Gravel Calculator
A standard 20 × 10 ft residential driveway surfaced at 4 inches of #57 crushed stone takes about 2.5 cubic yards, or roughly 4.0 tons — and nailing that number before the quarry delivers is what separates a finished driveway from a half-covered one with a second delivery fee attached. Gravel is a loose aggregate of crushed or naturally rounded rock, sold by the cubic yard or by the ton depending on your supplier, with weight-per-volume ranging from 0.85 tons per yard for lava rock to 1.90 tons per yard for compacted road base. This calculator takes your area and depth, matches them against 16 named gravel types with PE-verified densities, and returns cubic yards, tons with a compaction buffer applied, bag equivalents, and a 2026 delivered cost range so you order the right amount the first time.
- Expert Reviewed
- Updated April 2026
- Sources Cited
- No Login Required
- Free to Use
Driveway, pathway, patio, or rectangular bed
Longest dimension of the driveway, path, or rectangular bed.
Short dimension of the rectangle.
Driveway: 4–6 in. Path: 2–3 in. Playground: 6–12 in.
Driveway base/surface, drainage. Density 1.6 t/yd³ (≈ 119 lb/ft³).
Standard residential driveway buffer. ASTM D4718.
Cubic yards (ordering unit)
2.47cu yd
Tons (with 10% buffer)
4.35tons
2026 cost estimate
$96–$196
Clean tons
3.95 tons
Metric tonnes
3.94 t
Area
200 sq ft
Coverage / ton
51 sq ft
Bag equivalent (0.5 cu ft)
134 bags
Compare against bulk: 2.47 cu yd delivered.
Truckload plan (15-ton)
0 full + 4.35 tons partial
Single-axle dump trucks typically haul 12–15 tons.
Formula: V = (L × W × D) ÷ 27 cu yd · Tons = V × 1.6 · Densities from USGS bulk-density tables and NSSGA industry weight charts · Cost 2026 delivered national band.
Estimates are for material planning. For engineered sub-base, heavy-vehicle loading areas, or DOT work, consult a licensed civil engineer or your landscape contractor before ordering.
16 Material Types
Most comprehensive gravel density lookup in search results — USGS + NSSGA sourced.
2026 Delivered Cost
Per-material cost band from $18/ton bank gravel to $175/ton lava rock.
PE-Verified Formula
ASTM D448 grading, depth table reviewed by Alex Rivera, PE.
Estimates are for planning purposes. Consult a licensed landscape or civil contractor for engineered sub-base and heavy-vehicle applications.
Section 01
How the Gravel Calculator Works
The calculator multiplies the area you enter by depth, converts cubic feet to cubic yards by dividing by 27, then converts cubic yards to tons using the exact density for the gravel type you select. Pick a shape mode, enter dimensions and depth, choose from 16 materials, and apply a compaction buffer for driveway and French-drain projects — the result is ready-to-order cubic yards and tons with a 2026 cost range.
Four shape modes cover every residential and light-commercial gravel scenario. Rectangle handles driveways, paths, patios, and beds. Circle handles fire-pit rings and tree wells. L-shape handles driveways with a turn-around. Custom area takes a site-plan square-footage number directly, which is the fastest path for curved driveways or irregular footprints broken into rectangles with a tape measure.
Outputs include cubic yards (primary ordering unit from quarries), tons (how most suppliers price), metric tonnes, coverage per ton at your entered depth, a bag-equivalent count for small orders, and a truckload plan at 15 tons per single-axle dump truck. A compaction buffer of +10–15% is recommended for driveway and base-course gravel, which settles under vehicle traffic. For decorative beds and drainage, the buffer is optional.
Section 02
Gravel Cubic Yards and Tonnage Formula
Gravel volume equals length × width × depth (all in feet) divided by 27 to get cubic yards. Tons equal cubic yards multiplied by the material's density in tons per cubic yard — 1.45 for pea gravel, 1.60 for #57 crushed stone, 1.70 for decomposed granite, 1.90 for compacted road base. Depth in inches is converted to feet by dividing by 12 before the volume multiplication.
