Gravel Calculator

Enter the size of each area and its depth to get the gravel you need in cubic yards, tons and bags — for one area or several, with a waste allowance built in.

Gravel to order (incl. 10% extra)

1.02 yd³

Weight (US tons): 1.44 tons
Bags: 55
Cubic feet: 27.5 ft³
Suggested order: 1.5 yd³

Density 105 lb/ft³ ≈ 1.42 tons/yd³ (Crushed stone (#57)). Before extra: 0.93 yd³ · 100 ft² total.

How it’s calculated

Area 110 ft × 10 ft = 100 ft²
Volume 1100 ft² × (3 in ÷ 12) = 25 ft³
Cubic yards25 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.926 yd³
+10% waste0.926 × 1.1 = 1.019 yd³
Weight27.5 ft³ × 105 lb/ft³ = 2,888 lb
Tons2,888 lb ÷ 2,000 = 1.44 tons
Bags⌈27.5 ft³ ÷ 0.5 ft³⌉ = 55 bags

Coverage at 105 lb/ft³
Depth	1 yd³ covers	1 ton covers
1 in	324 ft²	229 ft²
2 in	162 ft²	114 ft²
3 in	108 ft²	76 ft²
4 in	81 ft²	57 ft²
6 in	54 ft²	38 ft²

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How to use this gravel calculator

Pick a shape for the first area — rectangle for a driveway or pad, circle for a fire pit or tree ring, triangle for a corner, or enter a total area you already know.
Enter the dimensions and depth. Feet and inches are the default; type 12'6" and the field understands it. Tap m / cm for metric.
Add more areas if the project is not one simple shape: an L-shaped driveway is two rectangles; a path plus a patio are two areas. Totals are added for you.
Choose the gravel type. The density it uses is shown next to the result. If your supplier gives a different figure, choose Custom density and type it in.
Read the result: cubic yards to order (with the extra percentage included), U.S. tons, number of bags, and cost if you entered a price. Open How it’s calculated to see every step with your numbers.

Gravel formula: from square feet to cubic yards and tons

The calculation has three steps:

Area (sq ft) = length × width for a rectangle, π × (diameter ÷ 2)² for a circle, ½ × base × height for a triangle.
Volume (cu yd) = area × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27. Dividing by 12 converts inches to feet; dividing by 27 converts cubic feet to cubic yards, because a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 ft.
Weight (tons) = cubic yards × density in tons per cubic yard. Density in tons per cubic yard equals density in lb/ft³ × 27 ÷ 2,000.

Worked example. A 10 ft × 10 ft pad, 3 in deep, crushed stone at 105 lb/ft³:

Area: 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft
Volume: 100 × 3 ÷ 12 = 25 cu ft = 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 cu yd
With 10 % extra: 0.93 × 1.10 = 1.02 cu yd → order 1 to 1.5 yd³
Weight: 27.5 cu ft × 105 lb/ft³ = 2,888 lb = 1.44 tons
Bags: 27.5 ÷ 0.5 = 55 bags of 0.5 cu ft

The same volume works for any loose material; only the density changes. For a plain volume without weight, use the cubic yards calculator.

How much gravel do I need? Examples for common projects

All figures use crushed stone at 1.42 tons per cubic yard and include 10 % extra.

Project	Size	Depth	Cubic yards to order	Tons	Bags (0.5 cu ft)
Single-car driveway	20 × 10 ft	4 in	2.7	3.9	147
Double driveway	40 × 18 ft	4 in	9.8	13.9	528
Garden path	30 × 3 ft	3 in	0.9	1.3	50
Patio base	12 × 12 ft	4 in	2.0	2.8	106
Fire pit ring	8 ft diameter	2 in	0.3	0.5	19
French drain trench	50 × 1 ft	12 in	2.0	2.9	110
Play area	20 × 20 ft	6 in	8.1	11.6	440

The trench and play-area rows show why depth matters more than people expect: doubling the depth doubles the order, while adding a foot to the width of a path changes it far less.

How deep should gravel be?

Use	Recommended depth	Notes
Decorative bed, weed suppression	2 in	Over landscape fabric
Garden path, walkway	2–3 in	Pea gravel or decomposed granite
Patio base under pavers	4 in compacted	Crusher run or dense-graded base
Driveway, light residential	4 in	2–3 in of #57 over a compacted base
Driveway, trucks or heavy use	6–8 in	Two or three compacted layers
French drain, drainage trench	Fill to 2–3 in below grade	Clean, washed stone with no fines
Play area	6–9 in	Pea gravel; more depth around climbing equipment

If you are building a driveway in layers, enter each layer as a separate area with the matching gravel type — base material is heavier per yard than the top stone.

