Free tool · from a working excavation and hardscape crew
Gravel calculator
Enter your area, depth and stone and get the cubic yards and tons to order, using published weights for each material.
Enter an area and depth greater than zero.
How it works
Rectangle: length × width. Circle: π × diameter² ÷ 4. Or type the square footage if you already know it.
Area × depth in feet (inches ÷ 12) = cubic feet, then ÷ 27 = cubic yards. Any extra percentage is added on top.
Cubic yards × the material’s tons per cubic yard. Where the source gives a range, you get a range. Cost = tons × your price per ton.
12 × 50 ft driveway base at 4 in: 12 × 50 × (4 ÷ 12) = 200 cu ft
200 ÷ 27 = 7.41 cu yd · 7.41 × 2.03 t/yd³ (compacted crusher run) = 15.0 tons
Weights we use
| Material | Tons per cu yd | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| #57 / 3/4 in. clean crushed stone | 1.35 | Loose, as loaded | Lorusso Corp. conversion chart (3/4″ crushed stone) |
| Crusher run / 2A modified (dense-graded base) | 1.70 | Loose, as loaded | Lorusso Corp. (3/4″ dense graded base; 1/2″ is 1.65, 1 1/2″ is 1.75) |
| Crusher run / 2A modified, compacted | 2.03 | Compacted base | Graniterock aggregate estimator (base rock, 150 lb/cu ft) |
| Pea gravel | 1.4–1.6 | Bulk | Stone Center (Columbus, OH) |
| River rock | 1.4–1.75 | Bulk | Stone Center (Columbus, OH) |
| Stone dust / screenings | 1.40 | Loose, as loaded | Lorusso Corp. (stone screenings) |
| Mason sand | 1.20 | Loose, as loaded | Lorusso Corp. |
Densities vary by quarry. Granite, limestone and river gravel weigh differently, wet stone weighs more than dry, and a loose yard in the truck is not the same as a compacted yard in the ground. Lorusso calls its figures guidelines and bills by the ton. Use these to plan, then ask your supplier for the factor it uses for the exact product, or enter it as a custom number.
Related guides: gravel driveway base depth, 57 stone vs crusher run and how much a yard of gravel weighs.
Questions
How many tons is a yard of gravel?
It depends on the stone. Lorusso Corp.’s quarry chart lists 3/4 inch crushed stone at 1.35 tons per cubic yard, stone screenings at 1.40 and dense-graded base at 1.65 to 1.75, as loaded in the truck. Stone Center lists pea gravel at 1.4 to 1.6 and river rock at 1.4 to 1.75. Ask your yard for the factor it uses for the exact product.
How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
Multiply length by width by depth in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 12 by 50 foot driveway at 4 inches is 7.4 cubic yards. As compacted crusher run at about 2.03 tons per cubic yard, that is about 15 tons. Our gravel driveway base depth guide covers how deep to build it.
Should I use loose or compacted weight for crusher run?
Use the compacted figure when the depth you entered is the finished, compacted depth of a base. Lorusso’s 1.70 tons per cubic yard for 3/4 inch dense-graded base is a loose, as-loaded number. Graniterock’s estimator figures base rock at 150 lb per cubic foot, about 2.03 tons per cubic yard.
How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?
At 1.35 tons per cubic yard, one ton is 20 cubic feet: about 120 square feet at 2 inches deep, 80 at 3 inches and 60 at 4 inches. Heavier stone covers less.
What is the difference between #57 stone and crusher run?
#57 is a clean stone with the fines screened out, so water drains through it; in Pennsylvania it is also sold as 2B. Crusher run, called 2A modified in Pennsylvania, keeps its fines and compacts into a hard base. Our 57 stone vs crusher run comparison covers where each one goes.
Why do gravel weights vary between suppliers?
Rock type, moisture and gradation all change what a cubic yard weighs, and a loose yard in the truck is lighter than a compacted yard in the ground. Use the calculator to plan, then convert with your supplier’s factor, which you can enter as a custom number.
Sources: Lorusso Corporation, conversion chart (tons per cubic yard as loaded: 3/4″ crushed stone 1.35; dense graded base 1.65–1.75; stone screenings 1.40; mason sand 1.20); Graniterock construction materials calculator (base rock 150 lb/cu ft = 2.03 tons per cu yd); Stone Center landscape rock calculator (pea gravel 1.4–1.6, river rock 1.4–1.75 tons per cu yd); York Building Products aggregate brochure (AASHTO #57 = PA 2B; 2A modified as compactable base; screenings = stone dust). 1 cu yd = 27 cu ft; 1 US ton = 0.907 metric t.
Groundwork Design Co. · designed by builders
Grade it on paper before the stone shows up
Groundwork Design Co. draws your yard to scale with a materials list, so you order the right tonnage. Full Yard plans ($895) add a grading and drainage concept. Single-space plans start at $349, anywhere in the U.S.
See grading plansAll free calculatorsIn central PA? We run the machines too. See our drainage and site work and machine time by the hour.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC · 913 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · (570) 397-9800 · PA HIC #PA212584.