Gravel Calculator: Tons & Cubic Yards (Crushed Stone)
How much gravel do I need? Enter the area in feet and the depth in inches to see cubic yards and tons of crushed stone or gravel, plus a cost estimate.
Tool inputs stay in your browser · optional AI search sends your query
Good to know: Scope: how much crushed stone or gravel you need to cover a flat area (a driveway, path, patio base or a round bed) at an even depth, in cubic yards and tons. Volume: cubic yards = length in feet × width in feet × (depth in inches ÷ 12) ÷ 27, using NIST Handbook 44 (12 inches = 1 foot, 27 cubic feet = 1 cubic yard, 1 short ton = 2,000 pounds). Weight: the range of pounds per cubic yard in the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) table “Compacted weights / Loose weights of various materials” for granite or limestone and for trap rock, loose or compacted. Because the table gives a range, the tool shows a low and a high weight; ordering the high end means you will not run short. You can also type your own supplier’s tons per cubic yard. The extra amount is your choice. Not included: sand, river rock, pea gravel, slag and other materials (use your supplier’s weight), sloped or uneven ground, digging out the base, fabric under the gravel, delivery fees and minimum loads, and how deep your project should be (follow your contractor or local rules). Everything stays in this browser tab; nothing is sent or saved. Independent ToolsKo estimate. Sources reviewed November 11, 2026.
How to use it (step by step)
- 1Pick the shape of the area: a rectangle (like a driveway or path), a circle, or type the square feet if you already know them. Enter the size in feet, or feet and inches such as 12' 6".
- 2Enter how deep the gravel layer will be in inches. Pick the type of stone, and whether you mean the depth loose (as spread) or after it is packed down (compacted). If your supplier told you how many tons are in a cubic yard, pick “My supplier’s weight” and type it.
- 3Read the cubic yards and the tons. Order the high end of the range, and add a price per ton or per cubic yard for a cost estimate.
Words to know
- Cubic yard
- A box 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and 3 feet high, which is 27 cubic feet. Gravel yards and landscape suppliers often sell stone by the cubic yard.
- Ton
- In the US a ton (short ton) is 2,000 pounds. Quarries and many suppliers sell gravel by the ton, weighed on a truck scale.
- Loose vs. compacted
- Loose gravel is how it comes off the truck. Compacted gravel has been packed down with a roller or plate compactor, so the same weight takes up less space. If you will pack it, enter the finished depth and pick compacted.
- Crushed stone
- Rock such as limestone or granite broken into pieces at a quarry. Trap rock is a hard, dark, heavy stone, so a yard of it weighs more.
Explore tools for Australia, the US & Europe →
Sources & methods
- Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Engineering Policy Guide: Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors (compacted and loose weights of granite or limestone and trap rock, pounds per cubic yard) ↗
- MoDOT Engineering Policy Guide: Category 170 Maintenance Activity Planning Guidelines (links the conversion tables) ↗
- NIST Handbook 44 (2025), Appendix C: General Tables of Units of Measurement (12 in = 1 ft, 27 cu ft = 1 cu yd, 1 ton = 2,000 lb) ↗
References checked November 11, 2026. Read each tool’s scope and assumptions before relying on its result.