Skip to main content
Landscaping

Gravel Calculator

By Nick Major · Founder, Calculator Campus Last updated July 18, 2026

The gravel calculator estimates how much gravel to buy — in cubic yards, US short tons, and bags at once — for a rectangle or circle at your chosen depth and gravel type. It uses cited US-standard densities that it shows and lets you override, so you can see exactly which weight-per-yard turned your volume into tons. Pick a gravel type, enter length by width (or a circle's diameter) and a depth, and use the application chips to fill a typical depth. Reverse mode turns a set amount you already have into the area it covers.

Buy Buy about 2.22 cu yd — 3.00 tons or 120 bags of crushed stone / #57

Start with the gravel type and your area (length × width, or switch the shape to circle) and a depth — use the application chips to fill a typical depth. Switch to reverse mode when you already have an amount and want the area it covers. Open options for a custom density, compaction allowance, bag size, or a cost estimate.

What are you starting with?

Default finds how much gravel to buy from your area and depth. Reverse takes an amount you already have (tons or yards) and returns the area it covers at a chosen depth.

Sets the bulk density used to convert volume into tons and bags. Each type carries a cited US-standard default — clean aggregates within the ASTM C29 range, dense-graded road base just above it; pick 'Custom density' to enter your supplier's certified weight-per-yard.
Rectangle by default. Choose circle for round beds or fire-pit surrounds. Split irregular areas into rectangles and add them.
Length of the rectangular area. Feet by default; switch the unit if you measured in inches, yards, or metric.
Width of the rectangular area, in the selected unit.
Diameter of the circular area (area = π × (diameter ÷ 2)²).
The quantity you already have or plan to order — reverse mode returns the area it covers at your chosen depth.
How deep the gravel layer will be. Inches by default — mixing inches and feet is the #1 real-world error, so the unit is paired to this field. Use the application chips above to fill a typical depth.
Advanced options
The density used for the selected type is shown in the results and is editable here. Enter your supplier's certified weight-per-yard for a firm order. Selecting 'Custom density' as the type makes this the primary density input.
Optional extra to order for compaction (dense-graded road base) or spillage. Default 0 — never added silently. Road base/crusher run compacts more than clean decorative stone.
Bag COUNT assumes 0.5 ft³ (~50 lb) bags by default. A bag spec is CUBIC feet, not square feet. Editable because bag size varies by retailer.
Used for the alternate bags-by-weight cross-check. A common retail bag is about 50 lb.
Display unit for weight. US short tons by default; choose metric tonnes to also surface the metric-tonnes row.
Optional. Wet gravel weighs about 1.15-1.3× dry. Default 1 (dry) — never hardcoded into the headline. Set 1.15-1.30 to weight a wet load.
Optional cost estimate. Leave blank or 0 to hide cost — the tool never shows $0. Enter a unit price and pick its basis below.
Fixes the cost basis so the estimate is unambiguous. No linear-foot pricing.
Buy Buy about 2.22 cu yd — 3.00 tons or 120 bags of crushed stone / #57
Cubic yards 2.22 cu yd
Tons 3.00 tons
Bags 120 bags at 0.5 ft³
Density used 2,700 lb/yd³ (1.35 t/yd³) — crushed stone / #57, 2,600-2,800 lb/yd³ range; editable
Show calculation details
Order with allowance —
Cubic feet 60 cu ft
Area 240 sq ft
Coverage per ton 80 sq ft per ton at 3.0 in
Bags (by weight) 120 bags at 50 lb
Show calculation details 240 sq ft × 3.00 in ÷ 12 = 60 cu ft ÷ 27 = 2.22 cu yd. Tons = 2.22 × 2,700 ÷ 2,000 = 3.00. Bags = ceil(60 ÷ 0.5) = 120.
Estimated cost —
Rough truckloads About 0.2-0.2 single-axle loads (~10-14 yd³ each — a rough planning range, not a quote).
Input advisories None

<> Embed this calculator →

How much gravel to order

The number you buy on is the cubic yards, tons, or bags of gravel to spread — the same job whichever unit your supplier quotes. Gravel type sets the density that turns your volume into tons, so the sections below walk the decision from depth to type to the three purchase units, with the density shown so you can trust or override it.

