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Gravel Calculator

Enter the area and depth of a driveway, path or base layer to see how much gravel to order in cubic yards, cubic feet and tons. Choose a rectangle, circle or triangle, add a waste allowance, and price it by the yard, ton or bag.

Quick examples
%

Extra for compaction, spillage and uneven ground.

lb/ft³

Typical for crushed stone and pea gravel: 95–110 lb/ft³ (about 1.4 tons per cubic yard).

$

Optional. Set to 0 to skip the cost.

Your numbers stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Volume needed2.72 yd³
Volume in cubic feet
73.33 cu ft
Estimated weight
3.85 ton
Area covered
200 ft²
Bags needed
147
Estimated cost
$122.22

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Save a set of inputs you reuse — your usual rate, your loan, your room sizes — and load it back in one tap.

    Your recent calculations

    Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.

      Formula

      Volume (cu ft) = area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 × (1 + waste %)
      Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
      Weight (lb) = cubic feet × density (105 lb/ft³ by default)
      Tons = pounds ÷ 2,000

      How to use it

      1. Pick the shape and enter its dimensions.
      2. Enter the finished depth in inches.
      3. Adjust the density if your supplier quotes a different weight per yard.
      4. Choose how the gravel is priced and enter the price to get a cost.

      Worked examples

      A 20 × 10 ft area, 4 inches deep, at $45 a cubic yard with no waste

      Volume in cubic feet
      66.67 cu ft
      Volume needed
      2.47 yd³
      Estimated weight
      3.5 ton
      Area covered
      200 ft²
      Bags needed
      134
      Estimated cost
      $111.11

      A 12 ft circle, 3 inches deep, 10% extra, priced at $40 a ton

      Volume in cubic feet
      31.1 cu ft
      Volume needed
      1.15 yd³
      Estimated weight
      1.63 ton
      Bags needed
      63
      Estimated cost
      $65.31

      How deep to lay gravel

      Decorative gravel over landscape fabric: 2–3 in. Walking paths: 3–4 in. A gravel driveway is normally built in layers totaling 8–12 in, with larger stone at the bottom and a 3–4 in top layer of finer crushed stone.

      Crushed angular stone locks together and compacts; rounded pea gravel does not, so it shifts underfoot and needs edging to stay put.

      Yards versus tons

      Quarries sell by the ton and landscape yards often sell by the cubic yard. Most gravel weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, and this calculator uses 105 lb per cubic foot, which is about 1.42 tons per yard. Ask your supplier for their figure and enter it as the density for a closer estimate.

      Questions people ask

      How much gravel do I need for a 20×10 area?

      At 4 in deep, a 20 × 10 ft area needs 66.7 cubic feet, which is 2.47 cubic yards or about 3.5 tons. Add 10% and order roughly 2.75 yards.

      How much area does a ton of gravel cover?

      At 105 lb per cubic foot a ton is about 19 cubic feet. That covers roughly 114 sq ft at 2 in deep, 76 sq ft at 3 in or 57 sq ft at 4 in.

      How many bags of gravel are in a cubic yard?

      54 bags of the common 0.5 cubic foot size, since a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Bagged gravel costs several times more per yard than a bulk delivery.

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