How to use the gravel calculator
This gravel calculator turns the size of the ground you want to cover into the amount of stone to buy. It opens with a worked example already filled in, a driveway 54 feet long and 12 feet wide covered 4 inches deep, so you can see real numbers before you type anything. Change a value and every result updates as you type.
- Describe each area. Pick a shape for each bed, path or pad: a rectangle (driveways and paths), a circle, a ring (a tree ring or a border around a fire pit), a triangle, a trapezoid (a driveway apron that flares out), or the square footage if you already know it. Give the depth you want once the gravel is in place. Add area adds another one with its own shape and depth, so a driveway at one depth and a garden path at another go in one estimate.
- Choose the material. The list covers gravel, pea gravel, river rock, crushed gravel and crushed limestone, crusher run, base course, pit run, sand, recycled concrete and decomposed granite. Each one fills in a weight per cubic yard from a published government conversion table, and the note under the field says which. If your supplier gives you a different figure, type it in; the list switches to Custom.
- Allow for compaction and extra. Loose gravel shrinks when it is compacted or driven on. For a compacted base or a driveway, enter the shrinkage you expect (see Compaction below). Extra adds a margin for spills and uneven ground.
- Read the results. You get the volume to order in cubic yards (or cubic meters), the weight in tons (or metric tonnes), the number of bags in the size you pick, and a cost estimate. The tables underneath list every unit, finished and to order, and each area on its own. Copy the results, download them as a CSV file or print them.
- Convert or check coverage. The Tons & yards tab converts any amount between cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic meters, tons, tonnes, pounds and kilograms, and the Coverage chart tab shows how many square feet one cubic yard or one ton covers at each depth.
The same tool works as a crushed stone calculator, a pea gravel calculator, a river rock calculator, a driveway gravel calculator and a calculator for sand or landscape rock: the math is the same for all of them, and only the weight per cubic yard changes. Switch Units to Metric to work in meters, centimeters, cubic meters and tonnes.
How to calculate how much gravel you need
Gravel is sold by volume (cubic yards) or by weight (tons), and the amount you need is a volume: the area you are covering times the depth. Work in feet, then divide by 27, because a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet.
cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12
cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
order = cubic yards ÷ (1 − compaction) × (1 + extra)
tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard- Measure the area. Measure the length and width in feet with a tape. For curved beds, split the area into rectangles, circles and triangles, or measure the square footage another way.
- Choose the finished depth. Decide how thick the layer should be once it is in place, and convert it from inches to feet by dividing by 12.
- Work out the volume. Multiply the length by the width by the depth in feet to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards.
- Allow for compaction and extra. If the layer will be compacted, divide by one minus the shrinkage, then add a margin for spills and uneven ground.
- Convert to tons. Multiply the cubic yards by the weight of a cubic yard of your material, from your supplier or a published conversion factor.
- Count bags or price the order. Divide the cubic feet by the volume printed on the bag, or multiply the tons or yards by the supplier's price.
Worked example: a 54 × 12 ft driveway, 4 inches deep
- Area: 54 × 12 = 648 sq ft.
- Depth: 4 in ÷ 12 = ⅓ ft, so the volume is 648 × ⅓ = 216 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards: 216 ÷ 27 = 8.00 cubic yards.
- Weight: gravel of ¼ to 2 inches converts at 1.42 tons per cubic yard in the table below, so 8 × 1.42 = 11.36 tons, or 22,720 pounds.
- Bags: 216 ÷ 0.5 = 432 bags of 0.5 cu ft, which is why a job this size is ordered in bulk.
- Cost: at an example price of $40.00 per ton, 11.36 × 40 = $454.40 before tax and delivery.
These are the calculator's default values. If the driveway will be compacted and you expect the layer to shrink by 20%, divide by 0.8: you need 10.00 cubic yards of loose gravel, 14.20 tons, to end up with 8 cubic yards in place. Set Compaction to 20 in the tool and the results change the same way.
Measuring a lawn or a lot first? The Square Footage Calculator handles irregular areas, and the Cubic Yard Calculator works out volumes of soil, mulch and concrete as well as stone.