Depth is make-or-break

Depth is the most-guessed input and doubling it doubles the order. Enter it in inches (the paired unit selector guards the classic 3-inch-vs-3-foot slip) or tap an application chip to fill a typical depth.

Type sets the tons

There is no single tons-per-yard. The gravel type sets the density, so crushed stone, pea gravel, river rock, and road base each weigh differently for the same volume — the tool shows the lb/yd³ it used and lets you override it.

Buy in yards, tons, or bags

Cubic yards, US short tons, and bag count come back together, so you can order in whatever unit the supplier sells. A bag spec is CUBIC feet, not square feet, and the count rounds up.

Compaction is optional and explicit

Dense-graded road base compacts in place, so add a compaction allowance for it. The allowance is editable, defaults to 0, and is folded into a separate order quantity — never baked into the headline number.

Worked example: how much gravel for a 10 × 10 area

Take a 10 × 10 ft area at a 2 in depth in crushed stone / #57 — the most-asked gravel question. Area is 10 × 10 = 100 sq ft; volume is 100 × 2 ÷ 12 = 16.7 cubic feet, which is 16.7 ÷ 27 = 0.62 cubic yards. At the crushed-stone default of 2,700 lb/yd³ (1.35 t/yd³) that weighs 0.62 × 2,700 ÷ 2,000 = about 0.83 tons, or 16.7 ÷ 0.5 = 34 bags at a 0.5 ft³ bag — all three land together so you can order whichever way your supplier quotes. Swap the type to river rock and the same volume drops to about 0.80 tons; pea gravel rises to 0.86 tons — same space, different weight, which is exactly why the tool shows the density it used. The math scales unchanged: a 50 × 12 ft driveway at 4 in works out to 7.41 cubic yards, about 10.4 tons or 400 bags — well past the point where bulk delivery beats counting out bags.

Tons per cubic yard by gravel type

Gravel type is the input that changes the tonnage, and there is no single universal tons-per-yard — forum numbers scatter from about 2,400 to 2,900 lb and competitors quote 1.3 versus 1.5 for the same load. Each clean-aggregate default below sits inside the ASTM C29 aggregate band; dense-graded road base with fines packs just above it (the fines fill the voids). Each is what the calculator uses until you override it, and the published range is shown so you never trust a bare point estimate.

Gravel typeDefault lb/yd³Tons per yd³Published range (lb/yd³)
Gravel (generic 1/4"-2", dry)2,8001.402,565-2,970
Crushed stone / #572,7001.352,600-2,800
Pea gravel (~3/8")2,8001.402,500-2,850
River rock (1"-3")2,6001.302,400-2,700
Road base / crusher run / CA6 (loose)3,0001.503,000-3,800
Crushed limestone2,6001.302,565-2,600
Sand & gravel mix (dry)2,9001.452,700-3,000

Loose, dry planning defaults. Clean, open-graded aggregates sit inside the ASTM C29 (AASHTO T19) 75-110 lb/ft³ band; dense-graded road base with fines packs just above it (the fines fill the voids), which is why its range starts at the band's top edge. Per-type figures cross-checked against published material-weight tables; road base to TRB HRB Bulletin 325 (about 1.75-1.9 t/yd³ compacted). Confirm your supplier's certified weight-per-yard for a firm order — the tool lets you override the density.

Gravel coverage by depth

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it spreads over 324 ÷ depth(in) square feet — the same rule the calculator uses. The per-ton column assumes crushed stone at its 2,700 lb/yd³ (1.35 t/yd³) default; a lighter or heavier type shifts it, which is why the tool shows the density it used.

