How much gravel do I need?
Gravel is ordered two ways — by volume (cubic yards) or by weight (tons) — and suppliers often quote in tons. The tricky part is that you measure a project by area and depth but buy by weight, so you need to convert volume to tons using the material's density. This calculator handles both: enter the area and depth and it returns cubic yards and tons, so you can order whichever way your supplier prefers.
How to use this calculator
- Choose Imperial or Metric units.
- Enter the length and width of the area to cover.
- Set the depth of the gravel layer.
- Add a waste allowance if the base is uneven or you're topping up an existing surface.
The gravel formula
First find the volume: Length × Width × Depth (in feet), divided by 27 for cubic yards. Then convert to weight: tons = cubic yards × 1.4, since a cubic yard of typical gravel weighs about 1.4 US tons.
Worked example: a 20 ft × 10 ft area at 4 inches deep. Depth = 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft. Volume = 20 × 10 × 0.333 = 66.7 cubic feet = 2.47 cubic yards, which is about 3.5 tons of gravel.
Gravel depth and weight guide
- Decorative paths & borders: 2–3 inches deep.
- Driveways: about 4 inches, often laid as a coarse sub-base plus a finer top layer.
- Weight varies: pea gravel, crushed stone, and wet material all differ — 1.4 tons per cubic yard is a solid estimate, but confirm the exact density with your supplier.