Area formulas for each shape
The calculator finds the area of each shape, multiplies it by the depth and by how many identical areas you have, and adds up every area. These are the formulas it uses, with all lengths in feet (or meters):
| Shape | What you measure | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangle or path | Length and width | length × width |
| Circle | Diameter, straight across the middle | π × diameter² ÷ 4 |
| Ring | Outer and inner diameter | π × (outer² − inner²) ÷ 4 |
| Triangle | Base and height, square to the base | base × height ÷ 2 |
| Trapezoid | The two parallel widths and the length between them | (width 1 + width 2) ÷ 2 × length |
A circle. A round pad 10 feet across covers π × 10² ÷ 4 = 78.5 sq ft. At 2 inches deep that is 13.1 cubic feet, or 0.48 cubic yards.
A ring around a tree. An outer diameter of 8 feet around a trunk 2 feet across is π × (64 − 4) ÷ 4 = 47.1 sq ft. At 3 inches deep it takes 11.8 cubic feet, 0.44 cubic yards, or 24 bags of 0.5 cu ft, about 0.62 tons. Small jobs like this are where bags make sense.
For an L-shaped bed, enter it as two rectangles. For a curved border, a few rectangles and triangles get close enough; round each measurement up a little rather than down.
Cubic yards to tons: how much a yard of gravel weighs
To turn a volume into tons you need the weight of one cubic yard of the material, and that depends on the rock, its sizes and how wet it is. There is no single right number, which is why quotes and calculators disagree. The calculator uses only figures that government agencies publish for converting loose aggregate between cubic yards and tons. Use your supplier's own figure when they give you one: it is the number your delivery will be weighed against.
| Material | Tons per cu yd | Pounds per cu yd | Tonnes per m³ | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel, ¼ to 2 in | 1.42 | 2,840 | 1.685 | New Mexico |
| Gravel, size No. 57 or No. 4 | 1.25 | 2,500 | 1.483 | Ohio DOT |
| Limestone, size No. 57 or No. 4 | 1.20 | 2,400 | 1.424 | Ohio DOT |
| Gravel, bank run or crusher run | 1.35 | 2,700 | 1.602 | Ohio DOT |
| Limestone, crusher run | 1.25 | 2,500 | 1.483 | Ohio DOT |
| Base course | 1.25 | 2,500 | 1.483 | New Mexico |
| Pit run | 1.62 | 3,240 | 1.922 | New Mexico |
| Sand | 1.45 | 2,900 | 1.721 | New Mexico |
| Recycled portland cement concrete | 1.125 | 2,250 | 1.335 | Ohio DOT |
The Ohio figures come from the state transportation department's construction specifications (Item 410, Table 410.06-1), which convert weights to cubic yards of aggregate measured loose in the truck. The New Mexico figures come from the state Mining and Minerals Division's conversion factors for construction materials, adapted from a federal Bureau of Land Management handbook. Across these two tables the gravel-type factors run from 1.20 tons per cubic yard (limestone, size No. 57) to 1.62 (pit run).
Pea gravel and river rock up to 2 inches use the ¼-to-2-inch gravel factor, and the tool says so. No government factor turned up for decomposed granite, so it starts at the same gravel figure and the note asks you to use your supplier's. Going the other way, from tons to cubic yards, divide by the factor: one ton of gravel at 1.42 is 0.70 cubic yards, or 19.0 cubic feet.
Compaction and how much extra to order
Stone in a truck or a stockpile is loose. Once it is spread, rained on, rolled or driven over, the pieces settle into each other and the layer gets thinner. A gravel roads manual written for the Federal Highway Administration puts it plainly: "Ordinary compaction from traffic and rainfall will cause most gravels to shrink a minimum of 20 percent," and in many parts of the country the reduction is 30% or more. The manual's advice is to allow for that shrinkage when you work out how much to haul (Gravel Roads: Maintenance and Design Manual).
The calculator handles it the same way. You enter the finished depth, the depth you want after compaction, and the shrinkage you expect. If a loose layer shrinks by a share c of its volume, you need the finished volume divided by (1 − c) of loose stone: 20% shrinkage means ordering 1.25 times the finished volume, and 30% means about 1.43 times. Extra is a separate margin on top, for stone lost at the edges, low spots and the last bit left in the truck bed.
