Calculate the cubic yards and tons of gravel needed for a driveway, path, or landscaping project.
Gravel and crushed stone are typically sold by weight (tons), so after finding the volume you need, this calculator converts it to an estimated weight using a standard gravel density of about 1.4 tons per cubic yard (this can vary slightly by material type).
Volume (cu ft) = Length × Width × (Depth in inches ÷ 12)
Cubic Yards = Volume (cu ft) ÷ 27
Weight (tons) = Cubic Yards × 1.4
A 30ft × 10ft driveway at 4" deep needs 30 × 10 × (4/12) = 100 cubic feet ≈ 3.7 cubic yards, or roughly 5.2 tons of gravel.
It multiplies area (length × width) by depth to get volume, then converts to tons or cubic yards using the gravel type's typical density.
Different gravel materials (crushed stone, pea gravel, river rock) have different densities, so the same volume can weigh noticeably different amounts depending on the material.
Common recommendations range from 2-4 inches for a topping layer to 4-8 inches including a compacted base layer, depending on expected use and traffic.