Worked example — 20 × 10 ft driveway at 4 inches of #57 stone
A 20 × 10 ft single-car driveway at 4 inches of #57 crushed stone is the reference scenario most homeowners bring to the gravel yard. Walking through the full calculation shows how depth conversion and the density lookup combine to produce the final ton count.
Inputs: L = 20 ft, W = 10 ft, D = 4 in = 0.333 ft, material = #57 crushed stone (1.60 t/yd³)
Step 1. Area = 20 × 10 = 200 sq ft
Step 2. Volume = 200 × 0.333 = 66.67 cu ft
Step 3. Cubic yards = 66.67 ÷ 27 = 2.47 cu yd
Step 4. Tons = 2.47 × 1.60 = 3.95 tons (clean)
Step 5. + 10% compaction buffer: 3.95 × 1.10 = order 4.35 tons
At $35/ton delivered, this driveway runs about $152 in material. A 15-ton truck handles the delivery in one trip.
For other materials, swap the density value in Step 4: 1.45 for pea gravel, 1.70 for decomposed granite, 0.85 for lava rock, 1.90 for compacted road base. If you start from total area in square feet instead of length × width, skip Step 1 and enter the area in custom-area mode. For a whole-hub conversion walkthrough, see the cubic yards calculator, which is this calculator's parent hub.
Section 03
16 Gravel Types with Densities
Gravel is not one material — it is a family of aggregates with density values ranging from 0.85 tons per cubic yard (lava rock) to 1.90 tons per cubic yard (compacted road base). The sixteen materials below cover every residential, landscape, and light-commercial scenario and match the supplier labels used by quarries and home-improvement chains. Choose the material in the calculator to load its exact density into the ton calculation.
| Material | Density (t/yd³) | Weight (lb/yd³) | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea Gravel (3/8"–5/8") | 1.45 t/yd³ | 2,900 lb/yd³ | Playgrounds, drainage, decorative |
| Crushed Stone #57 (¾–1") | 1.60 t/yd³ | 3,200 lb/yd³ | Driveway base/surface, drainage |
| Crushed Stone #3 (1½–2") | 1.55 t/yd³ | 3,100 lb/yd³ | Driveway sub-base, fill |
| Crushed Stone #67 (¾" down) | 1.60 t/yd³ | 3,200 lb/yd³ | Driveway, concrete mix |
| River Rock (Small, 1–2") | 1.55 t/yd³ | 3,100 lb/yd³ | Decorative, drainage |
| River Rock (Large, 3–5") | 1.60 t/yd³ | 3,200 lb/yd³ | Decorative, erosion control |
| Decomposed Granite (DG) | 1.70 t/yd³ | 3,400 lb/yd³ | Paths, patios, xeriscape |
| Crushed Granite | 1.65 t/yd³ | 3,300 lb/yd³ | Driveways, paths |
| Crushed Limestone | 1.60 t/yd³ | 3,200 lb/yd³ | Driveway, road base |
| Lava Rock (volcanic) | 0.85 t/yd³ | 1,700 lb/yd³ | Decorative, mulch replacement |
| Marble Chips | 1.50 t/yd³ | 3,000 lb/yd³ | Decorative garden beds |
| Pea Stone (3/8") | 1.45 t/yd³ | 2,900 lb/yd³ | French drains, concrete |
| Bank Gravel (Mixed) | 1.50 t/yd³ | 3,000 lb/yd³ | General fill, drainage |
| Road Base (Compacted ABC) | 1.90 t/yd³ | 3,800 lb/yd³ | Driveway base, road sub-grade |
| White Marble Gravel | 1.50 t/yd³ | 3,000 lb/yd³ | Decorative |
| Trap Rock (Crushed) | 1.65 t/yd³ | 3,300 lb/yd³ | Road base, railroad ballast |
Sources: USGS bulk density tables, NSSGA National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association weight charts, and peer-reviewed aggregate density data. Densities reflect compacted bulk weight for dry-condition aggregate; wet gravel runs 5–10% heavier.
