Figure My Build

Gravel Calculator

Gravel is sold by the ton but measured by the hole it fills. Enter the area and depth, pick your gravel type, and get the tonnage to order, with the bag count if the job is small enough for bags.

Diagram of a bed of material such as mulch or gravel, showing the area and the depth of the layer
A bed of material is just a shallow box: area × depth, then bags or bulk yards.

Your buy-list

Enter your measurements

How the gravel quantity is calculated

Volume is length × width × depth (depth converted from inches to feet), plus a waste/compaction allowance, divided by 27 for cubic yards. Weight is where gravel type matters: suppliers work on roughly 2,800 lb per cubic yard (1.4 tons) for standard crushed stone and gravel. Pea gravel runs lighter at about 1.3 tons per yard, crushed limestone heavier at about 1.5. Pick your material and the calculator uses its figure.

Tonnage is rounded up to the nearest tenth of a ton, the way yards quote. Bagged gravel comes in 0.5 cu ft bags (54 bags to a cubic yard), which only makes sense for paths and small patches. A driveway's worth is a delivery, not a pallet of bags.

Depth guide: 3–4 in of surface gravel over a compacted base for driveways, 2–3 in for paths. Gravel over bare soil disappears into it. Budget a base layer or landscape fabric. Building a paver base? The Paver Calculator combines base, bedding sand and pavers into one buy-list.

Worked examples

20 × 12 ft driveway, 4 in crushed stone

80 cu ft. 10% waste at 1.4 tons per cu yd.

Order 4.6 tons

30 × 3 ft garden path, 3 in pea gravel

22.5 cu ft. 10% waste at 1.3 tons per cu yd.

Order 1.2 tons (or 50 bags)

10 × 10 ft pad, 6 in crushed limestone

50 cu ft. 5% waste at 1.5 tons per cu yd.

Order 3 tons

Frequently asked questions

How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?
A typical single driveway, 20 × 12 ft at 4 in deep, is about 3 cu yd, roughly 4.6 tons of crushed stone once compaction allowance is in. Measure yours: length × width × depth in feet ÷ 27 × 1.4 tons.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
About 2,800 lb (1.4 tons) for standard crushed stone or gravel, dry. Pea gravel is closer to 2,600 lb, crushed limestone up to 3,200 lb, and any gravel weighs more wet, which is one reason to order by the ton from a local yard.
How deep should driveway gravel be?
Plan 4 in of surface stone over a compacted base layer (often 4 in of larger crusher run), so many driveways total 8 in of material in two layers. Paths and patios do fine at 2–3 in over fabric.
How many bags of gravel equal a ton?
Standard gravel bags hold 0.5 cu ft. At 1.4 tons per cubic yard, a ton is about 19.3 cu ft, roughly 39 bags. Past a ton, bulk delivery is almost always cheaper per unit.
Why add a waste/compaction allowance?
Loose gravel compacts down when driven or rained on, and the edges of the area never hold a perfect depth. 10% covers compaction and spillage so the finished depth is what you planned.

Related calculators

Mulch Calculator

Bags or cubic yards of mulch by bed area and depth.

Topsoil Calculator

Cubic yards and bags of topsoil for lawns, beds and levelling.

Sand Calculator

Tons of sand for paver base, pools and sandboxes.

Paver Calculator

Pavers, base gravel and bedding sand for a patio.

Estimate disclaimer: results are planning estimates based on standard manufacturer yields and coverage figures. Site conditions, product choice and installation method change actual quantities. Verify before you buy, and follow local building code for structural work. This tool does not replace professional engineering advice.

Use this calculator on your own site

Free to embed. Paste this code where you want the calculator to appear. It carries a small "by Figure My Build" credit link, which is all we ask.