Gravel weight by type: tons per cubic yard

Suppliers quote weight by the ton, so the density matters. These are ordering densities for loose, delivered material; compacted material in place is denser. The #57 figure sits between the DOT laboratory values (81 lb/ft³ loose, 92 lb/ft³ rodded) and the 1.4–1.5 t/yd³ that quarries use for ordering.

Gravel type	lb per cu ft	Tons per cu yd	Cu yd per ton
Crushed stone (#57)	105	1.42	0.71
Pea gravel	100	1.35	0.74
River rock	105	1.42	0.71
Crusher run / #411	111	1.50	0.67
Dense-graded base (DGA)	125	1.69	0.59
Bank run gravel	120	1.62	0.62
Decomposed granite	103	1.39	0.72
Marble chips	95	1.28	0.78
Lava rock	52	0.70	1.42
Riprap	100	1.35	0.74

Moisture adds weight: wet gravel can weigh 5–10 % more than the same stone dry. If a quote seems high after rain, that is usually why.

Yards or tons? Bags or bulk?

Yards vs. tons. Landscape supply yards often sell by the cubic yard because they load with a bucket; quarries sell by the ton because trucks cross a scale. Both are fine — just compare quotes in the same unit. The calculator converts between them using the density shown, and the Suggested order figure rounds up to the next half yard, which is the smallest increment most yards deliver.

Bags vs. bulk. A 0.5 cu ft bag holds about 50 lb of gravel; 54 of them make one cubic yard. Bags make sense below roughly half a yard, or when a truck cannot reach the spot. Above one yard, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper even with a delivery fee, and it saves carrying 50+ bags. Typical U.S. prices in 2026 run $40–$80 per cubic yard (or $30–$60 per ton) for common crushed stone in bulk, versus $4–$8 per 0.5 cu ft bag — that is $215–$430 per yard bagged.

Truck sizes. A single-axle dump truck carries about 5–7 tons (4–5 yd³ of gravel); a tandem carries 10–14 tons. If your order lands just above a truck’s capacity, trimming the depth slightly or adding a second small area later can save a second delivery fee.

Under a slab or pavers? Gravel is only the base. For the concrete on top, use the concrete calculator; for covering beds instead of paths, the mulch calculator uses the same method with mulch densities. If the area is an irregular shape, the square footage calculator helps you break it into simple pieces first.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?

Between about 2,400 and 3,400 lb (1.2–1.7 U.S. tons) depending on the stone. Crushed stone and river rock are close to 2,800 lb (1.4 tons); pea gravel about 2,700 lb; dense-graded road base about 3,400 lb; lava rock only about 1,400 lb. The calculator shows the density it uses and lets you change it.

How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?

For typical crushed stone (1.4 tons per cubic yard) one ton covers about 114 sq ft at 2 in deep, 76 sq ft at 3 in, and 57 sq ft at 4 in. Lighter pea gravel covers a little more; heavier road base a little less. The coverage table next to the result recalculates for the gravel type you pick.

How many yards are in a ton of gravel?

Roughly 0.7 cubic yards. Divide 1 by the density in tons per cubic yard: 1 ÷ 1.4 ≈ 0.71 yd³ for crushed stone, 1 ÷ 1.35 ≈ 0.74 yd³ for pea gravel, 1 ÷ 1.7 ≈ 0.59 yd³ for dense-graded base.

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

Plan on 4 in of gravel for a light-use residential driveway and 6 in where trucks or frequent traffic are expected. Many contractors build in two layers: a 3–4 in base of crusher run or #411 compacted, then 2–3 in of #57 stone on top. Enter each layer as its own area with its own gravel type.

Should I order gravel by the yard or by the ton?

Order in whatever unit your supplier quotes; most quarries sell by the ton, many landscape yards by the cubic yard. The calculator gives both from the same density, so you can compare quotes. A single-axle dump truck carries about 5–7 tons (roughly 4–5 yd³); tandem trucks 10–14 tons.

How many bags of gravel equal one cubic yard?

54 bags of 0.5 cu ft, or 27 bags of 1 cu ft. Bagged gravel usually costs several times more per yard than bulk; once you need more than about one cubic yard, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper even with the delivery fee.

How much extra gravel should I order for compaction?

Add 5–10 % for uneven ground and spreading loss, and up to 15–20 % for base materials that you will compact with a plate compactor or roller. The calculator's default is 10 %; change it in the 'Extra for waste & compaction' field.

How much gravel do I need for a 10×10 area?

A 10 ft × 10 ft area (100 sq ft) needs 0.93 cubic yards at 3 in deep, 1.23 yd³ at 4 in, and 1.85 yd³ at 6 in. At 1.4 tons per cubic yard that is about 1.3, 1.75 and 2.6 tons. Add 10 % and you would order about 1 yd³, 1.5 yd³ and 2 yd³ respectively.