Gravel Cost Calculator
Estimate gravel material cost. Enter your area, depth, and a price per ton to see the total.
Results
- Volume needed
- 1.85 cu yd
- With 10% waste
- 2.04 cu yd
- Cubic feet
- 50 cu ft
- Cubic meters
- 1.42 m³
- Estimated weight
- 2.85 tons
Estimates only. Round up and buy a little extra to account for waste, spills, and breakage.
This gravel cost calculator sizes your driveway, path, or drainage bed in tons, then multiplies by your local delivered price so you know the bill before the truck arrives.
Gravel is sold by the ton in most of the US and by the cubic yard in some regions. Because a yard of crushed stone weighs roughly 1.4 tons, mixing the two units is the most common budgeting mistake.
Also used as a gravel price calculator and crushed stone cost per ton estimator.
How to use the gravel cost calculator
- Enter the shape.
- Enter the length in ft.
- Enter the width in ft.
- Enter the depth in in.
- Enter the waste factor in %.
- Optionally add a price to estimate the total project cost.
- Read your quantities instantly — no sign-up, and you can print the estimate to take to the supplier.
Worked example
Inputs
- Shape
- Rectangle / Square
- Length
- 20 ft
- Width
- 10 ft
- Depth
- 3 in
- Waste factor
- 10 %
Results
- Volume needed
- 1.85 cu yd
- With 10% waste
- 2.04 cu yd
- Cubic feet
- 50 cu ft
- Cubic meters
- 1.42 m³
- Estimated weight
- 2.85 tons
Using the example values above, the gravel cost calculator returns 1.85 cu yd (volume needed). Change any field to match your own project and the numbers update instantly.
What does gravel cost?
Crushed stone commonly runs $25 to $65 per ton at the quarry, with delivery adding $50 to $150 per load depending on distance. Decorative stone, pea gravel, and river rock sit well above plain crusher run.
Delivery is charged per load, not per ton, so ordering a full load is far cheaper per ton than two partial trips. If you need 8 tons, a single 10-ton load is usually the better buy.
How much extra should I order?
Always order a little extra. A 5% waste factor suits simple, square projects; 10% is right for most jobs; bump it to 15–20% for irregular shapes, diagonal patterns, or uneven ground. Running short almost always costs more than the leftover material.
Weight per cubic yard
| Material | Tons per cu yd |
|---|---|
| Crushed stone / gravel | 1.4 |
| Pea gravel | 1.4 |
| Sand (dry) | 1.35 |
| River rock | 1.3 |
| Topsoil (moist) | 1.1 |
Formula
Volume (cu ft) = area × depth ÷ 12. Cubic yards = cu ft ÷ 27. Waste-adjusted = volume × (1 + waste%).
Frequently asked questions
- How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
- Use 4–6 inches total, often in two layers of base and topcoat stone.
- How many tons in a cubic yard of gravel?
- Crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
- How much does a ton of gravel cover?
- About 100 sq ft at 2 in deep, or roughly 70 sq ft at 3 in deep.
- How many tons of gravel in a cubic yard?
- Around 1.4 tons for typical crushed stone, though it varies from 1.25 to 1.5 depending on stone type and moisture.
Related calculators
Gravel Calculator
Find tons and cubic yards of gravel or crushed stone for driveways and paths.
Pea Gravel Calculator
Estimate tons and cubic yards of pea gravel for paths and patios.
Stone Calculator
Estimate tons and cubic yards of crushed or decorative stone.
Landscape Rock Calculator
Estimate tons and cubic yards of decorative landscape rock.
Gravel Cost Calculator
Estimate gravel cost by entering a price per ton.