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Gravel calculator: tons and cubic yards for a driveway or path

The short answer

Multiply length by width by depth in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by your stone’s weight per yard for tons. A 40 by 12 foot driveway, 3 inches deep, is 4.44 cubic yards. At about 1.3 tons a yard, that’s 5.78 tons. Ask your yard for its exact figure.

Enter the area and how deep you’re spreading it. You’ll get tons and cubic yards to order, and a price if you’re quoting the job.

Gravel you need

5.78 tons

4.44 cubic yards spread 3 inches deep over 480 square feet.

Cubic yards: 4.44
Cubic feet: 120
0.5 cubic foot bags: 240

Price for this job

Materials (5.78 × $45.00): $260.00
Labor: $0.00
Markup: $52.00
Price to quote: $312.00

How it works

Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27. Tons = cubic yards × the stone’s tons per cubic yard.

Why the weight is only a starting point

The calculator starts at 1.3 tons per cubic yard. It comes from a Los Angeles County conversion table (opens in a new tab) that lists stone or gravel at about 2,632 pounds a yard. That table is meant for debris, not for ordering, and stone size and moisture both change the number. Your yard’s figure beats it.

Cubic yards for 100 square feet
Depth	Cubic yards
2 inches	0.62
3 inches	0.93
4 inches	1.23
6 inches	1.85

Quoting the work? Move the total onto an estimate, and use the topsoil calculator or the paver calculator for the rest of the job.

Common questions

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?

Multiply the driveway’s length and width by the depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then convert to tons at your yard’s figure. A 40 by 12 foot driveway at 3 inches deep is 4.44 cubic yards.

How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?

It depends on the stone and how wet it is. One county conversion table lists about 2,632 pounds a yard, which is roughly 1.3 tons. Ask the yard you’re buying from.

How much area does a ton of gravel cover?

At 1.3 tons a yard, one ton is about 0.77 cubic yards. Spread 3 inches deep, that covers roughly 83 square feet. A thinner layer goes further.

Should I buy gravel by the ton or by the yard?

Buy it the way your supplier prices it. Many sell by the ton, some by the yard. The calculator shows both, so you can compare quotes on the same footing.

More free tools

Cubic yard calculator
Length, width and depth into cubic yards and cubic feet.
Paver calculator
Pavers, gravel base and sand for a patio or walk.
Asphalt calculator
Tons of asphalt for a driveway or lot, from its size and thickness.

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Gravel calculator: tons and cubic yards for a driveway or path

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