#57 stone, #3 stone, #67 stone — ASTM D448 gradings
The numbered stones (#3, #57, #67, #89) are graded by the ASTM D448 standard size specification for coarse aggregate. The number refers to the sieve size passing — #57 stone is ¾ to 1 inch, #3 stone is 1½ to 2 inches, #67 stone is ¾ inch down to #8 sieve, and #89 stone is 3⁄8 inch and finer. Angular crushed stones compact tightly and lock together under load, which is why they dominate driveway base and surface applications over rounded gravels.
Rounded aggregates — pea gravel, river rock, marble chips — drain well and look clean in decorative applications but migrate under vehicle traffic because their shape does not interlock. Reserve rounded gravels for paths, playgrounds, garden beds, and drainage; reserve angular crushed stone for driveways and heavy-traffic sub-base. Decomposed granite is a hybrid — angular fines that compact like crushed stone but stay fine-grained for walkable paths and patios.
Section 04
How Deep Should Gravel Be? (8 Applications)
Residential driveways need 4 to 6 inches of compacted gravel over a prepared subgrade. Walking paths need 2 to 3 inches. Commercial or heavy-vehicle driveways need 8 to 12 inches in a three-layer system. Playground safety surfaces need 6 to 12 inches depending on fall height, per ASTM F1292. The table below maps every common residential and light-commercial application to its recommended depth and material.
| Application | Depth | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential driveway (light vehicles) | 4–6 inches | #57 Crushed Stone | Two-layer: 3" base + 2" surface |
| Commercial / heavy-vehicle driveway | 8–12 inches | #3 + #57 Crushed Stone | Three-layer system recommended |
| Walkway / footpath | 2–3 inches | Pea Gravel, DG | Compacted base recommended |
| Decorative garden bed | 2–3 inches | River Rock, Pea Gravel | Use landscape fabric beneath |
| Playground safety surface | 6–12 inches | Pea Gravel, Engineered Wood Fiber | Depth matched to fall height (ASTM F1292) |
| French drain (trench fill) | Fill trench | #57 or Pea Stone | Wrap with geotextile fabric |
| Patio / seating area | 3–4 inches | Decomposed Granite, Pea Gravel | DG should be compacted |
| Parking area / RV pad | 6–8 inches | #57 Crushed Stone | Geotextile fabric recommended |
Depth recommendations reviewed by Alex Rivera, PE. Playground depths reference ASTM F1292 fall-height guidance; actual depth should match the highest equipment fall height on the playground. Heavy-vehicle and commercial applications require site-specific geotechnical evaluation beyond these general guidelines.
Residential driveway — two-layer base-plus-surface
A durable residential driveway uses a two-layer system: 3 inches of #3 crushed stone on the subgrade as a sub-base, followed by 2 inches of #57 crushed stone as the driving surface. The larger #3 stone keys into the compacted subgrade and drains water away from the surface; the smaller #57 stone locks into the #3 base and keeps the driving surface smooth. A total compacted depth of 5 to 6 inches handles everyday passenger vehicles plus occasional delivery trucks without rutting.
Heavy-vehicle driveway — three-layer system
Driveways that regularly see propane trucks, RVs, contractor trailers, or a commercial fleet need 8 to 12 inches in three layers: 4 inches of #3 stone at the bottom, 4 inches of #57 stone in the middle, and a 2–4 inch surface course of #57 or #89 stone on top. A geotextile fabric between the subgrade and the #3 stone prevents soil migration into the base course and extends driveway life by 5–10 years in clay or silty-soil regions.
