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Professional Gravel & Crushed Stone Calculator

Calculation Results:

Cubic Yards: 0 yd³

Cubic Feet: 0 ft³

Estimated Weight: 0 Tons

*Tonnage is based on standard crushed stone density (approx. 2,800 lbs per cubic yard).

How to Estimate Gravel for Your Project

Whether you are building a new gravel driveway, a decorative garden path, or a sub-base for a patio, getting the volume correct is critical to avoid multiple delivery fees or leftover waste. Our gravel calculator helps you convert your dimensions into cubic yards and tons, which are the two most common units used by landscape suppliers.

The Gravel Calculation Formula

To calculate gravel manually, you must first find the volume in cubic feet and then convert it to the supplier's preferred unit. The formula is:

  1. Square Footage: Length (ft) × Width (ft)
  2. Cubic Feet: Square Footage × (Depth in inches / 12)
  3. Cubic Yards: Total Cubic Feet / 27

Common Depth Recommendations

The depth of your gravel depends entirely on the application:

  • Garden Borders & Mulching: 2 inches of coverage is usually sufficient.
  • Walkways & Footpaths: 3 to 4 inches provides a stable walking surface.
  • Driveways: 4 to 6 inches is recommended to support the weight of vehicles.
  • Base Layer for Pavers: Typically requires 4 to 8 inches of compacted crushed stone.

Real-World Example

Suppose you have a driveway that is 30 feet long and 12 feet wide, and you want a gravel depth of 4 inches.

  • 30 ft × 12 ft = 360 square feet.
  • 4 inches is 0.33 feet (4 / 12).
  • 360 sq. ft. × 0.33 ft = 120 cubic feet.
  • 120 / 27 = 4.44 Cubic Yards.
  • At roughly 1.4 tons per yard, you would need approximately 6.2 tons of gravel.

Important Considerations

Compaction: When gravel is spread and compacted (especially "Crusher Run" or "Road Base"), the volume will decrease. It is a professional standard to add 10-15% to your final total to account for compaction and settling into the subsoil.

Weight Variations: Different types of stone have different densities. Lava rock is much lighter than granite or limestone. This calculator uses a standard density for crushed limestone, which is roughly 1.4 tons per cubic yard.

function calculateGravel() { var length = parseFloat(document.getElementById('calc_length').value); var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById('calc_width').value); var depth = parseFloat(document.getElementById('calc_depth').value); var resultDiv = document.getElementById('gravel_results'); if (isNaN(length) || isNaN(width) || isNaN(depth) || length <= 0 || width <= 0 || depth <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for all fields."); resultDiv.style.display = "none"; return; } // Convert depth to feet var depthInFeet = depth / 12; // Calculate Cubic Feet var cubicFeet = length * width * depthInFeet; // Calculate Cubic Yards (27 cubic feet in a cubic yard) var cubicYards = cubicFeet / 27; // Calculate Tons (Average gravel weight is ~1.4 tons per cubic yard) var tons = cubicYards * 1.4; // Display Results document.getElementById('res_yards').innerText = cubicYards.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('res_feet').innerText = cubicFeet.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('res_tons').innerText = tons.toFixed(2); // Show the result container resultDiv.style.display = "block"; // Smooth scroll to result on mobile resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' }); }

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