- Decorative gravel that is raked level and walked on, such as pea gravel in a bed, settles a little. Many people order a small margin and leave compaction at zero.
- A compacted base under pavers, a shed or a patio is compacted in layers on purpose, so plan on shrinkage.
- A driveway gets compacted by every car, so the FHWA manual's 20% minimum is a sensible starting point.
How deep should gravel be?
Depth depends on what the gravel has to carry, the soil under it and how well the site drains, and there is no single national standard for a home project. Here is what credible sources say, and where they stop:
| Use | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Base under a paver patio | 4 to 6 inches of crushed rock base, compacted in about three layers, plus 1 inch of sand bedding; thicker on soft clay or if the pavers will be driven on | Oregon State University Extension |
| Light, non-vehicular use areas with no site-specific design | At least 4 inches of aggregate surfacing and base combined (6 inches where livestock use it) | USDA NRCS Utah practice standard 561 |
| Driveways | No single standard. Depth depends on the soil, drainage and the heaviest vehicle; many counties and towns publish driveway specifications | Your local road or building department |
| Gravel roads | Designed from the traffic and the strength of the soil | FHWA gravel roads manual |
The NRCS figure is a minimum for farm heavy-use areas when nobody has designed the site, not a driveway rule, and the extension guide is for patios. If you are building a driveway, check your town or county's specification, ask the supplier what their customers use on your kind of soil, or ask a local contractor. When in doubt, build up in compacted layers rather than dumping one thick layer.
How much area does a ton or a yard of gravel cover?
A cubic yard covers 27 cubic feet divided by the depth in feet, which works out to 324 square feet divided by the depth in inches, whatever the material. A ton covers less of a heavy material and more of a light one, so divide again by the tons per cubic yard. For gravel at 1.42 tons per cubic yard, loose and before compaction:
| Depth | Sq ft per cu yd | Sq ft per ton |
|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 324.0 | 228.2 |
| 2 in | 162.0 | 114.1 |
| 3 in | 108.0 | 76.1 |
| 4 in | 81.0 | 57.0 |
| 5 in | 64.8 | 45.6 |
| 6 in | 54.0 | 38.0 |
So a ton of gravel spread 2 inches deep covers about 114 square feet, roughly a 10 by 11 foot patch. If the layer will be compacted, the area shrinks with it. The Coverage chart tab redraws this table for any material or weight, in metric too.
How many bags of gravel do you need?
Bagged gravel and sand are sold by volume or by weight, and the label says which. By volume, divide the cubic feet by the bag size: a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it takes 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft, 36 bags of 0.75 cu ft or 27 bags of 1 cu ft. By weight, divide the pounds by the bag weight: a cubic yard of gravel at 1.42 tons weighs 2,840 pounds, which is 57 bags of 50 lb. The calculator always rounds bags up to whole bags.
Weights per bag are not standardized from one product to the next, and a bag's weight-to-volume ratio depends on the stone and how dry it is, so treat a weight-bag count as an estimate. For anything more than a cubic yard or so, compare the bag price with a bulk delivery: bulk is usually priced per ton or per cubic yard plus a delivery charge.
Types of gravel and stone
Names vary by region and supplier, so describe the job when you order and ask what they recommend. These are the materials in the calculator's list:
- Pea gravel: small, rounded stones. Comfortable underfoot and easy to rake, but rounded stones roll and wander, so beds and paths need a firm edging.
- River rock: larger rounded stones, mostly used for looks and drainage swales rather than for walking or driving on.
- Crushed stone, size No. 57: clean, angular crushed stone in a standard size range with little dust. The sharp faces lock together better than rounded gravel, and the gaps let water drain, which is why it shows up under sheds, in drainage trenches and as a driveway top layer.
- Crusher run (also called dense-graded aggregate in some places): crushed stone mixed with its own fines. It packs down hard, which makes it a common base for driveways, patios and walkways.
- Base course or road base: a graded mix made to compact into a firm layer under a surface course.
