Gravel Calculator — Cubic Yards, Tons and Bags
Gravel is sold by the ton but measured by the yard, which is where most people come unstuck. This gives you both, plus bags for small jobs.
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How to work it out
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Measure the area
Length × width. A driveway that widens at the top is two sections — measure each and add them, rather than averaging and hoping.
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Pick the depth for the job
Two inches for a garden path. Four inches for topping up an existing driveway. A new driveway needs eight to twelve inches total, laid and compacted in layers — not dumped in one go.
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Choose the stone, because density varies
Crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, river rock about 1.25, crusher run about 1.5. That difference is real money on a ten-yard order, and it is the step most calculators skip.
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Order by the yard, check by the ton
Suppliers usually price by the ton but deliver by volume. Quote them the cubic yards and check their tonnage against the figure here — if the two are far apart, ask which density they are using.
Gravel at 4 in. deep
Crushed stone at about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
| Area | Cubic yards | Tons | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 sq ft | 1.23 cu yd | 1.7 tons | 67 bags |
| 200 sq ft | 2.47 cu yd | 3.5 tons | 134 bags |
| 400 sq ft | 4.94 cu yd | 6.9 tons | 267 bags |
| 600 sq ft | 7.41 cu yd | 10.4 tons | 400 bags |
| 800 sq ft | 9.88 cu yd | 13.8 tons | 534 bags |
| 1000 sq ft | 12.35 cu yd | 17.3 tons | 667 bags |
| 1500 sq ft | 18.52 cu yd | 25.9 tons | 1000 bags |
| 2000 sq ft | 24.69 cu yd | 34.6 tons | 1334 bags |
Bags only make sense under about half a yard. Past that, bulk delivery is far cheaper and far less work.
Depth by job
| Job | Depth | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Garden path | 2 in. | Over landscape fabric, with an edge to hold it in. |
| Topping up a driveway | 2–4 in. | Rake level and drive over it to bed it in. |
| New driveway — base | 6–8 in. | Crusher run, compacted in 3–4 in. lifts. |
| New driveway — top | 2–4 in. | #57 or similar over the compacted base. |
| French drain | Fill the trench | Wash the stone, wrap the pipe, no fines. |
| Paver base | 4–6 in. | Crusher run compacted, then 1 in. of sand. |
A new driveway is two different stones in two layers. One deep layer of a single stone will rut within a year.
How much gravel for a French drain?
Work in trench volume rather than area. A trench 12 in. wide and 18 in. deep holds 1.5 cubic feet per linear foot, so a 50 ft drain needs about 75 cu ft — 2.8 cubic yards, or roughly 3.9 tons of washed stone.
Use washed #57 stone with no fines. Fines clog the voids that make the drain work, which is why builder's gravel is the wrong material here even though it is cheaper.
Converting cubic yards to tons
Multiply the cubic yards by the density. Crushed stone is about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so 5 cu yd is 7 tons.
Densities are approximate and change with moisture — wet stone weighs more, and a load delivered after rain can be several hundred pounds heavier than the same volume dry. If you are paying by weight, that matters; if by volume, it does not.
Building a driveway that lasts
The mistake is treating a driveway as one deep layer of gravel. It needs two:
- Base — six to eight inches of crusher run, which contains fines that lock together when compacted. Lay it in three or four inch lifts and compact each one.
- Top — two to four inches of clean angular stone such as #57.
Angular stone is what makes it work. Rounded pea gravel looks attractive but never locks together, so it migrates under tyres and ends up in the lawn.
Edging is not optional
Gravel spreads. Without an edge — wood, steel, pavers or a dug trench — a path loses an inch of width a year into the surrounding soil, and you find yourself topping it up forever.
The edge costs a fraction of the gravel it stops you re-buying.
Keeping a gravel driveway from rutting
Gravel driveways fail in two ways, and both are fixable before they start.
Ruts come from driving the same line on a surface with no crown. The center of the drive should sit an inch or two higher than the edges so water runs off rather than sitting in the wheel tracks and softening the base. Regrade with a rake or a drag every year or two.
Migration — stone moving into the lawn — comes from having no edge. Wood, steel edging or a shallow trench holds it. Rounded pea gravel migrates far faster than angular crushed stone, which is the main practical reason to choose crushed for a drive.
Budget a top-up of about one inch every three to five years. That is roughly 1.5 cubic yards per 500 sq ft.
Which stone size for which job
The number on the bin is an ASTM size designation, and it matters more than the color.
- #57 — about 3/4 in., clean and angular, no fines. Driveway top layer, French drains, paver base drainage.
- Crusher run (also called #411 or road base) — 3/4 in. down to dust. The fines are what let it compact solid. Base layers only, never for drainage.
- #8 — about 3/8 in. Paths, and bedding for pipes.
- Pea gravel — rounded, 3/8 in. Comfortable underfoot, good for play areas, poor anywhere it has to stay put.
The key distinction is clean versus with-fines. Clean stone drains; stone with fines compacts. Using the wrong one is why a French drain clogs or a driveway base stays soft.
How this is worked out
No black box — here is the arithmetic the calculator runs, so you can check it against your own numbers.
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area = length × width, summed over every sectionDriveways and paths are rarely one rectangle. -
volume = area × depth ÷ 12Inches of depth to cubic feet. -
cubic yards = volume ÷ 27How bulk material is measured. -
tons = cubic yards × density1.4 for crushed stone, 1.25 for river rock, 1.5 for crusher run. -
bags = volume ÷ 0.5The common bagged size is half a cubic foot. Only sensible for very small jobs.
Common questions
How many tons of gravel in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 tons for crushed stone, 1.35 for pea gravel, 1.5 for crusher run and 1.25 for river rock. Wet stone weighs more than dry.
How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
Eight to twelve inches total for a new one, in two layers: six to eight inches of compacted crusher run, then two to four inches of clean stone. For a 20 × 40 ft driveway that is roughly 20 to 25 cubic yards in total.
How much does a ton of gravel cover?
About 100 sq ft at 2 in. deep, or 50 sq ft at 4 in. — roughly 0.7 cubic yards of material.
What size gravel is best for a driveway?
Crusher run for the base because the fines lock it together, then #57 (about 3/4 in., angular) for the top. Avoid rounded pea gravel on a driveway — it never locks and migrates under tyres.
How much gravel for a 10x10 patio base?
A hundred square feet at 4 in. of compacted base is about 1.2 cubic yards, or 1.7 tons of crusher run. Add an inch of bedding sand on top before the pavers.
Should I put fabric under gravel?
Yes for paths and patios — it stops the stone sinking into soft ground and keeps weeds down. Use a woven geotextile rather than thin weed fabric, which tears as soon as you barrow over it.
Can I just order by the ton?
You can, but measure in cubic yards first and convert. Yards describe the space you are filling; tons describe what fits on the truck. Ordering by weight without checking the density is how people end up two yards short.
How deep should gravel be for a path?
Two inches over landscape fabric, with an edge to hold it in. Deeper feels loose underfoot and is harder to walk on, not better.
Where these figures come from
Every figure below is traceable. How we check the numbers explains how they are verified, and the coverage reference collects them all in one place.
- FHWA Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide — driveway layer depths and base compaction
- ASTM D448 — the #57 and other standard aggregate size designations
- Aggregate supplier density tables — tons per cubic yard by stone type
Think a number here is wrong? Tell us — we check every report, correct the page, and date the change. Last checked September 11, 2026.