Gravel Calculator
Work out how much gravel, crushed stone or base material you need in tons, cubic yards and bags. Enter each area and its depth, pick the stone, and the weight comes from that stone's density, with a compaction allowance built in.
Material and depth
About crushed stone #57
Utah State: inorganic mulch 2-3 in as a ground cover. As a drainage, French-drain or driveway layer, use the depth the project calls for.
FHWA (HRT-15-034, Table 7) measured AASHTO No. 57 at 95.4 lb/ft³ minimum (loose, funnel-placed) and 108.7 lb/ft³ maximum (vibrated). Stone arrives loose, so 100 lb/ft³ (1.35 tons per cubic yard) is stored; it will weigh and settle toward the high end once compacted.
Areas
Measure each area and pick its shape. Leave an area’s depth blank to use the depth above.
Prices (optional)
Enter what your supplier or store charges to see the cost both ways.
Gravel estimate
What to buy
2.07 yd³ of crushed stone #57
Order 2.5 cubic yards in bulk, or buy 112 bags of 0.5 cu ft.
Includes 10% extra. Bulk suppliers usually sell in half-yard steps, so the order is rounded up.
Crushed stone #57 (3/4 in, clean) · Depth 3 in unless set per area · 10% extra
- Area
- 203 sq ft18.87 m²
- Cubic yards
- 2.07order 2.5 yd³
- Cubic feet
- 55.9
- Cubic metres
- 1.581,582 litres
- Weight
- 2.79 tons2.53 t, 5,585 lb
- Edging
- 104 ftperimeter of every area
| Bag size | Bags |
|---|---|
| 0.5 cu ft bag | 112 |
Your areas, to scale
| Area | Size | Depth | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side path30 ft × 3 ft | 90 sq ft | 3 in | 22.5 cu ft |
| Fire pit area⌀ 12 ft | 113 sq ft | 3 in | 28.3 cu ft |
| Total | 203 sq ft | 50.8 cu ft | |
| With 10% extra | 55.9 cu ft | ||
How to use it
- Measure each area. Length and width for a driveway, pad or path; the diameter for a round fire-pit area; outer and inner diameter for a ring. For a curving path, measure the length along the middle of the curve and use the average width.
- Set the depth of this layer. Gravel jobs are usually layers: a base of crusher run and a surface of clean stone, or a bed of stone over fabric. Enter one layer at a time, or use the project planner to put the base and the surface in one list.
- Pick the stone. The weight per yard, and so the tons, depends on it. If your supplier sells something not listed, pick the closest stone and ask them for their own tons-per-yard figure to check the order against.
- Allow for compaction. Ten percent is the usual allowance for crushed stone that will be compacted; use 5 percent for decorative stone laid loose over fabric, and 15 percent for base stone going onto soft ground.
- Order in the supplier's unit. Most yards sell stone by the ton, some by the cubic yard. The result shows both, with bag counts for small jobs, and a cost comparison when you enter prices.
Stone types and what they are for
- Crushed stone, often sold by size number such as #57 (about 3/4 to 1 in): angular, washed, no fines. Drains freely and locks together. The standard surface stone for driveways, the fill around drain pipe and under slabs, and a good path material if you accept a crunchy surface.
- Crusher run, dense-grade aggregate, road base, "ABC": crushed stone with the fines left in. Compacts into a hard, almost paved surface. The base layer under driveways, paver patios and sheds; a poor top layer where you want drainage.
- Pea gravel: small, rounded, 1/4 to 1/2 in. Comfortable underfoot and good-looking, never compacts. Paths, patios between flagstones, play areas and dog runs, always with an edge to hold it in. Not for driveways.
- River rock: rounded, 1 to 3 in or larger. Decorative: dry creek beds, drainage swales, borders. Too large and mobile for a walking surface.
- Decomposed granite: granite weathered to a coarse sand with fines. Compacts into a firm, natural-looking path surface; often sold with a stabiliser for high-traffic paths.
- Marble chips, lava rock and other decorative stone: laid 2 to 3 in deep over fabric in beds. Light colours show dirt. None of these is in the calculator's list: estimate the volume as river rock and get the weight from the supplier, because lava rock in particular is far lighter than ordinary stone.
