Gravel Calculator
One cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons and covers roughly 81 square feet at 4 inches deep — the standard depth for a driveway layer.
Gravel yards sell by weight, so the number that matters is tons. Enter your area and depth below and the calculator returns both cubic yards and tons, plus a delivered cost estimate.
Gravel calculator
You need
0cubic yards
- Area covered
- 0 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 0
- Weight
- 0 tons
- 50 lb bag (0.5 cu ft)s
- 0 bags
- Estimated cost
- $0
Density of 2,800 lb/yd³ covers most crushed limestone and #57 stone. Pea gravel is slightly lighter at about 2,700 lb/yd³. Estimates only — confirm with your supplier before ordering.
Gravel coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | Coverage per cubic yard | Yards per 500 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1" | 324 sq ft | 1.54 yd³ |
| 2" | 162 sq ft | 3.09 yd³ |
| 3" | 108 sq ft | 4.63 yd³ |
| 4" | 81 sq ft | 6.17 yd³ |
| 6" | 54 sq ft | 9.26 yd³ |
Gravel questions people actually ask
- How many tons of gravel do I need per cubic yard?
- Crushed stone averages 2,800 pounds per cubic yard, so one yard is about 1.4 tons. Order by the ton when the quarry prices by weight.
- How thick should a gravel driveway be?
- A new driveway wants three layers of about 4 inches each — a coarse base, a middle course and a finer top. For resurfacing an existing drive, 2 to 3 inches is enough.
- How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
- About 100 square feet at 2 inches deep, or 60 square feet at 4 inches.
Gear for a gravel job
Paid links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Related calculators
- Sand CalculatorOne cubic yard of sand weighs about 1.35 tons and covers roughly 324 square feet at a 1-inch paver bedding depth.
- River Rock CalculatorOne ton of river rock covers about 70 to 80 square feet at 3 inches deep, depending on stone size.
- Paver CalculatorA 12 × 12 inch paver covers exactly 1 square foot, so a 200 square foot patio needs 200 pavers plus about 10 percent for cuts.
- Topsoil CalculatorOne cubic yard of screened topsoil covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep and weighs roughly 1.1 tons.
How this number is calculated
Density of 2,800 lb/yd³ covers most crushed limestone and #57 stone. Pea gravel is slightly lighter at about 2,700 lb/yd³. Volume is area × depth, converted to cubic yards by dividing cubic feet by 27. See all our assumptions.