How many tons of gravel do I need?

Gravel is sold by the ton or by the cubic yard, and the two only convert through density — which is why the depth and the material type both matter here. Enter the area in feet, the spread depth in inches, and the aggregate you are buying, and this returns tons, cubic yards and cubic feet.

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Depth (in)

4 in for a path, 6-8 in for a driveway base.

Material Gravel / crushed stone (105 lb/ft³)Pea gravel (100 lb/ft³)Sand (96 lb/ft³)Topsoil, loose (90 lb/ft³)

Waste allowance (%)

Material needed

3.85tons

Volume 2.72 yd³Cubic feet 73.3 ft³

Densities vary by source and moisture. Crushed stone from one quarry can be 10% heavier than another's, so treat the tonnage as an estimate and confirm the supplier's own figure before ordering a full load.

The densities used are the loose, uncompacted figures suppliers actually load. Crushed stone and gravel run about 105 lb per cubic foot, pea gravel slightly lighter at around 100, sand around 96, and loose topsoil around 90. Compaction changes this: a gravel drive compacted in two-inch lifts will settle by roughly 20%, and a supplier quoting tonnage for a compacted depth expects you to order more.

A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons, which is the figure to keep in mind when ordering. A pickup truck bed holds roughly half a yard — so a 20 × 10 ft path at four inches is 2.5 cubic yards, or about three and a half tons, and that is five or six trips in a half-ton truck.

How the calculation works

Cubic feet = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12, multiplied by (1 + waste ÷ 100). Tons = cubic feet × density (lb/ft³) ÷ 2000, since a short ton is 2000 lb. Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27.

• Densities are loose, uncompacted values in pounds per cubic foot: 105 for gravel and crushed stone, 100 for pea gravel, 96 for sand, 90 for loose topsoil.
• The depth entered is the finished depth of the layer, not the loose depth before compaction. Compaction can reduce volume by about 20%, so add that to the waste allowance when the layer will be rolled.
• The area is rectangular and reasonably level; slopes and excavation for a sub-base are not modelled.
• You are ordering bulk material by weight. Bagged gravel is sold by volume, so use the cubic foot figure against the bag's stated yield.

Sources: Bulk densities: gravel/crushed stone 105 lb/ft³, pea gravel 100, sand 96, loose topsoil 90 (typical published ranges); Short ton = 2000 lb; cubic yard = 27 cubic feet

Worked examples

Questions

How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?

About 1.4 tons for gravel or crushed stone at 105 lb/ft³, since 27 × 105 = 2,835 lb. Pea gravel is closer to 1.35 tons per yard and sand about 1.3.

How deep should gravel be?

Four inches is enough for a footpath or a decorative bed. A driveway base is usually 6 to 8 inches of compacted stone, and a drainage trench depends on the pipe diameter and the soil.

Do I need to account for compaction?

Yes if the material will be rolled. Gravel compacted in lifts can lose around 20% of its loose volume, so either add that to the waste allowance or order by compacted volume and accept a slight overage.

How much does a yard of gravel cover?

A cubic yard covers 108 sq ft at 3 inches, 81 sq ft at 4 inches and 54 sq ft at 6 inches, because a yard spread thin covers a large area.

Is it cheaper to order by the ton or the yard?

Suppliers price whichever unit is standard locally, and the conversion is fixed by density, so neither is inherently cheaper. Compare the delivered price per ton once you have converted.

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Written and maintained by Sam Winters. Last updated 2026-11-04. Every figure is computed in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere. Found an error? Tell me — accuracy reports get fixed first.