Gravel Calculator

How to use this gravel calculator

1. Pick the shape of the area. Use Rectangle for most paths, driveways and patios, Circle for round beds or fire pit surrounds, and Circle border for a ring around a tree or fire pit that stays clear in the middle. If you already know the square footage, choose I know the total area.
2. Enter the measurements and pick the unit. You can switch between feet, inches, yards, meters and centimeters.
3. Enter the depth you want after the gravel is spread. Depth has its own unit, so you can measure in feet and enter depth in inches.
4. Choose the material. Gravel, gravel mixed with sand, dry sand and wet sand have different weights. If your supplier gave you a density, choose Custom density.
5. Add a price and a bag size if you want a cost estimate or a bag count. Leave them blank if you do not need them.

How much gravel do I need?

Multiply the area by the depth to get volume, then convert volume to weight with the density of the material. For a 20 ft × 15 ft area at 3 inches deep, the area is 300 square feet and the depth is 0.25 feet, so the volume is 75 cubic feet. Divide by 27 for 2.78 cubic yards. At the default density of 1,600 kg/m³ (about 100 lb/ft³), that weighs about 7,500 pounds, or 3.75 short tons.

Gravel coverage by depth

Figures use the default gravel density of 1,600 kg/m³, which is about 1.35 short tons per cubic yard.

Depth	Sq ft covered by 1 ton	Cubic yards per 100 sq ft	Tons per 100 sq ft
1 in	240	0.31	0.42
2 in	120	0.62	0.83
3 in	80	0.93	1.25
4 in	60	1.23	1.66
6 in	40	1.85	2.50

Cubic yards to tons

Cubic yards	Cubic feet	Short tons	Metric tons
1	27	1.35	1.22
2	54	2.70	2.45
3	81	4.05	3.67
5	135	6.74	6.12
10	270	13.48	12.23

How deep should gravel be?

The right depth depends on the job. These are commonly used ranges. Always follow your product's instructions and your local requirements.

Project	Typical depth after compaction
Decorative ground cover or garden bed	2–3 in
Walkway or garden path	2–4 in
Patio or paver base	4–6 in
Drainage trench or around pipes	Fill the trench, often 4–12 in
Driveway	4–8 in total, laid and compacted in layers

How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?

A typical single-car driveway is 12 ft wide and 24 ft long, which is 288 square feet. At 4 inches deep that is 96 cubic feet, or 3.56 cubic yards. At 1,600 kg/m³ that is about 4.8 short tons. At 6 inches deep it is 144 cubic feet, 5.33 cubic yards and about 7.2 tons. Driveways are usually built in layers, with a coarse base and a finer top layer, so you may order two different products.

Types of gravel

• Crushed stone: angular pieces that lock together and compact well. A common choice for driveways, bases and drainage.
• Pea gravel: small, rounded stones that feel smooth underfoot. Used for paths, play areas and around pipes. It shifts more than crushed stone.
• River rock: larger smooth stones, often used for decoration and dry creek beds.
• Bank run gravel: a natural mix of stone, sand and some fines, often used as fill or a base.
• Decomposed granite: fine crushed granite that packs into a firm surface for paths and patios.

Before you order

The number above is the volume your measurements need. Suppliers will usually tell you to add a little, because gravel packs down when it is compacted and ground is never perfectly level. About ten percent extra is a common allowance for a path, and more for a driveway base. Ask which unit the price is in. Quarries tend to sell by the ton and landscape yards by the cubic yard, and the two are not the same thing: a cubic yard of this gravel weighs about 1.35 tons. If your supplier quotes a different weight for their stone, pick "Custom density" and the weight and cost will follow it.