Free Contractor Tool
Gravel Calculator
Enter length, width, and depth to instantly get how much gravel you need in cubic yards and tons. Add multiple areas, pick your gravel type, and enter a price for an instant material cost estimate.
Built by SubcontractorHub — the software contractors use to quote, finance, and run every job.
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Calculate How Much Gravel You Need
Choose your gravel type, enter the length, width, and depth of each area, and get cubic yards and tons instantly. Add a price per ton or per cubic yard for a cost estimate. Results update as you type.
Sets the density used to convert cubic yards into tons. Confirm exact density with your supplier.
Areas to cover
Enables the material cost estimate.
Gravel needed
Cubic yards
1.23
Tons
1.73
Cubic feet
33.33
Est. cost
Enter a price above
Gravel type
Crushed Stone #57
Density used
1.4 tons/yd³
Areas added
1
Gravel Density Reference Table
Approximate weight per cubic yard for common gravel and aggregate types. Use these values to convert volume into tons, and confirm the exact density with your local supplier before ordering.
How much gravel do I need?
Start by measuring the length and width of the area in feet, then pick a depth. Multiply length × width × (depth in inches ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, and multiply by the gravel density to get tons. This calculator handles every step and sums multiple areas for you.
A quick rule of thumb: at 2 inches deep, one ton of gravel covers about 100 square feet. Order roughly 5–10% extra to account for compaction, spreading, and uneven subgrade.
How deep should the gravel be?
For walkways, garden paths, and decorative ground cover, 2 inches is usually enough. For a gravel driveway, plan on about 4 inches of base gravel or crusher run, then a 1–2 inch top layer of angular stone that locks in place.
Driveways over soft or clay soil often need 6 inches or more of total gravel, installed in compacted lifts. Deeper installs and multiple layers mean more material — add each layer as its own area in the calculator above.
How Much Area Does a Ton of Gravel Cover?
Coverage per ton depends entirely on depth. Use this chart for a quick check before ordering — doubling the depth halves the area a ton will cover.
How much extra gravel should you order?
Loose gravel loses volume once it is spread and compacted — a crusher run base can settle 15 to 20 percent from its delivered depth. On top of that, real sites lose material to uneven subgrade, spillage, and edges that are not square.
Add 5 to 10 percent to the calculated quantity for most jobs, and closer to 15 percent on areas with no hard borders to hold the stone in place. Ordering slightly long is cheaper than paying for a second delivery.
Converting tons, yards, and square feet
One cubic yard of gravel covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, or roughly 160 square feet at 2 inches. Because most suppliers price by the ton, multiply cubic yards by roughly 1.4 to get tons for crushed stone and pea gravel.
Worked example: a 40 × 12 foot driveway at 4 inches is 160 cubic feet, or 5.9 cubic yards — about 8.3 tons of #57 stone. Add 7 percent for compaction and order roughly 8.9 tons.
From Material Takeoffs to a Signed Proposal
Calculating gravel quantities is one step — building a winning proposal from your measurements is another. SubcontractorHub lets contractors build professional, branded proposals on a tablet at the job site, with material quantities, labor, and financing options included.
Present good-better-best options, collect a digital signature on the spot, and send the signed job straight to operations with zero re-entry.
See How It WorksBuild accurate material proposals in minutes
Include gravel, base, labor, and markup automatically
Present financing and monthly payments at the job site
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Signed job flows directly to operations — zero re-entry
How to Calculate How Much Gravel You Need
The formula
Tons = [(length ft × width ft × depth ft) ÷ 27] × tons per yd³
Measure the area and choose a depth
Measure length and width in feet. For depth, a common starting point is 2–3 inches for a walkway, 4 inches for a decorative or light-traffic area, and 6–8 inches total for a driveway built in compacted lifts rather than one deep pour.
Find the volume in cubic yards
Convert depth from inches to feet by dividing by 12, multiply length × width × depth to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Use the cubic yard calculator if you need to sum several irregular areas first.
Convert cubic yards to tons
Multiply cubic yards by the aggregate's density in tons per cubic yard. Most crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, pea gravel about 1.35, and crushed concrete closer to 1.35. Suppliers usually sell and price by the ton even when you specify yards, so this is the number that drives your cost.
Add a compaction allowance
Gravel loses volume when it is compacted. Add roughly 10–20% over the loose calculated volume for a compacted base so the finished depth is what you specified after rolling, not before.
Confirm density with your supplier
Density varies with stone type, gradation, and moisture content. Ask the quarry for the tons-per-yard figure on the specific product before a large order — a wrong density assumption scales the error across the entire job cost.
Common Questions About Gravel Quantities
How do you calculate how much gravel you need?
Measure length and width in feet and choose a depth in inches. Multiply length × width × (depth ÷ 12) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. Multiply cubic yards by the gravel's density — about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for most stone — to get tons. This calculator does the math and sums multiple areas.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 tons per cubic yard for most gravel. Pea gravel and crushed stone #57 are near 1.4, base gravel or crusher run is denser at about 1.5, and river rock and sand run closer to 1.35. Moisture and stone type change the exact weight, so confirm density with your supplier.
How deep should gravel be?
For paths and decorative cover, 2 inches is typical. For a driveway, use about 4 inches of base gravel plus a 1–2 inch top layer of angular stone. Soft-soil or heavy-traffic driveways may need 6 inches or more, installed in compacted lifts.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
At a 2-inch depth, one ton of gravel covers roughly 100 square feet. At 4 inches it covers about 50 square feet, and at 1 inch about 200 square feet. Coverage varies with stone size and density, so use your exact dimensions in the calculator.
How much is a cubic yard of gravel?
Delivered gravel typically runs about $30 to $60 per cubic yard, or roughly $20 to $45 per ton, depending on stone type, region, and delivery distance. Enter your local price per ton or per cubic yard above for a total material cost estimate.
What is the difference between pea gravel and crushed stone #57?
Pea gravel is small, rounded 3/8-inch stone that is comfortable underfoot but shifts because it does not interlock. Crushed stone #57 is angular 3/4-inch rock that locks together and stays put, making it better for driveways, drainage, and base layers. Both weigh close to 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
Quote, Finance, and Run Every Job in One Platform
SubcontractorHub helps contractors turn field measurements into accurate proposals, present financing, and close jobs on-site — built for the way contractor sales actually works.
Book a Free DemoGravel quantities are estimates based on the densities shown and the dimensions entered. Actual weight varies with stone type, moisture, and compaction. Confirm density and coverage with your supplier, and order extra material to account for spreading and settling. All calculations are estimates based on historical information and should be verified by the user. This tool is provided as a free service for planning purposes only and is not a substitute for a professional assessment, a supplier quote, or applicable local code requirements.