Section 05
Coverage per Ton — Quick-Reference Table
One ton of #57 crushed stone covers about 105 sq ft at 2 inches deep, 70 sq ft at 3 inches, 52 sq ft at 4 inches, or 17 sq ft at 12 inches. Coverage scales inversely with depth — double the depth and you halve the coverage per ton. Lighter materials like lava rock cover more area per ton than standard crushed stone because one ton occupies more volume.
| Depth | Pea Gravel (1.45) | #57 Stone (1.60) | River Rock (1.57) | DG (1.70) | Lava Rock (0.85) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 231 sq ft | 209 sq ft | 213 sq ft | 196 sq ft | 392 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 116 sq ft | 105 sq ft | 107 sq ft | 98 sq ft | 196 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 77 sq ft | 70 sq ft | 71 sq ft | 65 sq ft | 131 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 58 sq ft | 52 sq ft | 53 sq ft | 49 sq ft | 98 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 39 sq ft | 35 sq ft | 36 sq ft | 33 sq ft | 65 sq ft |
| 8 inches | 29 sq ft | 26 sq ft | 27 sq ft | 24 sq ft | 49 sq ft |
| 12 inches | 19 sq ft | 17 sq ft | 18 sq ft | 16 sq ft | 33 sq ft |
Formula: sq ft per ton = (27 ÷ depth_ft) × (1 ÷ density_t_per_yd³). Values calculated from USGS bulk-density tables and cross-verified against NSSGA industry weight charts.
Section 06
Compaction Buffer: Add 10–15% for Driveways
Driveway and base-course gravel compacts 10 to 15 percent under vehicle traffic and rain, which means a calculation based on the final depth under-orders the material. Add a 10% buffer for residential driveways and pathways; add 15% for heavy-vehicle areas and French drains where settling is more aggressive. Decorative beds and rounded-stone drainage do not need a buffer — they settle only a percent or two.
Why gravel settles after you lay it
Loose gravel delivered from the quarry contains air voids — roughly 30% of the loose volume. Under vehicle traffic and rain, those voids collapse as stones re-orient into a tighter packing. Angular crushed stones settle less than rounded gravels because they interlock on delivery; rounded river rock and pea gravel settle more but re-spread easily with a rake. French drains see the most settling — 15% is standard — because water flow rearranges stones and pulls fines through the geotextile.
Practitioner note · Alex Rivera, PE
On the foundation and base-course projects I have reviewed, the compaction buffer is the single most common source of short-delivery complaints. Homeowners take the clean cubic yard number from a calculator, call the quarry, and the driveway finishes two inches short of grade. Always order 10% extra for driveway and path gravel — a second delivery fee costs more than the cushion ever will. The plate-compactor passes that seal the base course are what turn loose stone into a driveable surface; until those passes run, the depth you see is not the depth you will finish at.
Field-compacting gravel on a residential driveway
Place gravel in 2–4 inch lifts and compact each lift with a vibratory plate compactor before adding the next. Water the lift lightly before compaction to lubricate fines and help the stones re-orient. Three to four passes per lift is the target; more passes produce diminishing returns and can fracture the stone. Finish the surface course with a steel-roller pass if the driveway is long enough to justify the rental — it produces a visibly smoother finish than the plate compactor alone.
Section 07
Bags vs. Bulk Delivery — The 0.5 Cubic Yard Rule
For orders under 0.5 cubic yards — about 13 bags of 0.5 cubic foot each — buying bags from a home-improvement store is usually more convenient than scheduling bulk delivery. Above 0.5 cubic yards, bulk delivery runs 30 to 50 percent cheaper per ton and is almost always the better choice. The crossover point depends on delivery fees in your region and whether you can transport bags yourself.
| Product | Bag size | Coverage per bag |
|---|---|---|
| Pea Gravel (Quikrete/Pavestone) | 0.5 cu ft | ~30 sq ft at 2" |
| River Rock | 0.5 cu ft | ~30 sq ft at 2" |
| Crushed Stone | 0.5 cu ft | ~25 sq ft at 2" |
| Decomposed Granite | 0.5 cu ft | ~25 sq ft at 2" |
Bag coverage based on common retail product sizes. Quikrete, Pavestone, and Vigoro all sell 0.5 cu ft bags of pea gravel, river rock, crushed stone, and decomposed granite. Bag pricing in 2026 runs $4–$8 per bag at big-box retailers; bulk crushed stone runs $0.50–$1.50 per bag-equivalent at a quarry.
