Gravel Calculator
Cubic yards and tons of gravel, crushed stone, sand or topsoil for an area at a given depth, with material densities, 0.5 cu ft bag counts and cost per ton.
Gravel Calculator: with the default inputs, volume needed is 1.85 yd³.
2–3 in for a path or decorative bed; 4–6 in per lift for a driveway base; 8–12 in total under a new driveway.
Net volume of the area × depth.
- Order with extra
- 2.04 yd³
- Weight to order
- 2.85 tonIncludes the extra percentage. Suppliers sell by the ton or the yard.
- 0.5 cu ft bags
- 110Typical 50-lb bag of gravel or sand; includes extra.
- Area covered
- 200 ft²
- Material cost
- $0.00
Assumptions
- Densities are loose, dry averages; actual weight varies with moisture and gradation.
- Bags assume 0.5 ft³; some bagged products are 0.4 or 0.6 ft³ — check the label.
| Material | Tons per yd³ | kg per m³ | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel / pea gravel | 1.4 | 1,661 | 1.3–1.5 t/yd³ (1,550–1,800 kg/m³) |
| Crushed stone (#57, road base) | 1.45 | 1,721 | 1.4–1.6 t/yd³ (1,650–1,900 kg/m³) |
| Sand (dry) | 1.35 | 1,602 | 1.2–1.5 t/yd³ (1,450–1,750 kg/m³) |
| Topsoil (dry, screened) | 1.1 | 1,305 | 1.0–1.3 t/yd³ (1,200–1,500 kg/m³) |
| Fill dirt (compacted) | 1.5 | 1,780 | 1.4–1.7 t/yd³ (1,650–2,000 kg/m³) |
| Limestone screenings / stone dust | 1.35 | 1,602 | 1.3–1.45 t/yd³ |
| River rock / decorative stone | 1.35 | 1,602 | 1.25–1.45 t/yd³ |
Moisture adds 5–15% to weight. Your supplier's ticket weight is the number that counts — ask for their conversion.
| Depth | Covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 |
| 2 in | 162 |
| 3 in | 108 |
| 4 in | 81 |
| 6 in | 54 |
| 8 in | 41 |
| 12 in | 27 |
27 ft³ ÷ (depth ÷ 12) = 324 ÷ depth in inches.
How this is worked out
The formula
Volume (ft³) = length × width × depth (all in feet) Cubic yards = ft³ ÷ 27 Tons = cubic yards × density (tons per yd³) Bags = ft³ ÷ 0.5 ft³ per bag Coverage of 1 yd³ = 324 ÷ depth in inches (sq ft)
Open How it’s calculated above to see this worked through with your own numbers.
What you enter
- Material
- Choose one of 8 options.Gravel / pea gravel · Crushed stone (#57, road base) · Sand (dry) · Topsoil (dry, screened) · Fill dirt (compacted) · Limestone screenings / stone dust · River rock / decorative stone · Custom density (More options)
- Length
- A number.in ft, in, yd, m, cm · 0 or more · defaults to 20
- Width
- A number.in ft, in, yd, m, cm · 0 or more · defaults to 10
- Depth
- 2–3 in for a path or decorative bed; 4–6 in per lift for a driveway base; 8–12 in total under a new driveway.in in, ft, cm, mm, m · 0 or more · defaults to 3
- Extra for compaction & spillage(under More options)
- Crushed stone compacts 10–20% when tamped; loose decorative gravel needs less.a percentage · from 0 to 100 · defaults to 10
- Price per ton(under More options)
- Delivered or picked up, per US short ton. Leave 0 to skip.in dollars · 0 or more · defaults to 0
- Custom density(under More options)
- Used only when Material is Custom. 1 t/yd³ ≈ 1,186 kg/m³.from 0.1 to 5 · defaults to 1.4
What you get back
- Volume neededmain answer
- Net volume of the area × depth.
- Order with extra
- Weight to order
- Includes the extra percentage. Suppliers sell by the ton or the yard.
- 0.5 cu ft bags
- Typical 50-lb bag of gravel or sand; includes extra.
- Area covered
- Material cost
What this assumes
- Densities are loose, dry averages; actual weight varies with moisture and gradation.
- Bags assume 0.5 ft³; some bagged products are 0.4 or 0.6 ft³ — check the label.
About this calculator
Bulk aggregate is sold two ways — by the cubic yard at the yard, and by the ton when it crosses a scale — and the conversion depends on what you're buying. Crushed stone runs about 1.4–1.5 tons per cubic yard; topsoil closer to 1.1; wet sand can hit 1.6. Enter the area and depth, pick the material, and you get both the volume and the weight, plus a bag count if you're hauling it home in the trunk.
Getting the depth right
Depth is the number that decides the order:
- Decorative beds and paths: 2–3 in over landscape fabric. Less and the fabric shows through; more and it's hard to walk on.
- Driveway top course: 2–3 in of ¾-in crushed stone (#57) over a compacted base.
- Driveway base: 4–6 in of crusher run or road base per lift, compacted; 8–12 in total for a new driveway on soft soil.
- Paver base: 4–6 in compacted, plus 1 in of bedding sand.
- French drain: fill the trench around the pipe; depth is trench depth minus topsoil cover.
Measure depth after excavation, and remember crushed material compacts 10–20% when you run a plate compactor over it — that's what the Extra percentage is for.
Yards versus tons
A cubic yard is a volume (27 cubic feet, roughly a full-size pickup bed heaped). A ton is weight. Suppliers who load with a bucket sell by the yard; those with a scale sell by the ton, which is more accurate. The table shows typical loose, dry densities; moisture and how finely the stone is crushed both move the number, so if your supplier quotes their own tons-per-yard figure, use the Custom material with that density.
Bags
Bagged gravel and sand are usually 0.5 cu ft (about 50 lb). Fifty-four of them make a cubic yard, which is why anything over half a yard is worth a delivery fee. The bag count includes your extra percentage.
Reading the results
Volume needed is the net fill; Order with extra and Weight to order include compaction and spillage and are the numbers to give the supplier. Coverage per cubic yard at your depth is in the second table if you want a quick sanity check — one yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 in.
Frequently asked questions
▸How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.4 tons for typical gravel or crushed stone, with a range of 1.3–1.6 depending on the stone, how finely it's crushed and how wet it is. Topsoil is closer to 1.1 tons per yard.
▸How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
At 2 in deep, roughly 100 sq ft; at 3 in about 70 sq ft; at 4 in about 55 sq ft. That's a ton at 1.4 tons per yard, and a yard covering 324 ÷ depth-in-inches square feet.
▸How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
A new driveway wants 8–12 in total: a 4–6 in compacted base of crusher run or road base, then 2–3 in of ¾-in crushed stone on top. Resurfacing an existing driveway needs only the 2–3 in top course.
▸How many bags of gravel make a yard?
54 bags of 0.5 cu ft. At about 50 lb each that's 2,700 lb — more than most half-ton pickups should carry in one trip.
▸Why does my supplier's tonnage differ from the calculator?
Moisture and gradation. Wet stone weighs 5–15% more, and fine material packs denser than uniform coarse stone. Use their density in the Custom material if they give you one.
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