- Pit run: gravel as it comes out of the pit, unscreened, with everything from sand to large stones.
- Decomposed granite: granite weathered into fine, sandy gravel. It compacts into a firm, natural-looking path surface.
- Sand: for paver bedding (the extension guide above calls for about an inch), leveling and filling joints.
- Recycled concrete: crushed old concrete, often used as a base where it is available.
What gravel costs
Prices depend on the material, the quarry, how far the truck has to drive and how much you buy, and they change over time, so this page does not quote a national average. The calculator starts with an example price, labeled as one, so you can see how the estimate adds up. Replace it with your supplier's price, choose whether it is per ton, per cubic yard, per tonne, per cubic meter or per bag, and add your sales tax and delivery fee.
For example, a 12 × 16 ft patio base, 4 inches deep after compaction, of crusher run at 1.35 tons per cubic yard with 20% shrinkage needs 2.96 cubic yards, 4.00 tons. At an example $40.00 per ton, 7% sales tax and a $100.00 delivery fee, the total is $271.20. Ask whether the supplier has a minimum order or charges by the truckload, which changes the math on small jobs.
Metric: cubic meters and tonnes
Switch the units to Metric and enter lengths in meters (or centimeters and millimeters) and depths in centimeters. Volumes are shown in cubic meters and weights in metric tonnes of 1,000 kg, alongside cubic yards and short tons of 2,000 lb. The 8 cubic yard driveway above is 6.12 cubic meters, and its 11.36 short tons are 10.31 tonnes.
Weights per volume convert too: 1.42 tons per cubic yard is 1.685 tonnes per cubic meter. In metric a cubic meter covers 1 ÷ depth in meters, so at 5 cm deep one cubic meter covers 20.0 m² and one tonne of this gravel covers 11.9 m².
How we calculate
Every figure on this page and in the tool comes from the same code, and the examples above are checked against it automatically. These are the rules it follows:
- Units. Lengths are kept in feet, areas in square feet and volumes in cubic feet. One foot is exactly 0.3048 meter and one pound exactly 0.45359237 kilogram; a short ton is 2,000 pounds and a metric ton (tonne) is 1,000 kilograms, as listed by NIST. From those, a cubic yard is 0.764554857984 m³ and a short ton is 907.18474 kg.
- Areas. Rectangle length × width; circle π × D² ÷ 4; ring π × (D² − d²) ÷ 4, with the inner diameter smaller than the outer; triangle base × height ÷ 2; trapezoid (a + b) ÷ 2 × length. Each area is multiplied by its depth and its count.
- Order volume. finished volume ÷ (1 − compaction) × (1 + extra). Compaction can be up to 60%, extra up to 100%.
- Weight. tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard, from the conversion table above or your own figure, which is accepted from 0.3 to 2.5 tons per cubic yard.
- Bags. Volume bags: cubic feet ÷ bag size. Weight bags: pounds ÷ bag weight. Both are rounded up to whole bags.
- Cost. quantity × price, plus sales tax on the material, plus delivery (not taxed).
- Full precision, rounded for display. Results are kept unrounded and shown to two decimals for cubic yards, cubic meters, tons and tonnes, one for cubic feet and square feet, and whole pounds, kilograms and bags.
Your measurements stay on your device
Every calculation on this page runs as JavaScript in your own browser tab. There is no server doing the math.
- Nothing is uploaded. The tool has no code that sends data anywhere, and the page's Content-Security-Policy only allows connections back to this site. Open your browser's developer tools, choose the Network tab and change a few numbers: no request appears.
- It keeps working offline. Once the page has loaded, you can disconnect and keep calculating.
- No account, no cookies. The tool remembers your last areas, material, units and tab in your browser's local storage, on your device only.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
Multiply the length by the width in feet, multiply by the depth in inches divided by 12, and divide by 27 to get cubic yards. A 54 by 12 foot driveway 4 inches deep is 216 cubic feet, or 8.00 cubic yards. Multiply by the material's weight per cubic yard to get tons, and add an allowance if the gravel will be compacted.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
It depends on the stone, its sizes and how wet it is. A New Mexico state conversion table uses 1.42 tons per cubic yard for gravel of ¼ to 2 inches, and Ohio's transportation department uses 2,500 pounds per loose cubic yard for gravel in sizes No. 4 and 57. Ask your supplier for the figure they weigh deliveries against and enter it in the calculator.
