Gravel calculator

Measure the area, set the depth. The ticket gives you tons, loads and cost.

Crushed stone is sold by the ton, so the number that matters is not volume — it is weight. The calculator works out the volume from your measurements, then converts it at the density you enter, because a ton of #57 stone and a ton of crusher run do not fill the same hole.

Add an area

Depth

The finished depth of the gravel, not the hole.

Compaction allowance

Extra volume as a percentage of the measured total. This is an addition, not a percentage lost to shrinkage. Confirm it with your supplier.

Density

tons/yd³

Placeholder range: 1.3 to 1.5 US short tons/yd³. Confirm the product density and whether it is loose or compacted.

Price per ton

Material price only. Delivery, minimum charges and tax are excluded. The default is a placeholder.

How the number is worked out

Area times depth gives cubic feet, divided by 27 gives cubic yards, multiplied by the density gives tons. Depth is where people slip: 4 inches is 0.333 ft, not 4. Each area is worked out on its own and added up, then the compaction allowance is applied to the total.

area (ft²) × depth (ft) ÷ 27 × density (tons/yd³) = tons

Choosing an extra-volume allowance

The default adds 20 per cent to the measured volume as a planning placeholder, not a universal shrinkage rate. Use your supplier's loose bulk density and recommended extra volume for your product and placement. If you use a compacted density with a compacted depth, set the compaction allowance to zero to avoid counting it twice. A 20 per cent volume loss is not the same as adding 20 per cent: replacing that loss would require 25 per cent extra loose volume.

What a ton actually covers

One ton of ¾ inch crushed stone spreads about 100 square feet at 2 inches, or 50 square feet at 4 inches. Larger, more angular stone covers less. If your supplier quotes by the yard rather than the ton, the ticket shows both.

Typical densities

Material	Tons per cubic yard	Pounds per cubic yard
¾ in crushed stone (#57)	1.4	2,800
Crusher run / road base	1.5	3,000
Pea gravel	1.3	2,600
River rock, 1–2 in	1.4	2,800

Questions

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

Four inches of surface stone over four inches of a coarser base is the usual answer for cars; go deeper on soft ground or where trucks turn.

Tons or cubic yards — which do I order?

Whichever your supplier quotes. The ticket carries both, so you can read the one they ask for.

Does the density really change the answer?

Yes. At 1.3 against 1.5 tons per yard the same hole costs you fifteen per cent more or less stone. Ask the quarry for the figure for the exact product.

Should I include compaction?

For anything that gets driven on, yes. For a decorative bed you can leave it at zero.

Other calculators

The same ticket, the same assumptions on screen, for whatever else the job needs.

Concrete slabs, footings, columns and steps River rock beds, borders and dry creeks, by stone size Mulch beds and trees, by the yard or the bag Asphalt hot mix by the ton Topsoil beds, lawns and levelling Fill dirt holes, grades and backfill, with settling Sand paver bedding, play sand and fill Cubic yards any volume, in every unit Rebar bars, sticks, laps and weight