Gravel Calculator

1. Enter the area dimensions. Measure the length and width of the area you need to cover in feet. For driveways or irregular shapes, break the area into rectangles, calculate each separately, and add the cubic yard totals.
2. Enter the depth. Depth is in inches. Standard driveway gravel depth is 4 inches of compacted stone. Pathways typically use 2 to 3 inches. Drainage applications like French drains use 6 to 12 inches of washed stone. If you are topping off an existing gravel surface, measure only the new material depth needed.
3. Select the material. Different materials have different bulk densities. The calculator uses the density to estimate weight, which determines delivery costs since suppliers often charge by the ton. Gravel and crushed stone are both around 100 to 105 lb/ft³. Topsoil is lighter at 80 lb/ft³.
4. Order by cubic yard or ton. Suppliers price some materials by cubic yard and others by ton. Get the quote in both units and compare. For a 20 yd³ project, the weight column tells you how many tons to expect so you can verify quotes are consistent.

Example: a 20 ft x 15 ft driveway at 4 inches deep needs 33.33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards of gravel. At 105 lb/ft³, that weighs about 3,500 lbs, or 1.75 tons.

The gravel calculator uses two formulas: one for volume and one for weight. Volume is needed to know how much material to order. Weight tells you the delivery cost if priced per ton and whether your vehicle or equipment can handle the load.

When ordering, add 5 to 10% extra to account for settling and irregularities in the subgrade. Gravel compacts about 10 to 15% after it is spread and driven on. If you plan to compact the material mechanically, order 15% more than the calculated volume so the final compacted depth matches your target.