Gravel calculator
Measure the area, pick a depth, and this works out the gravel in cubic feet, cubic yards and tons, with an allowance for compaction and the math written out underneath. Add more than one area for a driveway and a path in the same order. When the number is right, Add to an estimate opens a free estimate with the gravel already on it as a line. It all runs in your browser.
The working: 240 sq ft × (4 in ÷ 12) = 80 cu ft. ÷ 27 = 2.96 yd³. × 1.1 = 3.26 yd³. × 1.4 tons/yd³ = 4.56 tons.
How the gravel math works
Gravel is ordered by volume or by weight, and both start from the same three measurements. Multiply length by width to get the area in square feet; for a round bed, the area is 3.1416 × the radius squared. Turn the depth into feet by dividing the inches by 12, and multiply: that is the volume in cubic feet. A cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 = 27 cubic feet, so divide by 27 for yards.
For a 12 × 20 ft parking pad at 4 inches deep: 12 × 20 = 240 sq ft. 240 × (4 ÷ 12) = 80 cubic feet. 80 ÷ 27 = 2.96 cubic yards. With 10% extra for compaction that is 3.26 yards, and at a typical 1.4 tons per yard, about 4.6 tons.
The tons are the one figure that is not pure geometry. A cubic yard of crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons as a working average, but pea gravel, river rock, crusher run and decomposed granite all differ, and wet stone weighs more than dry. The density box is there so you can use the figure your supplier gives you instead of ours.
How to measure for gravel
- Measure in feet, and round up to the next half foot rather than down.
- Break an odd shape into rectangles and circles and add each one as its own area — an L-shaped driveway is two rectangles.
- For depth, measure the finished thickness you want after compaction, not the depth of the hole. If you are digging out, the dig depth and the gravel depth are the same number.
- On a driveway, measure the width where it is actually driven, plus any shoulder you intend to stone.
Typical gravel depths
These are common starting points, not specifications. Soft or clay soil, heavy trucks, frost and drainage all push them deeper, and a local supplier or engineer knows your ground better than any table.
| Use | Typical depth |
|---|---|
| Decorative cover over landscape fabric | 2 in |
| Garden path or walkway | 2–3 in |
| Topping up an existing driveway | 2 in |
| New gravel driveway (base and top layers together) | 4–6 in, more on soft ground |
| Paver patio or shed base, compacted | 4–6 in |
A new driveway is usually built in layers: a coarse base stone compacted first, then a finer top stone. Run the calculator once per layer, with each layer’s own depth and density, and you get two lines on the estimate.
Ordering tips
- Ask how they sell it. By the ton, by the yard, or by the scoop — and what a scoop holds. Price the estimate line in the same unit.
- Ask about the minimum. Many yards have a minimum delivery or a flat delivery fee, which can make a second small load expensive. Ordering the allowance up front is usually cheaper than running short.
- Check what the truck holds. A large order may arrive in more than one load, which can mean more than one delivery charge.
- Bagged gravel often comes in 0.5 cubic foot bags, so a cubic yard is about 54 bags — worth it for a small bed, not for a driveway.
Putting the gravel on an estimate
A line that says “Gravel — $480” invites the customer to wonder what they are paying for. A line that says what it is, how much, and for what area answers that before it is asked. The Add to an estimate button writes that line for you — the stone, the yards and tons, the size of the area and the depth — and opens it in the estimate generator, where the price, quantity and wording stay editable. Type a unit price above and it comes across too.
It opens on your own business if you have set one up. If you have not, it opens on the landscaping sample, and your trade’s usual lines are only added if you tick the box, so the estimate starts with the gravel and nothing else. Add delivery, spreading and compaction as lines of their own: they are labor and freight, not stone, and a customer comparing quotes wants to see them separately. The landscaping estimate template has the usual labor lines already written, and the markup calculator shows what a price leaves you over what the stone cost.
Covering a bed with bark rather than stone? The mulch calculator does the same sum in yards and bags.
Questions about ordering gravel
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 tons is a typical working figure for crushed stone, but it is not a constant. Depending on the stone, its size and how wet it is, a cubic yard commonly weighs somewhere around 1.2 to 1.7 tons. Suppliers who sell by the ton usually know the figure for their own material, so ask, and type it into the density box.
How much area does a cubic yard of gravel cover?
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. At 2 inches deep it covers about 162 sq ft, at 3 inches about 108 sq ft, and at 4 inches about 81 sq ft. The rule is 324 divided by the depth in inches, before any allowance for compaction.
How much extra gravel should I order for compaction?
Loose gravel settles when it is spread and compacted, so a common allowance is around 10%, and more for a compacted base like crusher run. The calculator starts at 10% and shows the figure before and after, so you can see what the allowance adds. Running short means a second delivery charge, which usually costs more than the extra stone.
Should I order gravel by the ton or by the yard?
Whichever your supplier sells by. Quarries and landscape yards often price by the ton; some yards sell by the cubic yard or by the scoop. The calculator gives both, and the estimate line can be priced either way, so match it to the supplier’s quote and the customer can check it against the delivery ticket.