Calculate exactly how much gravel, stone, or sand you need for your project.
Standard Gravel/Crushed Stone (1.4 tons/yd³)
Sand or Fine Aggregate (1.2 tons/yd³)
Heavy River Rock (1.5 tons/yd³)
Pea Gravel (1.3 tons/yd³)
Estimated Material Needed
How to Calculate Gravel Requirements
Planning a driveway, patio base, or landscaping project requires precision to avoid overpaying or running short mid-project. Our gravel calculator simplifies this process by converting your area dimensions into volume and weight.
The Calculation Formula
To find the amount of gravel manually, we follow these steps:
Step 1: Calculate the area (Length x Width).
Step 2: Convert depth from inches to feet (Depth / 12).
Step 3: Multiply area by depth in feet to get total cubic feet.
Step 4: Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards.
Step 5: Multiply cubic yards by the density factor (usually 1.4) to find the weight in tons.
Real-World Example
If you are building a gravel path that is 50 feet long, 4 feet wide, and you want it 3 inches deep:
Area: 50 ft x 4 ft = 200 sq. ft.
Depth in Feet: 3 inches / 12 = 0.25 ft.
Cubic Feet: 200 x 0.25 = 50 cubic feet.
Cubic Yards: 50 / 27 = 1.85 cubic yards.
Weight in Tons: 1.85 x 1.4 = 2.59 tons.
Choosing the Right Depth
The depth of your gravel depends on the usage:
Landscaping/Flower Beds: 2 to 3 inches.
Walkways/Paths: 3 to 4 inches.
Driveways: 6 to 8 inches (usually applied in layers).
Shed Bases: 4 to 6 inches of compacted aggregate.
Pro Tip: Always add an extra 5-10% to your order to account for compaction and uneven sub-grades.
function calculateGravel() {
var length = parseFloat(document.getElementById("lengthFt").value);
var width = parseFloat(document.getElementById("widthFt").value);
var depth = parseFloat(document.getElementById("depthIn").value);
var density = parseFloat(document.getElementById("densityTons").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("gravelResult");
var summaryDiv = document.getElementById("calcSummary");
if (isNaN(length) || isNaN(width) || isNaN(depth) || length <= 0 || width <= 0 || depth <= 0) {
alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for length, width, and depth.");
return;
}
// Calculation Logic
var depthFt = depth / 12;
var cubicFeet = length * width * depthFt;
var cubicYards = cubicFeet / 27;
var totalTons = cubicYards * density;
// Results Formatting
var yardsRounded = cubicYards.toFixed(2);
var tonsRounded = totalTons.toFixed(2);
var bagsNeeded = Math.ceil(cubicFeet / 0.5); // Standard 0.5 cu ft bags often found at stores
summaryDiv.innerHTML = "Total Volume: " + yardsRounded + " Cubic Yards" +
"Total Weight: " + tonsRounded + " Tons" +
"Area Coverage: " + (length * width).toFixed(0) + " Square Feet" +
"Note: If buying in small 0.5 cubic foot bags, you would need approximately " + bagsNeeded + " bags.";
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
resultDiv.scrollIntoView({ behavior: 'smooth', block: 'nearest' });
}