Gravel Calculator
0 tons
Enter the area and depth in the gravel calculator to see how much gravel you need in tons and cubic yards. The math: length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 = cubic feet; ÷ 27 gives cubic yards, and × 105 lb/ft³ ÷ 2,000 gives tons. A 20' × 10' area 3" deep takes 50 ft³: 1.85 yd³, about 2.63 tons.
The 105 lb/ft³ is the figure Engineering ToolBox gives for dry gravel. Depth is read in inches unless you type the foot mark, and we start at 3 inches. Pick Rectangle or Circle for a shape you measure with a tape, or Area if you already know the square feet.
How much gravel do I need?
This is a how much gravel do I need calculator in the plain sense: area times depth, then converted to the unit the supplier sells in. The formula in one line:
length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 = cubic yards
Dividing by 12 turns inches of depth into feet. Dividing by 27 turns cubic feet into cubic yards, because a yard is 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft.
For the 20' × 10' area at 3": 20 × 10 × 3 ÷ 12 = 50 ft³, and 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³. At 105 lb/ft³ that's 5,250 lb, or about 2.63 tons. In metric the same job is 1.42 m³ and about 2,381 kg (2.38 t).
We add 10% by default. With it, the same area takes 55 ft³: 2.04 yd³ and about 2.89 tons. Compacted gravel settles, and the 10% extra covers some of it. Set Extra % anywhere from 0 to 50; the result is labeled incl. 10% extra, so you see what's in the number.
Got an odd shape? Work out the area with the square footage calculator, then switch to Area here and type the number in. 200 ft² at 3" gives the same 50 ft³ as the 20' × 10' rectangle. A gravel fill calculator for a trench or a low spot works the same way: size times depth.
Gravel in tons and yards
Some yards sell by the ton, some by the cubic yard, so the tool works as a gravel cubic yard calculator and a gravel tonnage calculator at once. Set Buy as to tons or yd³. The big number on the display follows it; the other unit and the pounds sit on the line below: 2.63 tons, then 1.85 yd³ · 5,250 lb.
How many yards of gravel do I need if the supplier quotes in tons? Divide the weight by 105 lb/ft³, then by 27. One yard of gravel is 27 × 105 = 2,835 lb, about 1.42 tons, so 20 tons comes to about 14.11 yd³.
Weight is an estimate, which is why the gravel calculator tons result carries a ≈. Wet gravel weighs more: about 125 lb/ft³ against 105 dry, per the same Engineering ToolBox table. So does the size of the stone.
As a gravel yard calculator it stops at stone. For topsoil, sand or mulch, use the cubic yard calculator; it's the yards of gravel calculator math with other materials in the list.
Gravel coverage
Use Area for a gravel calculator square feet job: type the square feet, set the depth, press Calculate. For a quick answer without the tool, here is what one yard and one ton of gravel cover at common depths (Gravel, 105 lb/ft³):
| Depth | 1 yd³ covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2" | 162 ft² | 114 ft² |
| 3" | 108 ft² | 76 ft² |
| 4" | 81 ft² | 57 ft² |
The yard column doesn't depend on the stone. The ton column does: heavier stone covers less per ton. Treat this table as a gravel coverage calculator for round numbers, and the tool for your own.
Gravel driveway
How much gravel for a driveway depends on how many layers you build. Stone Center, a stone supplier in Ohio, describes three: 4–6" of coarse crushed stone for the base, 3–4" of finer stone in the middle, and 2–3" of surface gravel on top. The hint under Depth says the same:
Driveway: 4–6" base · 3–4" middle · 2–3" top — one layer per calculation
Each layer is its own stone, so the gravel driveway calculator takes one layer at a time. Run the base as Crushed stone at its depth, press Add to project, then do the middle and the top. Three calculations, three lines in My project: Crushed stone 20' × 10', Gravel 20' × 10' and so on. Tap a line name to rename it Base or Top.
Used as a gravel for driveway calculator, it gives stone, not work: grading, edging and compaction are up to you and your supplier.
Pouring concrete over the base? Use the concrete slab calculator.
Pea gravel and crushed stone
Material changes the weight per yard. The volume stays the same. Each item shows its weight, for example ≈ 1.4 tons per yd³.
- Gravel (default): 105 lb/ft³, about 1.42 tons per yard, from Engineering ToolBox.
- Pea gravel: 104 lb/ft³, about 1.40 tons per yard. Stone Center says pea gravel typically weighs about 1.4–1.6 tons per cubic yard; we use the low end.
- Crushed stone: 111 lb/ft³, about 1.50 tons per yard, the middle of the 1.35–1.7 tons Stone Center gives.
River rock is in the list too, at 111 lb/ft³, inside Stone Center's 1.4–1.75 tons per yard.
The same 20' × 10' area at 3" comes to about 2.60 tons as a pea gravel calculator and about 2.78 tons as a crushed stone calculator. These are typical dry figures, so check them with your supplier.
#57 stone is a crushed stone about 3/4" — pick Crushed stone. Crusher run is crushed stone as well; for a crusher run gravel calculator, use Crushed stone, or Custom density with the weight your yard gives you. Custom takes tons per yd³. Ask your supplier; most quote 1.3–1.7.
Gravel price
There's no price list here, because gravel prices are local. Enter your supplier's price in Price, right under Buy as, and the result shows Cost $…: tons × your price per ton, or yards × your price per yard. Each unit keeps its own price. One yard quotes per ton, another per yard? Enter both and flip Buy as to compare.
That makes it a gravel cost calculator with your own numbers. The gravel calculator cost line follows Extra % and Buy as. Delivery isn't in it; ask the yard.
What's next
Press Add to project under the result. The gravel goes to My project as a line with what you entered, for example Gravel 20' × 10' · 20' × 10' × 3" · 2.89 tons, plus the cost if you entered a price. Tap the name to rename the line. Lines from different calculators sit in one list, with a total per material at the bottom, and you can print it. The numbers you enter stay in your browser; no account needed.
Pouring footings or a walkway next to the gravel? Work out the concrete with the concrete calculator.
FAQ
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Multiply length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) and divide by 12 for cubic feet, then × 105 lb/ft³ ÷ 2,000 for tons. A 20' × 10' area 3" deep takes about 2.63 tons, or 2.89 with 10% extra.
How many yards is a ton of gravel?
About 0.71 yd³. At 105 lb/ft³ a ton is 2,000 ÷ 105 = 19.05 ft³, and 20 tons is about 14.11 yd³.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
About 2,835 lb, or 1.42 tons, using the 105 lb/ft³ Engineering ToolBox gives for dry gravel. Wet gravel is heavier, about 125 lb/ft³.
How much does a ton of gravel cover?
About 114 ft² at 2", 76 ft² at 3" and 57 ft² at 4", for gravel at 105 lb/ft³.
How much gravel do I need for a French drain?
Enter the trench as a rectangle: a 50' trench, 12" wide and 18" deep, takes 75 ft³, or 2.78 yd³ and about 3.94 tons. With 10% extra it's 3.06 yd³, about 4.33 tons. As a French drain gravel calculator it gives the volume; the depth and width come from your plans or local code.
Results are estimates for ordering material. Check the quantity with your supplier before you order.