Hardscape
Gravel & Crushed Stone Calculator
Enter the area and depth. Two inches suits a top dressing; a driveway base usually wants four or more. Gravel is sold by weight, so we show both yards and tons.
At a glance
- Usual depth
- 2 in
- Weight
- 1.4 tons per cu yd
- Answer in
- cubic yards
100 sq ft at 2 in deep needs:
0.62 cubic yardsof gravel
- ≈ 0.9 tons
Crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so a yard weighs roughly 2,800 lbs. Deeper base layers (driveways, patios) need more than a decorative top course.
Need it delivered? Cedar Creek Landscape Supply sells gravel by the yard across the Triangle.
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The base matters more than the surface
Most failed patios and driveways are base failures, not material failures. Get the compacted depth right for Triangle clay and the top layer will outlast the person who laid it.
How this is worked out
No hidden fudge factor. This is the whole calculation.
- Length times width gives the area in square feet.
- Area times the depth in feet, which is your inches divided by 12, gives cubic feet.
- Cubic feet divided by 27 gives cubic yards, because a yard is 3 feet cubed.
- Tonnage is the cubic yards times 1.4, which is roughly what a yard of this weighs.
Common questions
- How much gravel do I need?
- Multiply your area's length by its width for square feet, then by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12), and divide by 27 for cubic yards. This calculator does it for you. Enter length, width, and depth.
- How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?
- Gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.