DepthCoverage per cubic yardCoverage per ton (crushed stone)
2 in162 sq ft120 sq ft
3 in108 sq ft80 sq ft
4 in81 sq ft60 sq ft
6 in54 sq ft40 sq ft

Coverage per cubic yard is definitional (324 ÷ depth in inches). Coverage per ton = coverage-per-yard ÷ tons-per-yard for your gravel type; the figures above use crushed stone at 1.35 t/yd³, so a lighter river rock covers a little more per ton and dense road base a little less.

How deep should the gravel be?

Depth drives the whole estimate, and a shallow guess is the usual reason an order comes up short. Match the job: a path or walkway wants about 2 in, a decorative bed 2-3 in, a driveway surface 3-4 in over a base of 4-6 in, and a drainage trench about 4 in. The application chips prefill a sensible depth you can still edit, and the coverage-by-depth table above is the same math at a glance — one cubic yard covers 324 ÷ depth(in) square feet, so 162 sq ft at 2 in but only 81 sq ft at 4 in. Enter depth in inches; the paired unit selector exists because mixing inches and feet is the single most common real-world error.

Which density number do I use?

This is the question that trips people up, because sites quote 1.3 versus 1.5 tons per yard for what looks like the same gravel. There is no universal figure: bulk density depends on the rock type, its gradation, and moisture. The tool assigns each gravel type a cited US-standard default: clean aggregates sit inside the ASTM C29 aggregate band (roughly 75-110 lb/ft³, or 2,025-2,970 lb/yd³) — crushed stone about 2,700 lb/yd³, river rock about 2,600 — while dense-graded road base with fines packs just above the band, about 3,000 loose. It shows the number it used and lets you override it with your supplier's certified weight-per-yard. A tons figure you cannot see the basis of is worse than an honest, editable one; that transparency is the whole point of surfacing the density.

Cubic yards, tons, or bags — and the bag math

Suppliers quote gravel three ways, so the calculator returns all three at once. Cubic yards is the raw volume (area × depth ÷ 27). Tons is that volume times the density — the unit bulk yards are usually weighed and sold in. Bags is the count for a bagged run, and it is keyed to the bag's SIZE, not its weight: a 0.5 ft³ bag is 27 ÷ 0.5 = 54 bags per cubic yard, so the 7.41-yard driveway above is 400 bags. A bag spec is cubic feet, not square feet, and the count always rounds up because you cannot buy a partial bag. Reverse mode flips the question — enter an amount you already have and it returns the area it covers, so 1 ton of crushed stone spreads about 120 sq ft at 2 in.

Compaction, wet loads, and gravel under a slab

Two adjustments are optional and off by default. Compaction / waste matters mainly for dense-graded road base and crusher run, which settle as they are rolled in — add an editable allowance and the tool shows a separate order quantity rather than inflating the headline. Wet gravel weighs roughly 1.15-1.3× dry, so a wet-factor toggle lets you weight a saturated load without hardcoding it. Two things this tool deliberately does not do: it does not size the aquarium substrate for a fish tank (that is a tank-volume job, not area × depth), and it does not compute the concrete for a slab — for a gravel base under a slab, size the pour on the concrete calculator and use this tool only for the loose aggregate you spread beneath it.

References

  1. ASTM C29/C29M-23 — Standard Test Method for Bulk Density (Unit Weight) and Voids in Aggregate

    ASTM International · accessed 2026-07-18

  2. Density of Aggregate — Bulk Density (PCA / EB001 range)

    PCA — Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (EB001), via Civil Today · accessed 2026-07-18

  3. Density of Materials — bulk material unit weights (lb/ft³ and kg/m³)

    SImetric — engineering reference tables · accessed 2026-07-19

  4. Highway Research Board Bulletin 325 — Suggested Compaction Standards for Crushed Aggregate

    Transportation Research Board (TRB / HRB) · accessed 2026-07-18

  5. NIST Office of Weights and Measures — unit conversions (yard, foot, short ton, kg/lb)

    National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) · accessed 2026-07-18

