Gravel & Aggregate Calculator (Yards & Tons)
Enter the length, width, and depth of the area you are filling and get the material in cubic yards, tons, and cubic feet. Most quarries and delivery yards price and sell gravel by the ton, so both numbers matter when you call in an order.
Gravel & Aggregate Calculator
Enter your dimensions in feet and inches. Tons assume an average gravel density of 1.4 tons per cubic yard — denser materials like crushed stone can run higher.
1.4 tons/yd³ is a reasonable average for gravel; pea gravel and crushed stone can run 1.35–1.5 tons/yd³. Confirm the exact density with your supplier before ordering by weight.
How much gravel do I need? The formula
Gravel volume is length × width × depth, all converted to feet, then divided by 27 to get cubic yards. Since suppliers usually sell and deliver by the ton, convert cubic yards to tons using the material’s density — 1.4 tons per cubic yard is a solid average for standard gravel.
| Step | Example: 20×10 ft area, 4" deep |
|---|---|
| Depth to feet | 4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft |
| Cubic feet | 20 × 10 × 0.333 = 66.7 ft³ |
| Cubic yards | 66.7 ÷ 27 = 2.47 yd³ |
| Tons (×1.4) | 2.47 × 1.4 = 3.46 tons |
Contractor Estimate Calculator (Excel & Google Sheets)
Turn yards and tons into a priced, itemized estimate — materials, delivery, labor, markup, and profit, auto-totaled.
How deep should a gravel base be?
A walkway or light-traffic path typically needs 2–4 inches of gravel. A driveway base usually runs 4–6 inches (sometimes deeper with a compacted sub-base layer), while drainage trenches and French drains are often 6–12 inches. Always compact in lifts rather than dumping the full depth at once.
Price the job and invoice it clean
Once you know your yardage, price materials, delivery, and labor with a construction estimate template, then invoice the finished job with a clean, itemized construction invoice template.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
About 1.4 tons for standard gravel. Denser materials like crushed stone can run 1.4–1.5 tons per cubic yard, so confirm the exact density with your supplier before ordering by weight.
How deep should a gravel driveway base be?
4–6 inches is typical for a compacted driveway base, sometimes with an additional sub-base layer beneath it for poor soil conditions.
Should I order extra gravel?
Yes, 5–10% extra covers compaction settling and spillage. The calculator’s +10% order line accounts for this automatically.
Is this gravel calculator free?
Yes — free, no sign-up. Enter your dimensions and read cubic yards, tons, and cubic feet. Estimates only; confirm density with your supplier.