Gravel Calculator

Multiply cubic yards by the material's bulk density. For crushed stone (#57) that's 1.5 tons/yard; pea gravel is about 1.4 tons/yard; river rock is 1.35 tons/yard. Lava rock is much lighter at ~0.7 tons/yard. This calculator applies the right factor automatically when you pick a material.

A standard residential driveway needs 4–6 inches of compactable road base plus a 2–3 inch top layer of finished gravel — 6–9 inches total. For heavy vehicles or poor drainage, go deeper. Use this calculator twice: once for the base layer, once for the top layer.

10 × 10 × (3/12) = 25 cubic feet = 0.93 cubic yards ≈ 1.3 tons of pea gravel. That's the bare minimum — order at least 5–10% extra for waste and settling.

Suppliers sell gravel both ways. Landscaping yards often quote by the cubic yard (volume). Quarries quote by the ton (weight). Always confirm which unit your supplier uses — the price per ton and price per yard look similar but are very different amounts of material.

Gravel shifts, settles by 10–20% after compaction, and you'll lose some on edges and low spots. A 10% waste factor is sensible for most projects; use 15–20% for irregular shapes, sloped ground, or pathway edging.

A typical 50 lb bag covers about 0.5 cubic feet. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so you'd need about 54 bags — and they'd cost far more than bulk delivery. Bags are only practical for small patches under ¼ cubic yard.