How the gravel calculator works
The calculator uses the same three steps a landscape supplier uses on the phone:
- Area. Length × width for a rectangle, or 3.14 × radius² for a circle. A 20 × 10 ft path is 200 square feet.
- Volume. Area × depth in feet. At 3 inches (0.25 ft), 200 square feet needs 50 cubic feet.
- Cubic yards. Cubic feet ÷ 27. Fifty cubic feet is 1.85 cubic yards, which most yards round up to 2.
To turn yards into tons, multiply by the weight of the stone you picked. General gravel averages about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so 1.85 yards is about 2.6 tons. The calculator adds your waste allowance (10% by default) to every figure.
Have an odd-shaped area? Split it into rectangles and circles, run each one, and add the results.
How deep should gravel be?
| Project | Typical depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative bed or ground cover | 2–3 in | Lay landscape fabric first to stop weeds pushing through. |
| Garden path or walkway | 2–3 in | Use a 3–4 in compacted base under it if the soil is soft. |
| Patio or shed base | 4–6 in | Compacted crushed stone, then a thin layer of finer gravel on top. |
| Driveway | 8–12 in in total | Usually 2 or 3 layers: large base stone, a middle layer, and a 2–3 in top layer. See the driveway gravel calculator. |
| French drain | Fills the trench | See the French drain gravel calculator. |
Coverage of one cubic yard of gravel
| Depth | Square feet covered |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 |
| 2 inches | 162 |
| 3 inches | 108 |
| 4 inches | 81 |
| 6 inches | 54 |
Coverage of one ton of gravel
One ton of general gravel is about 0.71 cubic yards (19 cubic feet), so it covers:
| Depth | Square feet covered |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | about 230 |
| 2 inches | about 115 |
| 3 inches | about 77 |
| 4 inches | about 58 |
Cubic yards or tons: which do suppliers use?
It depends on the yard. Landscape centers usually sell by the cubic yard, and quarries and many delivery companies sell by the ton. Ask which unit the price is in before you compare quotes. The yards to tons converter switches between the two for each type of stone.
The weights here are averages for dry, loose material. A load straight from the quarry after rain can weigh 10% more. If the supplier gives you their own weight per yard, use that.
Questions people ask
- How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
- Multiply length by width in feet to get square feet, multiply by depth in feet (inches divided by 12) to get cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply cubic yards by about 1.4 to get tons for most gravel.
- How many square feet does a cubic yard of gravel cover?
- About 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, 162 at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches and 81 at 4 inches.
- How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
- Most gravel weighs about 2,600 to 3,000 pounds per cubic yard, so roughly 1.3 to 1.5 tons. Wet or finely crushed material sits at the heavy end.
- Should I order a little extra?
- Yes. Order 5 to 10 percent more than the exact volume. Gravel settles, the base is rarely perfectly level, and a second small delivery usually costs more than the extra stone.
- How many bags of gravel make a cubic yard?
- 54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet, or 27 bags of 1 cubic foot. Bulk delivery is usually cheaper once you need more than about one cubic yard.