Free calculator
Gravel calculator: cubic yards and tons for any depth
Area × depth in feet ÷ 27 is cubic yards; multiply by about 1.4 for tons of crushed stone. A 20 × 10 ft area 4 inches deep is about 2.5 cubic yards, roughly 3.5 tons. Add rows for L-shapes and circles, pick the stone, and add compaction when it is road base.
Areas to cover
200 sq ft
Stone and depth
Leave compaction at 0 for clean or decorative stone. For crusher run or road base that will be plate-compacted, 15–20% is a typical allowance.
Tons to order
3.46
200 sq ft at 4"
Cubic yards
2.47
Cubic feet
66.7
0.5 cu ft bags
134
If buying bagged
Quantities are half a bid. Send these to the free estimate builder to add labor, burden and markup, then hand the customer a proposal.
Every field takes arithmetic — type 24+18+12 and it adds. Nothing is sent anywhere; the math runs in your browser.
How gravel is calculated
Tons = sq ft × (depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 × tons per cubic yard. Measure each area separately — a driveway apron, a walkway, a round fire-pit pad — and add them. The depth is the finished, in-place depth, which is why compacted base needs an allowance on top: a loose yard in the truck does not stay a yard under a plate compactor.
Worked example: a 12 × 40 ft driveway at 4 inches is 480 sq ft × 0.333 ft = 160 cubic feet, or 5.93 cubic yards. As crusher run at 1.5 tons per yard with 15% compaction, order about 10.2 tons.
Gravel for common areas
Crushed stone at 1.4 tons per cubic yard, in-place depth, no waste or compaction allowance.
| Area | 2" deep | 3" deep | 4" deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft (100 sq ft) | 0.62 yd³ · 0.9 t | 0.93 yd³ · 1.3 t | 1.23 yd³ · 1.7 t |
| 10 × 20 ft (200 sq ft) | 1.23 yd³ · 1.7 t | 1.85 yd³ · 2.6 t | 2.47 yd³ · 3.5 t |
| 12 × 24 ft (288 sq ft) | 1.78 yd³ · 2.5 t | 2.67 yd³ · 3.7 t | 3.56 yd³ · 5.0 t |
| 12 × 40 ft (480 sq ft) | 2.96 yd³ · 4.1 t | 4.44 yd³ · 6.2 t | 5.93 yd³ · 8.3 t |
| 20 × 40 ft (800 sq ft) | 4.94 yd³ · 6.9 t | 7.41 yd³ · 10.4 t | 9.88 yd³ · 13.8 t |
Gravel weight per cubic yard
Typical dry figures. Quarries publish their own, and wet stone is heavier — use the yard’s number when you buy by the ton.
| Material | Tons / cu yd | Lb / cu yd | Cu yd / ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57 / #3) | 1.40 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Pea gravel | 1.40 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Crusher run / road base | 1.50 | 3,000 | 0.67 |
| River rock | 1.35 | 2,700 | 0.74 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.40 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Sand | 1.35 | 2,700 | 0.74 |
How deep should gravel be?
Typical ranges, not specifications. Soil, drainage and traffic decide the real number.
| Use | Typical depth | Usual stone |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative cover / garden path | 2–3" | Pea gravel, river rock, DG |
| Walkway or patio base (under pavers) | 4–6" compacted | Crusher run / road base |
| Residential driveway | 4–6" base + 2–3" surface | Road base under #57 or similar |
| Shed or hot-tub pad | 4–6" compacted | Crushed stone or road base |
| French drain | Trench depth, less topsoil cap | Clean washed stone |
Compaction: why road base needs extra
Stone with fines — crusher run, road base, DG — locks together under a plate compactor and loses volume, commonly 15–20% or more depending on the material and how many passes it gets. Clean stone like #57 has no fines to fill the voids and barely compacts, so leave the allowance at zero for it. Paver bases always need the allowance; the paver calculator builds it in.
For mixed jobs — gravel plus fill, mulch or topsoil — the cubic yard calculator takes any material, and the concrete calculator handles the slab that often sits on top of the base.
From tons to a price
Stone is usually the cheap part; delivery minimums, spreading, grading and compaction are where the bid is won or lost. BuiltSum’s landscaping estimating software and excavation estimating software price the labor and equipment per unit alongside the material — send this quantity over and put rates on it.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet by the depth in inches ÷ 12, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by the stone's weight — about 1.4 tons per yard for crushed stone. A 20 × 10 ft pad 4 inches deep is 2.47 cubic yards, roughly 3.5 tons. Add 15–20% if it is road base you will compact.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
Typically 2,700–3,000 lb, so 1.35–1.5 tons dry. Crushed stone and pea gravel run about 1.4 tons per yard; crusher run with fines is heavier at around 1.5. Wet stone weighs more, and quarries publish their own figures — use your supplier's number when they sell by the ton.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
At 1.4 tons per yard, one ton is about 0.71 cubic yards, or 19.3 cubic feet. That covers roughly 116 sq ft at 2 inches deep, 77 sq ft at 3 inches, and 58 sq ft at 4 inches.
Is it cheaper to buy gravel in bags or in bulk?
Bulk, past a very small job. A cubic yard is 54 half-cubic-foot bags, so even a 3-yard driveway patch would be over 160 bags. Bags make sense for under half a yard or where a truck cannot reach.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
A common residential build-up is 4–6 inches of compacted base with 2–3 inches of surface stone, deeper on clay or soft ground. Local practice and soil govern — a supplier or site contractor who knows your subgrade is worth more than any rule of thumb.
Quantities are half the bid.
BuiltSum prices them from trade assemblies, sends the proposal, and bills the job monthly — unlimited projects from $49/mo.
Start free