How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?
Work out the cubic yards, allow for compaction, then multiply by the weight per cubic yard. A 54 by 12 foot driveway with 4 inches of gravel in place needs 8.00 cubic yards; allowing for 20% shrinkage you would order 10.00 cubic yards, which is 14.20 tons at 1.42 tons per cubic yard. The right depth for a driveway depends on your soil and traffic, so check your local specification.
How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?
Divide 324 by the depth in inches and by the tons per cubic yard. For gravel at 1.42 tons per cubic yard, one ton covers about 114.1 sq ft at 2 inches, 76.1 sq ft at 3 inches and 57.0 sq ft at 4 inches, before compaction. The Coverage chart tab lists other depths and materials.
How many bags of gravel are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it is 54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet, 36 bags of 0.75 cubic feet or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot. In 50 lb bags it depends on the weight: at 1.42 tons per cubic yard it is 57 bags.
Is a yard of gravel the same as a ton?
No. A yard is a volume and a ton is a weight, and most gravel weighs more than a ton per cubic yard. At 1.42 tons per cubic yard, one cubic yard weighs 1.42 tons, and one ton fills 0.70 cubic yards. Check whether your supplier prices by the ton or by the yard before you compare quotes.
How deep should gravel be?
It depends on the use and the soil. Oregon State University Extension calls for a 4 to 6 inch crushed rock base under a paver patio, thicker on soft clay or under pavers that will be driven on. An NRCS practice standard sets at least 4 inches of aggregate surfacing and base for light, non-vehicular use areas without a site-specific design. There is no single national standard for driveways, so check your local specification or ask your supplier.
How much extra gravel should I order?
Enough to cover compaction plus a small margin. A gravel roads manual written for the Federal Highway Administration says ordinary compaction shrinks most gravels by at least 20 percent. If the layer will be compacted, set Compaction to the shrinkage you expect and the calculator divides by one minus that share; add Extra for spills and uneven ground.
How do I calculate gravel for a circle or a ring?
For a circle, the area is pi times the diameter squared, divided by 4. For a ring, take the outer circle minus the inner one. A tree ring 8 feet across around a 2 foot trunk is 47.1 sq ft; at 3 inches deep that is 0.44 cubic yards, or 24 bags of 0.5 cubic feet.
Can I use metric measurements?
Yes. Switch the units to Metric at the top of the tool and enter lengths in meters and depths in centimeters. The results show cubic meters and metric tonnes as well as cubic yards and tons, and a weight of 1.42 tons per cubic yard shows as 1.685 tonnes per cubic meter.
Is this gravel calculator free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no account and no limit on use, including for landscapers and contractors preparing quotes. Everything runs on your device, so your measurements are never sent anywhere.
Sources
- NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B.8: Factors for units listed alphabetically (foot, yard, cubic yard, short ton, metric ton).
- NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement (avoirdupois pound, short ton).
- Ohio Department of Transportation, Construction and Material Specifications (2013), Item 410 Traffic Compacted Surface, Table 410.06-1 (pounds per loose cubic yard of aggregate).
- New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Division: Conversion Factors for Construction Materials and Common Minerals, adapted from Bureau of Land Management Handbook H-3890-1.
- Skorseth K., Selim A. A., Gravel Roads: Maintenance and Design Manual, South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program for the Federal Highway Administration (calculating quantity, compaction shrinkage, Appendix C coverage chart).
- Oregon State University Extension Service: 10-Step Guide to Installing Pavers (base depth, compaction in layers, sand bedding).
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Utah: Conservation Practice Standard 561, Heavy Use Area Protection (2014) (minimum aggregate thickness for light use).
This is an educational tool, not engineering, construction or professional advice. Densities vary by supplier, rock type and moisture, and depth depends on your soil, drainage and traffic: confirm quantities with your supplier and follow local specifications before you order or build.