Gravel Calculator
Work out how much gravel covers a driveway, path or patio base: the volume in cubic yards, cubic feet or cubic meters, and how many tons that is.
To cover a 10 ft by 10 ft area 3 in deep, you need 0.93 cubic yards of gravel, about 1.31 US tons at the dry-gravel density of 105 lb per cubic foot. Multiply length by width by depth, all in feet, for cubic feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply cubic feet by the density for the pounds it weighs.
This calculator estimates material quantities only and is not a substitute for a contractor's or supplier's advice. It does not allow for compaction, an uneven base or the base layers a driveway may need, and real densities vary by stone and moisture.
Gravel needed
0.93 cubic yards
- Cubic feet
- 25.00
- Cubic yards
- 0.93
- Cubic meters
- 0.71
- Weight, US tons (2,000 lb)
- 1.31
- Weight, metric tonnes
- 1.19
- Weight, pounds
- 2,625
Weight depends on the stone and how wet it is. Suppliers sell by the ton or the cubic yard; check their figure for your material.
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About the Gravel Calculator
Gravel is measured two ways, by volume and by the ton, and suppliers quote either one, so the calculator gives both. Volume comes from the area times the depth. If you work it out by hand, convert the depth to feet first, so 3 in is a quarter of a foot, and a 10 by 10 ft area at that depth holds 25 cubic feet, or 0.93 cubic yards. For a round bed, the area is pi times the radius squared, so a 12 ft circle 4 in deep needs 1.40 cubic yards. How heavy it is depends on the stone. The reference used here lists dry gravel at 105 lb per cubic foot and wet gravel at 125. A cubic yard of dry gravel at that density weighs about 1.42 US tons. Crushed stone, pea gravel and river rock have different densities, so the density field is yours to change; a supplier can tell you the figure for the exact product. In metric mode the default is 1,680 kg per cubic meter, the source's metric figure for dry gravel, and switching units converts the numbers you typed.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel do I need?+
Work out the volume, then multiply by the density to get pounds, and divide by 2,000 for US tons. At 105 lb per cubic foot, one cubic yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,835 lb, or 1.42 US tons. The 10 by 10 ft area 3 in deep in the example comes to 2,625 lb, or 1.31 tons.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?+
27, because a cubic yard is 3 ft by 3 ft by 3 ft. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
Why does my supplier quote a different tonnage?+
Gravel varies with the type of stone and how wet it is. Wet gravel in the same reference weighs 125 lb per cubic foot instead of 105. Enter your supplier's density and the tons update to match.
Does the calculator allow for compaction?+
No. It works out the loose volume that fills the space you measured. Gravel that is rolled or tamped settles, so it takes more material to reach the same finished depth; your supplier can say how much extra to order for the product and the job.
Default density: The Engineering ToolBox, Dirt and Mud Densities: dry gravel 105 lb per cubic foot (1,680 kg per cubic meter). The page also lists wet gravel at 125 lb per cubic foot. Unit conversions are exact definitions: 27 cubic feet per cubic yard, 0.3048 m per foot, 2,000 lb per US ton.
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