Tons versus yards
Stone is quarried and sold by weight because a truck's scale is more reliable than a loader operator's eye, but you are filling a space, which is a volume. The link is density. Multiply the cubic feet by the stone's weight per cubic foot to get pounds; divide by 2,000 for US tons. The calculator does this for every stone with a known density, listed here with its source:
| Material | lb per cu ft | lb per cu yd | Tons per cu yd | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel (3/8 in) | 93 | 2,511 | 1.26 | Derived from bagged weights: Vigoro lists 48 lb and Pavestone 45 lb per 0.5 cu ft bag (96 and 90 lb/ft³); the midpoint, 93 lb/ft³ (about 1.25 tons per cubic yard), is stored. Quikrete All-Purpose Gravel (3/8 in top size) comes in 50 lb bags with no stated yield, so its bag count uses this density. |
| Crushed stone #57 (3/4 in, clean) | 100 | 2,700 | 1.35 | FHWA (HRT-15-034, Table 7) measured AASHTO No. 57 at 95.4 lb/ft³ minimum (loose, funnel-placed) and 108.7 lb/ft³ maximum (vibrated). Stone arrives loose, so 100 lb/ft³ (1.35 tons per cubic yard) is stored; it will weigh and settle toward the high end once compacted. |
| Crusher run / road base (3/4 in minus) | 103 | 2,781 | 1.39 | Bagged paver base is the closest off-the-shelf analog: Quikrete HardScapes Paver Base is 50 lb per 0.5 cu ft (100 lb/ft³), Sakrete Paver Base yields 0.5 cu ft per 50 lb bag (100 lb/ft³; Sakrete describes it as a bedding sand) and Home Depot lists Pavestone Paver Base at 52.86 lb per 0.5 cu ft (106 lb/ft³). The midpoint, 103 lb/ft³ (about 1.4 tons per cubic yard loose), is stored. It compacts, so order by loose volume and compact in lifts. |
| Decomposed granite (1/4 in minus) | 90 | 2,430 | 1.22 | Derived from bagged weights that disagree: Classic Stone lists 42 lb and EarthEssentials by Quikrete 48 lb per 0.5 cu ft bag (84 and 96 lb/ft³); the midpoint, 90 lb/ft³ (about 1.2 tons per cubic yard loose), is stored. It compacts noticeably when installed. |
| River rock (1-3 in) | 92 | 2,484 | 1.24 | Derived from bagged weights that disagree: Vigoro river pebbles list 50 lb and Oldcastle 0.5-3 in decorative rock 42 lb per 0.5 cu ft bag (100 and 84 lb/ft³); the midpoint, 92 lb/ft³ (about 1.25 tons per cubic yard), is stored. Larger, rounder stone packs looser. |
| Paver base (compacted 3/4 in minus aggregate) | 103 | 2,781 | 1.39 | Same material and sources as crusher run: Quikrete HardScapes Paver Base 50 lb per 0.5 cu ft (100 lb/ft³), Sakrete Paver Base 50 lb = 0.5 cu ft (100 lb/ft³), Pavestone Paver Base 52.86 lb per 0.5 cu ft (106 lb/ft³); midpoint 103 lb/ft³ stored. Figures are for loose material as bought. |
- Home Depot listing: Vigoro 0.5 cu. ft. Bagged Pea Gravel Pebble Landscape Rock 54255 (48 lb) (read 2026-10-05)
- Pavestone 0.5 cu. ft. Pea Gravel, 45 lb (Do it Best listing) (read 2026-10-05)
- QUIKRETE Sand & Gravel Products data sheet (All-Purpose Sand 1152, All-Purpose Gravel 1151, Premium Play Sand 1113; bag sizes only, no yields) (read 2026-10-05)
- Utah State University Extension, Water-Wise Landscaping: Mulch (organic 3-4 in, inorganic 2-3 in) (read 2026-10-05)
- U.S. CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325), Section 2.4 loose-fill surfacing (read 2026-10-05)
- FHWA-HRT-15-034, Strength Characterization of Open-Graded Aggregates, Chapter 3 (Table 7) (read 2026-10-05)
- Lowe's listing: QUIKRETE HardScapes Paver Base, 0.5 cu ft, 50 lb (read 2026-10-05)
- Sakrete Paver Base technical data sheet (described by Sakrete as a bedding sand; 50 lb bag yields about 0.5 cu ft) (read 2026-10-05)
- Home Depot listing: Pavestone 0.5 cu. ft. Paver Base 98001 (listed product weight 52.86 lb) (read 2026-10-05)
- CMHA (formerly ICPI) PAV-TEC-002, Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements (read 2026-10-05)
- Lowe's listing: Classic Stone 0.5-cu ft 42-lb Brown Crushed Stone R1DCG14A (decomposed granite, under 1/2 in) (read 2026-10-05)
- Lowe's listing: EarthEssentials by Quikrete 0.5-cu ft Crushed Stone (decomposed granite, under 1/2 in), 48 lb (read 2026-10-05)
- Kafka Granite, How Much Aggregate Do I Need for My Pathway? (read 2026-10-05)
- Home Depot listing: Vigoro 0.5 cu. ft. Bagged River Pebble Landscape Rock 54250V (50 lb) (read 2026-10-05)
- Lowe's listing: Oldcastle 0.5-cu ft 42-lb Gray Decorative Rock (0.5-3 in) 40206011 (read 2026-10-05)
Two cautions. Wet stone weighs more than dry, and a supplier's pile is often wet, so a ton of wet stone fills slightly less space than a dry ton. And the same name covers different rock in different regions: a #57 limestone and a #57 granite do not weigh the same. When a supplier quotes tons per yard for their own stone, prefer their number.