Frequently asked questions

How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?
There is no single figure, because tons = cubic yards × the gravel's bulk density and density varies by type. Using cited US-standard defaults, one cubic yard is about 1.35 tons for crushed stone / #57 (2,700 lb/yd³), 1.40 tons for dry generic or pea gravel (2,800 lb/yd³), 1.30 tons for river rock (2,600 lb/yd³), and about 1.50 tons for loose road base — up to roughly 1.9 tons once it is compacted in place. The clean-aggregate defaults sit inside the ASTM C29 aggregate band (75-110 lb/ft³); dense-graded road base with fines packs just above it. Confirm your supplier's certified weight-per-yard for a firm order.
How much does a cubic yard of pea gravel weigh compared with crushed stone?
As loose, dry planning defaults a cubic yard of pea gravel runs about 2,800 lb (1.40 tons) and crushed stone / #57 about 2,700 lb (1.35 tons), so they are within roughly 100 lb per yard. River rock is lighter still, near 2,600 lb (1.30 tons), because larger rounded stones leave more air voids. Gradation and moisture move all three, which is why the calculator shows the density it used and lets you drop in your supplier's certified weight.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
A gravel driveway is usually built in layers: a surface layer of about 3-4 in over a compacted base of 4-6 in, so a full new driveway is often 6 in or more of stone in total. A light top-up over a sound existing base can be just 2-3 in. The application chips prefill these depths and stay editable — and because doubling the depth doubles the order, this is the input worth measuring rather than guessing.
How many square feet does a cubic yard of gravel cover?
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it covers 324 ÷ depth(in) square feet regardless of gravel type: about 162 sq ft at 2 in, 108 sq ft at 3 in, 81 sq ft at 4 in, and 54 sq ft at 6 in. The coverage-by-depth table above lists these next to coverage per ton. The square-foot figure depends only on depth; the per-ton version also depends on the type's density.
How many bags of gravel are in a cubic yard?
At the common 0.5 ft³ (about 50 lb) bag, a cubic yard is 27 ÷ 0.5 = 54 bags; at 1 ft³ bags it is 27. A bag is specified by its CUBIC-foot volume, not the square feet it covers, and the calculator's bag count rounds up because you cannot buy a partial bag. Bagged stone suits small jobs, but past a couple of yards bulk delivery is far cheaper than hauling 50-plus bags.
Should I buy gravel by the ton or by the cubic yard?
It is the same material either way — suppliers simply price it differently, some by weight (tons) and some by volume (cubic yards). One is not more than the other; a cubic yard of crushed stone just weighs about 1.35 tons. Order in whichever unit your supplier quotes: the calculator shows cubic yards, tons, and bags together so you can match the quote without converting by hand.
Do I need to order extra gravel for compaction?
Sometimes — it depends on the material. Dense-graded road base and crusher run settle noticeably as they are rolled in, so if you are ordering to a finished compacted thickness it is worth adding a modest allowance so the loose-delivered load fills out. Clean decorative stone like pea gravel or river rock barely compacts, so no extra is usually needed. The calculator keeps compaction as an editable allowance that defaults to 0 and shows it as a separate order quantity, so it is never silently baked into the headline number.
Back to top ↑

Keep exploring

Landscaping is a growing topic on Calculator Campus. Browse the full landscaping hub or jump into the directory to find a different calculator.

Topic hub More Landscaping calculators Browse every landscaping calculator on the site, plus new ones as they ship into this hub. Directory Browse all calculators Every calculator across every category, paginated and grouped by topic. Landscaping Mulch Calculator Work out how much mulch to buy for a bed — as BOTH cubic yards for bulk delivery AND the number of bags for the store — at a sensible depth. Handles rectangles, round beds, mulch rings around a tree, and multiple beds; adds a reverse mode (the area a known amount covers), an optional bulk-vs-bagged cost comparison, and a rubber-playground fall-height depth mode (volume only). Landscaping Topsoil Calculator Estimate how many cubic yards of topsoil or fill dirt to order for a new lawn, leveling or top-dressing, a garden bed, or grading fill — with an honest moisture-adjusted tons estimate and a bag count keyed to your bag size.