How to measure your area
Measure in feet, along the ground. A rectangle needs its length and width, a circle the distance across its middle, an L-shaped patio its overall length and width and the size of the corner that is missing. Anything else splits into simpler pieces: press “Add another area” and the calculator adds them up before it rounds.
- Slopes. Measure along the slope, not across a plan. Gravel covers the ground, not its outline on paper.
- Edges. Loose stone spreads. Where there is no edging, measure a few inches past the line you want covered.
- Things in the way. A tree, a planter, a concrete pad: add each as a cut-out and its area is taken away.
How deep should gravel be?
Deep enough to hide the ground, and no deeper: on the 10 × 12 ft example, each extra inch is another 0.37 cubic yards.
| For | Depth | In metric |
|---|---|---|
| Decorative cover | 2 in | 5 cm |
| A path | 3 in | 7.5 cm |
| The top layer of a driveway | 4 in | 10 cm |
US Rock: Gravel 2 to 3 in deep for pathways and 3 to 4 in for driveways, over 3 to 4 in of compacted road base or crushed rock.
A driveway is built in layers. The same US Rock guide puts 3 to 4 in of compacted road base or crushed rock under the gravel you see. For that layer, tick “Compacted base”: the depth is then the finished one, the stone is weighed as it lies packed in place, at 140 lb per cubic foot (Iowa DOT), and the tons are turned back into loose yards to order. A 10 × 12 ft base, 4 in thick, is 1.48 cubic yards in place, 2.80 tons, and 2.00 loose cubic yards.
Cubic yards, tons and bags
Volume is area times depth. Quarries and stores sell it three ways: by the cubic yard, by the ton and by the bag. One cubic yard covers 162 sq ft at 2 in, 108 sq ft at 3 in and 81 sq ft at 4 in.
How much a yard weighs depends on the stone, and on how wet it is:
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57) | 1.4 (2,800 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Pea gravel | 1.35 (2,700 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Crusher run and driveway gravel | 1.4 (2,800 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Sands & Soils |
| Decomposed granite | 1.35 (2,700 lb) | 1.25 to 1.5 | Earthstone Rock, Outdoor Warehouse Supply |
| Compacted stone base, compacted in place | 1.89 (3,780 lb) | 1.82 to 1.89 | Iowa Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands |
These are suppliers’ own figures, and your supplier has theirs. Ask for it, then press “Use my own figure”.
Worked example. A 10 × 12 ft patio, 3 in of crushed stone.
- Area: 10 ft × 12 ft = 120 sq ft
- Volume: 120 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 30 cu ft = 1.11 cubic yards
- Weight: 1.11 cubic yards × 1.4 tons = 1.56 tons (3,111 lb)
- In bags: 60 bags of 0.5 cu ft
- With 10% extra: 33 cu ft = 1.22 cubic yards. Bulk is sold by the quarter yard, so order 1.25.
Bulk delivery or bags?
One cubic yard is 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft. The patio above is 60 bags at 50 lb each: 3,000 lb to lift from the shelf to the cart, from the cart to the car and from the car to the yard.
Bags suit a small job, a top-up, or a yard no truck can reach. Near a cubic yard and above, a delivery is less lifting. Before you order in bulk, ask the supplier three things: the smallest load they deliver, what the delivery costs, and where the truck can tip. A loose load stays where it lands, so choose the spot, and lay a tarp first.
Types of gravel and stone
- Pea gravel. Rounded stones of about 3/8 in, for walkways and driveways. It rolls underfoot, so it wants an edging.
- Crushed stone (#57). Angular stone of about 1 in. The edges lock, and water drains through.
- Crusher run, or driveway gravel. Crushed stone with its fines, from rock dust to 1 in. It packs into a firm layer: the usual base.
- Decomposed granite. Granite weathered to a grit of 1/4 in and finer, for garden beds and paths, and under paving stones.
Questions about gravel
How many tons in a yard of gravel?
About 1.4 tons for crushed stone and 1.35 for pea gravel. Suppliers quote from 1.25 to 1.5, by the kind of rock and how wet it is. Use your supplier’s figure when you have it.
How much does a yard of gravel cover?
162 sq ft at 2 in deep, 108 sq ft at 3 in and 81 sq ft at 4 in.
How many bags make a yard?
54 bags of 0.5 cu ft make one cubic yard. Bags of other sizes: divide 27 by the cubic feet printed on the bag.
How much gravel for a driveway?
For the top layer of a 12 × 50 ft driveway, 4 in deep: 7.41 cubic yards, about 10.37 tons of crushed stone. Bulk goes by the quarter yard, so order 7.5. Work out the compacted base under it separately, with “Compacted base” ticked.
Should I order extra?
Loose stone has no offcuts, so the calculator adds nothing unless you ask. Add 5 or 10% where the ground is uneven or soft, where the stone will be compacted, or where a second delivery would cost more than the spare stone.
Sources
- Earthstone Rock, Cubic Yards vs. Tons for Landscape Rock. Landscape rock about 2,800 lb per cubic yard; decomposed granite, landscape gravel and pea gravel about 2,700 lb; most rock between 1.3 and 1.5 tons per cubic yard. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Wash Rock. A cubic yard of #57 wash rock weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Raleigh Wash Rock. A cubic yard of wash rock, sold as #67 stone and as pea gravel, weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Sands & Soils, Crush and Run. A cubic yard of crush and run weighs approximately 2,500 lb. Read on .
- Outdoor Warehouse Supply, Decomposed Granite, 1/4 in minus. A cubic yard of decomposed granite weighs approximately 2,700 to 3,000 lb, depending on moisture. Read on .
- Iowa Department of Transportation, Design Manual 1B-4: Densities for Use in Estimating Quantities. Class A crushed stone and rolled stone base: 140 lb per cubic foot (revision of 21 May 2026). Read on .
- Federal Highway Administration, Central Federal Lands, Application Rates and Weights for Estimating Purposes. Aggregate base: 139.0 lb per cubic foot. Read on .
- US Rock, How to Install a Gravel Driveway or Pathway. Gravel 2 to 3 in deep for pathways and 3 to 4 in for driveways, over 3 to 4 in of compacted road base or crushed rock. Read on .
- Quikrete, All-Purpose Gravel (No. 1151). Clean gravel of about 3/8 in, sold in 50 lb bags. Read on .
Updated . How we calculate. Found a mistake? Tell us.