons only.
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