The Gravel Calculator makes it easy to figure out how much gravel you need for any construction project – whether you’re working on a driveway, parking lot, drainage system, or landscaping. Calculate your gravel needs based on different material densities (including your own custom value) and the size of the area.
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How Much Gravel Do You Need?
Working out your gravel needs is pretty straightforward – measure three things: the length and width of your area, plus how deep you want the gravel to be. Multiply these numbers together to get your volume in cubic units. Then multiply the cubic yards by the gravel’s density (usually between 1.4 and 1.6 tons/yd³) to figure out how many tons you’ll need. Check out the table below for other material densities.
Let’s walk through an example: say you’re filling an area that’s 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 3 inches deep.
- Calculate the volume in cubic feet: 10′ × 20′ × 0.25′ (3 inches = 0.25 feet) = 50 cu ft
- Convert that to cubic yards: 50 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.85 cu yd
- Work out the weight in tons:
- On the low end: 1.85 × 1.4 = 2.59 tons
- On the high end: 1.85 × 1.6 = 2.96 tons
- If you want to estimate costs:
- Low end: 2.59 × $30 = $77.70
- High end: 2.96 × $30 = $88.80
In total, you’ll need between 2.6 and 3 tons of gravel for this project. At $30 per ton, that’ll run you between $77 and $89 for materials. Just keep in mind this doesn’t cover delivery or labor costs.
Here’s a coverage guide for one cubic yard at different depths (remember, while the volume stays the same, different materials will weigh differently):
- ¼ inch: 1,296 sq ft
- 2 inches: 162 sq ft
- 4 inches: 81 sq ft
- 6 inches: 54 sq ft
Below you’ll find a table showing weights per cubic yard for common materials like gravel, pea gravel, crushed stone, sand, and river rock. We’ve included minimum and maximum weights since these can vary by supplier and even by batch.
| Material | Tons per Cubic Yard | Metric Tons per Cubic Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Pea Gravel (⅛” – ⅜”) | 1.2 – 1.6 | 1.8 – 2.1 |
| Gravel (¾” – 2″) | 1.2 – 1.6 | 1.8 – 2.1 |
| Sand (dry) | 1.2 – 1.4 | 1.5 – 1.8 |
| Sand (wet) | 1.6 – 1.8 | 2.1 – 2.3 |
| Topsoil (dry) | 1.1 – 1.3 | 1.4 – 1.7 |
| Topsoil (wet) | 1.5 – 1.7 | 1.9 – 2.2 |
| Crushed Stone (¼” – 2″) | 1.4 – 1.7 | 1.8 – 2.2 |
| River Rock (¾” – 2½”) | 1.3 – 1.5 | 1.7 – 1.9 |
| Base Rock (¾” – 1″) | 1.3 – 1.6 | 1.7 – 2.0 |
| Drainage Rock (¾” – 1½”) | 1.4 – 1.6 | 1.8 – 2.1 |
For your convenience, we’ve also included a reverse lookup table showing how many yards you get per ton of material.
| Material | Cubic Yards per Ton |
|---|---|
| Pea Gravel (⅛” – ⅜”) | 0.63 – 0.83 |
| Gravel (¾” – 2″) | 0.63 – 0.83 |
| Sand (dry) | 0.71 – 0.83 |
| Sand (wet) | 0.56 – 0.63 |
| Topsoil (dry) | 0.77 – 0.91 |
| Topsoil (wet) | 0.59 – 0.67 |
| Crushed Stone (¼” – 2″) | 0.59 – 0.71 |
| River Rock (¾” – 2½”) | 0.67 – 0.77 |
| Base Rock (¾” – 1″) | 0.65 – 0.74 |
| Drainage Rock (¾” – 1½”) | 0.63 – 0.71 |
Add 10%-20% to your calculations to account for uneven ground and material loss during delivery and installation. Having a bit extra is way better than halting your project mid-way because you’re short on materials – saving you both time and headaches.
Cite this page as:
Takahashi, H. “Gravel Calculator”. Available at https://constructioncalculators.com/gravel-calculator/