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Gravel calculator: cubic yards and tons

Gravel for a driveway, path or base in cubic yards and tons, from the area and depth, with the material weight shown. Nothing you type leaves your browser.

Measure in
Area 1
Length
ft
in
Width
ft
in
0.00 sq ft
in
The finished depth you want. Typical depths are listed below the calculator.
tons
From a Wisconsin DOT study. Change it to your supplier's figure.
Extra Optional
%
For uneven ground, spills, or loose stone that will be compacted. Your choice.
Your entries are not saved or sent
Gravel weight
0.00tons
0.00 cu yd
Area
0.00 sq ft
Cubic yards
0.00
Cubic feet
0.00
Cubic meters
0.00
US tons (2,000 lb)
0.00
Tonnes (1,000 kg)
0.00
Pounds
0
At
1.80 tons per cu yd

An estimate. Real weight changes with the stone, its size and how wet it is: use your supplier's weight per cubic yard or per m³ when you have it.

How to use the gravel calculator

  1. Measure the area. Pick a shape for each part: a rectangle, a circle (enter the distance across) or a triangle (base and height). An L-shaped drive or a path with a turning circle is two or three areas; press Add another area and they are added together.
  2. Enter the depth in inches, or in centimeters if you measure in meters.
  3. Check the material weight. Pick compacted base or loose stone, or type the figure your supplier gives you. The weight used is always shown.

The result gives the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, and the weight in US tons (2,000 lb), metric tonnes (1,000 kg) and pounds. Stone is often sold by weight, so the weight is the figure to order from when that is how it is priced, while the volume tells you whether it fits in a truck or a bulk bag.

How gravel is worked out

Each area is length x width (rectangle), 3.14159 x diameter x diameter / 4 (circle) or base x height / 2 (triangle). Then:

cubic yards = square feet x depth in inches / 12 / 27
tons = cubic yards x tons per cubic yard

In meters: cubic meters = square meters x depth in cm / 100, and tonnes = cubic meters x tonnes per cubic meter. NIST defines the US short ton as "2 000 pounds (exactly)" and the metric ton as 1,000 kg, so one US ton is 0.907 tonnes, and 1 ton per cubic yard equals 1.187 tonnes per cubic meter.

Example (press Try an example): a driveway 50 ft by 10 ft with 4 inches of compacted base.

StepWorkingResult
Area50 x 10500 sq ft
Cubic feet500 x 4 / 12166.67 cu ft
Cubic yards166.67 / 276.17 cu yd
Weight6.17 x 1.8011.11 tons
In tonnes11.11 x 0.90710.08 tonnes

In meters: a drive 15 m by 3 m with 10 cm of base is 15 x 3 x 0.10 = 4.50 m³, and at 2.14 tonnes per m³ that is 9.63 tonnes (10.62 US tons).

Where the default weights come from

A cubic yard of stone has no single weight. It changes with the rock, the size of the pieces, how tightly it is packed and how wet it is. The two defaults come from a 2023 report for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP G22-05).

SettingDefaultBasis in the WisDOT report
Compacted base1.80 tons per cu yd (2.14 t/m³)WisDOT's conversion factor for compacted dense graded base, 3/4 inch, is 1.75 to 2.1 tons per cubic yard; the researchers measured 1.80 to 1.86.
Loose stone1.35 tons per cu yd (1.60 t/m³)Loose dry unit weights for 3/4 inch base were "between 95 pcf and 104 pcf", and for large aggregates "between 96 pcf and 106.7 pcf". 100 lb per cubic foot x 27 = 2,700 lb, or 1.35 tons.

These were measured on Wisconsin road aggregates, and the loose figures are dry weights. Wet stone weighs more, and other stone types differ. Treat the defaults as a starting point: if your supplier quotes a weight per cubic yard or per cubic meter for the stone you are buying, choose My supplier's figure and type it in.

Typical gravel depths

The right depth depends on the ground underneath, the drainage and what will drive or walk on it, so ask a local supplier or contractor about your site. Published guidance gives a feel for the range:

UseDepthSource
Weed-suppressing layer of small rock in beds1 inchClemson Extension: "A 1-inch layer of small rocks will provide good weed control."
Gravel garden or path surface5 cm (2 in)RHS: a 25 kg bag "will cover 0.6sq m (0.7sq yd) to a depth of 5cm (2in)", and a bulk bag of about 1 m³ around 20 m².
Surface course of an unpaved road8 in loose, rolled to 6 in; or 6 in loose, rolled to 4.5 inPenn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, Driving Surface Aggregate bulletin (placed with a paver and a 10-ton vibratory roller).

The road figures are not a rule for a home driveway, but they show how much stone settles when rolled: Penn State's 8 inches loose becomes 6 inches compacted, and the WisDOT report measured 3/4 inch base stone taking up 34% to 47% more room loose than compacted.

Ordering for a compacted layer

  • Ordering by weight: use the compacted base figure (or your supplier's compacted figure) with the finished depth. The weight of stone does not change when it is rolled, only its volume.
  • Ordering by volume: a cubic yard on the truck is loose. To end up with a compacted layer, order more volume than the finished depth gives; add it with the Extra box, using the figure your supplier suggests for that stone.
  • Loose decorative stone that will not be rolled: use the loose stone setting with the depth you want to see.

For mulch or bark instead of stone, use the mulch calculator. For concrete, use the cubic yard calculator.

Questions and answers

How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?

It depends on the stone and how packed and wet it is. The WisDOT report this calculator uses found about 1.8 to 2 tons for a compacted cubic yard of road base, and about 1.3 to 1.4 tons for a loose, dry cubic yard of 3/4 inch base. Ask your supplier for the figure for your stone.

How much gravel do I need for a 50 ft driveway?

A 50 ft by 10 ft driveway 4 inches deep needs 6.17 cubic yards. At 1.8 tons per cubic yard that is about 11.1 tons.

How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?

At 1.35 tons per cubic yard, one ton is 0.74 cubic yards, or 20 cubic feet. That covers 120 sq ft at 2 inches deep or 60 sq ft at 4 inches. At 1.8 tons per cubic yard, a ton covers 90 sq ft at 2 inches.

How deep should gravel be?

About 1 inch of small rock suppresses weeds in beds (Clemson Extension) and the RHS works with 5 cm (2 in) for gravel gardens. Roads and driveways need much more, built in compacted layers; Penn State places 6 to 8 inches loose for road surfaces. Ask locally for a driveway.

Should I add extra gravel?

If you order by volume for a layer that will be compacted, yes, because loose stone takes more room than packed stone. If you order by weight using a compacted weight, the finished depth already accounts for it. A little extra for uneven ground is your choice.

Sources

Checked on 22 October 2026. If a rule has changed, please tell us.

Cubic yards and concreteHow much concrete, gravel or mulch a slab, path or bed needs.Square footage calculatorArea in feet and inches for rooms, floors and odd shapes.Mulch calculatorHow much mulch a garden bed needs in cubic yards, cubic feet or bags, from its size and the depth you want.

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