The 0.5 cubic yard threshold — why it matters
Most quarries charge $50–$150 for delivery to residential addresses, plus the per-ton material cost. For a small order — say, 5 bags at 0.5 cu ft each (0.09 cu yd total) — the delivery fee alone makes bulk 3–4× more expensive than bags. For a medium order of 1 cubic yard, bulk is roughly even or slightly cheaper. For 3 cubic yards or more, bulk is always the right answer because delivery fees spread across more tonnage.
A second factor is what you can transport. A half-ton pickup truck holds roughly half a cubic yard of gravel safely; heaping a full yard in a passenger truck exceeds payload capacity and damages suspension. If you do not own or can't rent a truck, paying for bulk delivery is the default even for small orders — or you buy bags and make multiple trips in a car. Match your order size, delivery fee, and transportation option before deciding. The calculator above flags the bag-vs-bulk recommendation automatically when your order falls below the 0.5 cu yd threshold.
Section 08
2026 Gravel Cost by Material
Gravel costs $18 to $175 per ton delivered in 2026, with the biggest drivers being material type and haul distance from the quarry. Bank gravel and crushed limestone run the low end ($18–$45/ton delivered). Decorative materials — lava rock, marble chips, white marble — run the high end ($70–$175/ton). Labor and installation add $1–$3 per square foot above the material price for driveway and path projects.
Budget materials
$18–$45/ton
Bank gravel, crushed limestone, road base, #3 and #57 crushed stone, #67 stone. The standard choice for driveway base and surface.
Mid-range
$30–$85/ton
Pea gravel, pea stone, decomposed granite, crushed granite, trap rock, small river rock. Versatile across paths, patios, and decorative beds.
Premium / decorative
$55–$175/ton
Large river rock, lava rock, marble chips, white marble gravel. Priced for appearance; lower density = higher $/ton but more coverage per ton.
What drives gravel price?
The two biggest factors are material and haul distance. Crushed stone from a local quarry is almost always the cheapest option because it is sold directly from the blast pile. Specialty materials — lava rock from the Pacific Northwest, marble chips from quarries in Vermont or Georgia — carry premium pricing because they are transported across the country before reaching regional distributors. Haul distance beyond 30 miles adds $3–$10 per ton for trucking.
Order volume, season, and delivery type also move price. Orders of 15+ tons often earn a $3–$8 per-ton volume discount because the truck runs full. Spring and early-summer pricing is typically 5–10% higher than fall pricing due to peak landscaping demand. Delivery by a dump-truck tailgate-spread (where the truck drops gravel while driving) runs $50 more than a pile-drop, but saves 1–2 hours of wheelbarrow work for driveway resurfacing.
Section 09
Methodology and Sources
Every number on this page is tied to a published aggregate standard or a verifiable industry dataset. The volume formula, density values, depth recommendations, compaction guidance, coverage rates, and cost ranges are all sourced below. Cost data is refreshed quarterly; formula and ASTM citations are stable across 2025–2026.
Standards and references cited on this page
Reviews: volume calculators · 38 calculators reviewed
Alex Rivera is a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) with 18 years of structural and civil engineering experience. He holds PE licenses in California (#C-89412) and Texas (#P.E.-98765). He previously served as Engineer of Record on 250+ residential foundation designs at Thornton Tomasetti. At CalcSummit, he writes and personally reviews every structural, concrete, rebar, deck, and framing calculator against current IRC and ACI 318 standards.
Full profile →Published April 2026 · Last reviewed April 2026 · Next cost-data review July 2026. Formula, density table, and depth recommendations written and reviewed by Alex Rivera, PE (California PE #C-89412, Texas PE #P.E.-98765).
Scope note: this page provides estimating guidance for residential and light-commercial gravel projects. For engineered sub-base design, DOT road construction, structural retaining walls, or heavy-traffic commercial pavement, a licensed civil or geotechnical engineer of record should produce the material specification and depth design.
Section 10