GRAVEL CALCULATOR
Enter your project dimensions, pick your material, and get an accurate tonnage, cubic-yard, and estimated cost. Built for driveways, patios, pads, walkways, and anything else you backfill with stone.
Typical: 4" for driveway base, 2" for patio topping, 6" for heavy-load pads.
Add 5–10% to account for compaction, spillage, and trim loss.
How the calculator works
The math is straightforward. Volume is length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27 to convert to cubic yards. Tons is cubic yards multiplied by the material's density.
The catch: different stone types have different densities. Limestone runs about 1.35 tons per cubic yard compacted. Granite and trap rock are denser at around 1.5. Pea gravel and standard crushed stone fall in between. The calculator picks the right density for the material you select so the tonnage estimate matches what the quarry will actually weigh on their scale.
Typical project depths
- Patio base — 4" of crusher run under 2" of paver sand.
- Residential gravel driveway — 4" compacted, top coat of #57 over a #411 base.
- Walkway / path — 2–3" of pea gravel or #8 over landscape fabric.
- Heavy-duty pad / RV pad — 6" of DGA or ABC, compacted in 3" lifts.
- French drain — wrap pipe in 3–4" of #57 stone on all sides.
Getting a real quote
The calculator gives you a tight order estimate and a reasonable price range. To get an actual delivered price, call 2–3 quarries within 25–50 miles of the job site and request itemized quotes (price per ton at the quarry, price delivered, minimum order, lead time).
The how-to-buy-crushed-stone guide walks through what to ask and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
Roughly 1.4 tons per cubic yard for most crushed stone, sand, and gravel. Limestone is closer to 1.35, granite and trap rock closer to 1.5. The calculator uses the correct density for each material.
How deep should I spread gravel?
Typical depths: 2 inches for a patio topping over a compacted base, 4 inches for a residential gravel driveway, 6 inches under pavers or for heavy-duty driveways, and 8+ inches for commercial pads and truck traffic.
Does the calculator include delivery cost?
No. The cost range is the material price FOB (free on board) at the quarry. Delivery typically adds $6–$12 per loaded mile for a tri-axle truck. On short hauls, delivery can double the delivered price; on 50+ mile hauls, trucking often costs more than the stone itself.
Why order extra?
Crushed stone compacts 10–20% on installation, and there is always some trim loss around edges and spillage during placement. A 5–10% overage prevents coming up short on the last truck.
Do quarries sell partial loads?
Many do, usually with a partial-load fee. For less than one ton, you are often better off at a retail landscape-supply yard. For 1–20 tons, ask the quarry about over-the-scale pickup or partial trucks.
Ready to order?
Browse every active US quarry by state or material and request a quote directly from the operator. 5,320+ operations, all sourced from MSHA government data.