Compaction
Crushed stone with fines shrinks when it is compacted, as the fines fill the gaps between the larger pieces; the loose depth you spread is more than the finished depth you end up with. Clean, washed stone compacts less because there is nothing to fill the gaps with, but it still settles into the soil below it, especially on a fresh excavation. The compaction allowance covers both. It matters most for base layers, which must end up at the designed thickness: 4 in of compacted base needs more than 4 in of loose stone. Compact in lifts of no more than 4 in, with a plate compactor, and wet the stone lightly before compacting.
Driveway depth
A gravel driveway is two layers doing two jobs. The base, 4 in or more of compacted crusher run or dense-grade stone, spreads the load of the vehicle so the ground beneath does not rut. The surface, 2 to 3 in of clean crushed stone, drains, looks tidy and is what you top up over the years. On soft, wet or clay ground, make the base 6 in or more and lay a woven geotextile under it, which stops the stone from disappearing into the mud. Crown the driveway slightly so water runs off the sides, and expect to add an inch or two of surface stone every few years. For the estimate, enter the base and the surface as two materials at their own depths; the base is heavier per yard, and the planner uses each stone's density.
Worked example: a driveway and a parking pad
A 50 by 12 ft driveway and a 20 by 10 ft parking pad get 4 in of crushed stone #57 with 10 percent extra for compaction:
Result
- Total area800 sq ft
- Volume with 10% extra293.3 cu ft
- Cubic yards10.9
- Tons14.7
- Tonnes13.3
- 0.5 cu ft bags instead587
The two areas are 800 sq ft; at 4 in that is 266.7 cubic feet, 293.3 with the allowance, or 10.9 cubic yards, which weighs about 14.7 tons. In 0.5 cu ft bags that would be 587 bags, which is why driveways are delivered. Tell the supplier the area and depth as well as the tonnage, so they can check the order against their own stone.
Mistakes people make
- Ordering yards when the yard sells tons. Convert with the density of the stone you are buying, or give them both numbers.
- Skipping the base. Surface stone straight onto soil ruts and sinks. The base layer is most of the cost and all of the durability.
- Using pea gravel where things roll. Driveways, slopes and ramps need angular stone.
- Forgetting compaction. Loose depth is not finished depth. Add the allowance, especially for base.
- Letting a pile sit on the lawn. Have stone dumped on a tarp on the driveway, and move it the same week.
- Buying bags for a path. A 3 by 30 ft path at 3 in with 10 percent extra is 0.92 cubic yards, or 50 of the 0.5 cu ft bags, about 1.2 tons either way. Price a small bulk load.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
For crushed stone #57 the calculator uses 100 lb per cubic foot, which is 2,700 lb or 1.35 tons per cubic yard. Other stone is listed in the table above. Wet stone and stone with a lot of fines weigh more per yard; washed round stone weighs a little less. Suppliers who sell by the ton will tell you their own conversion, and it is worth asking.
How many bags of gravel make a cubic yard?
54 of the 0.5 cu ft bags. A bag of stone is heavy for its size, which is why bagged gravel only makes sense for a small path, a few fence posts or a drainage trench. Anything over a third of a yard is cheaper and far less work as a bulk delivery.
How deep should a gravel driveway be?
For a new driveway on firm ground, plan on 4 in of compacted base stone (crusher run, dense-grade or road base) and 2 to 3 in of surface stone on top, about 6 to 8 in in all, laid and compacted in layers of no more than 4 in. Soft or clay soil needs a thicker base and often a geotextile fabric under it. Topping up an existing driveway is 1 to 2 in of surface stone. Enter the layers as separate areas with their own materials in the project planner.
What is the difference between crushed stone and pea gravel?
Crushed stone is quarried rock broken into angular pieces; the sharp edges lock together, so it compacts into a firm surface and is the right choice for driveways, bases and drainage. Pea gravel is small, rounded river stone that never locks together: it rolls underfoot and under tyres, but it is comfortable, drains well and looks good, so it suits paths, patios between pavers and play areas with an edge to contain it.
Do I need landscape fabric under gravel?
Under decorative gravel in a bed, yes: it keeps the stone from working down into the soil and the soil from working up into the stone, and it slows weeds. Under a driveway, a woven geotextile is used on soft soils to keep the base stone from sinking into the mud. Under a path of crushed stone that you want to compact hard, fabric is optional and some installers skip it so the fines can bind to the soil.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
A ton of crushed stone #57 is 20.0 cubic feet, so at 2 in deep it covers about 120 sq ft, at 3 in about 80 sq ft and at 4 in about 60 sq ft, before compaction. Denser stone covers a little less per ton.
Can I haul a yard of gravel in a pickup?
Usually not. A yard of stone weighs well over a ton, and most half-ton pickups are rated for less than that; the payload figure is on the sticker inside the driver's door. A few bags for a small job are fine. Anything measured in yards is a delivery or a trailer with the right rating.