Building a gravel driveway, setting flagstone on a crushed stone base, or spreading decorative pea gravel across garden beds? Like concrete, bulk gravel and crushed stone are sold by weight (tons) or volume (cubic yards), but your property is laid out in square yards or square feet.
If you order gravel without calculating the correct depth factor, you will either pay for an expensive second delivery dump truck or end up with a massive pile of leftover rocks blocking your driveway. This guide shows you how to convert surface measurements and depth into exact cubic yards and tons.
The Formula: Square Yards to Cubic Yards & Tons
Gravel calculations require three steps:
- Measure surface area: Length × Width (in feet or square yards).
- Multiply by layer depth (in inches) to determine Cubic Yards.
- Multiply cubic yards by the stone density to get Tons.
Proper Gravel Driveway Layering
- Garden Pathways & Walkways: 2 to 3 inches deep
- Patio & Paver Base: 4 inches of crushed stone
- Residential Driveway: 6 to 8 inches total depth
- French Drainage Ditch: 8 to 12 inches of coarse stone
Live Gravel, Tons & Volume Calculator
Input your project dimensions and depth to estimate total cubic yards, tonnage, and bagged equivalent:
Interactive Gravel Tonnage & Yardage Estimator
How Much Area Does 1 Ton of Gravel Cover?
When buying from local quarries and landscape depots, materials are weighed on a truck scale in tons:
- At 1-inch depth: 1 ton covers approx. 200 to 220 sq ft (24 sq yd)
- At 2-inch depth: 1 ton covers approx. 100 to 110 sq ft (11 to 12 sq yd)
- At 3-inch depth: 1 ton covers approx. 70 to 80 sq ft (8 sq yd)
- At 4-inch depth: 1 ton covers approx. 50 to 55 sq ft (6 sq yd)
Project Reference Table: Driveways, Patios & Paths
| Project Dimensions | Depth | Cubic Yards | Tons Needed | Recommended Material |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walkway (3 × 20 ft) | 2 inches | 0.37 yd³ | 0.52 tons | Pea gravel / crushed granite |
| Patio Base (12 × 12 ft) | 4 inches | 1.78 yd³ | 2.49 tons | #57 Crushed stone / crusher run |
| Fire Pit Circle (14 ft dia) | 3 inches | 1.42 yd³ | 1.99 tons | River rock / pea gravel |
| Single Driveway (10 × 40 ft) | 4 inches | 4.94 yd³ | 6.92 tons | #3 or #4 Crushed limestone |
| Double Driveway (20 × 40 ft) | 4 inches | 9.88 yd³ | 13.83 tons | Crushed run base + topcoat |
More Landscaping & Construction Calculators
- Specialized Gravel Calculator — density and tonnage calculator
- Mulch Calculator — organic landscaping coverage estimator
- Fill Dirt & Topsoil Calculator — soil volume and truckload planner
- Area with Depth Calculator — converts square yards to cubic volume