Landscaping
Gravel Calculator
Estimate gravel for driveways, walkways, drainage, and base courses. Includes tons and truckloads.
Inputs
3/4-inch crushed gravel is the go-to for driveways, pathways, and general landscape use — 4 inches over a compacted base.
Live estimate
Material needed
6.17 cu yd
- Cubic yards
- 6.17 cu yd
- Tons
- 8.64 tons
- Truckloads
- 0.51
- Area
- 500 sq ft
- Cubic feet
- 166.67
You will likely need
- •6.17 cu yd — material needed
- •Schedule 1 truck load
- •Approximate delivered weight: 8.64 tons
Supplier tip
Most suppliers sell gravel by either the cubic yard or by weight. Confirm your supplier's preferred ordering unit before purchasing.
Weight estimates are based on industry-standard average material densities. Actual delivered weights may vary by supplier and moisture content.
Diagram
Live estimate
- Mathematical quantity
- 6 cu yd
- Voids are already priced into bulk cubic-yard rock
- Informational
- Field conditions
- Not applied
- Adjusted requirement
- 6 cu yd
- Ordering rule
- Round up to whole ton
- Suggested order
- 7 cu yd
Bulk-yard cubic yards already reflect inter-particle voids. Yardexa does not add an automatic voids allowance.
What you actually need in the field, before rounding to a supplier-friendly ordering unit.
Estimator confidence
HighCrushed and rounded rock has void space between particles, but bulk-yard cubic yards already reflect that packing. No automatic order allowance is added; consider a user-selectable edge-migration condition where borders are open.
Improve confidence: Depth should be at least 2× the largest stone dimension; edge migration on open borders is a separate consideration.
Why this behavior applies: Crushed rock has visible voids between particles, but suppliers quote and deliver by geometric cubic yard at the yard's standard packing. Adding a generic voids percentage on top would silently inflate every order. Edge migration on open borders is a separate user-selectable field condition, not a universal default.
- Stone size vs specified depth — Depth should be at least 2× the largest stone dimension.
- Angular vs rounded shape — Angular stone shows more voids at the surface.
- Whether the layer is decorative or bearing — Bearing layers need a compacted-base calculation instead.
- Driveways need at least 4 inches over a compacted base — thinner layers rut quickly.
- Use edging on paths and drives to prevent gravel loss into lawns and beds.
- Confirm whether the supplier sells by the yard or by weight — pricing can differ significantly.
- Skipping the compacted base layer under a gravel driveway.
- Ordering by volume when the supplier prices by weight, or vice versa.
- Forgetting waste for spillage during dump-and-spread.
Smart tips
- Ordering 5–10% extra is standard on irregular layouts. Running short costs more than the excess.
- Compacted bases lose 15–25% of their loose volume. Add compaction to avoid running short.
- Enter your dimensions to see live material estimates.
How it's calculated
Area is derived from your shape inputs and converted to sq ft.
Depth is converted to feet; cubic feet = area × depth.
Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27, then × (1 + waste %) × (1 + compaction %).
Estimated tons = cubic yards (with waste) × 1.4.
Truckloads = cubic yards (with waste) ÷ truck capacity.
Total cost = cubic yards (with waste) × price per cubic yard + delivery.
Material assumptions
- Gravel density: about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
- Driveways: 4–6 inches depth over a compacted base.
- Paths: 2–3 inches over landscape fabric.
Frequently asked questions
Related calculators
Related articles
Deeper guidance from the Learn library — sizing, depth, waste, and ordering for this material.
- Gravel Calculator Guide: Cubic Yards vs TonsSome suppliers sell gravel by the yard, others by the ton. Here's how to convert between them and order the right amount every time.
- How Deep Should Decorative Rock Be?Two inches for ground cover, three for weed suppression, four to six for driveways. Depth is a durability decision, not just an aesthetic one.
- Landscape Fabric: When and How to Use ItLandscape fabric is a tool, not a magic barrier. Here's when it works, when it doesn't, and how to install it so it lasts.
- French Drain Gravel Calculator GuideA French drain is only as good as its rock. Here's how to size the trench, pick the right stone, and calculate the exact volume you'll need.
These results are estimates only. Confirm quantities, compaction, waste, and delivery requirements with your supplier or project professional before ordering materials.