Construction Calculators
Gravel Calculator
Estimate gravel cubic yards, tons, depth, overage, and cost for driveways, paths, patios, drainage, and landscaping.
Project setup
Estimate bulk gravel for driveways, paths, patios, drainage layers, and landscaping.
Overage percentage
Extra material helps cover compaction, uneven ground, and spreading waste.
Leave blank if you only need quantities.
Density note
Actual gravel density varies by material, moisture, compaction, and supplier. Use your supplier's density when available.
Enter the area and depth to estimate gravel in cubic yards, tons, bags, and cost. For best results, use your supplier's gravel density when available.
Choose a mode, enter measurements, then review volume, weight, bags, and optional cost.
Gravel calculator formulas
Rectangle area = length x width.
Circle area = pi x radius squared.
Volume in cubic feet = area in square feet x depth in feet.
Cubic yards = cubic feet / 27.
Tons = cubic yards x gravel density.
Total with overage = amount x (1 + overage % / 100).
Cost = total amount x selected price unit.
Worked examples
A 20 ft x 40 ft driveway at 4 inches deep is about 266.67 cu ft, or 9.88 cu yd before overage. With 10% overage, order about 10.86 cu yd. At 1.4 tons/cu yd, that is about 15.21 tons.
A 3 ft x 30 ft garden path at 2 inches deep is about 15 cu ft, or 0.56 cu yd before overage.
If the total is 25 cu ft and each bag covers 0.5 cu ft, the bag estimate is 50 bags. If the math gives 50.2 bags, round up to 51 bags.
Coverage by gravel depth
Coverage changes with depth. Thicker driveways require more gravel per square foot, while light top-ups use less material.
2 inches
about 162 sq ft per cubic yard
Light refresh, paths, decorative areas
3 inches
about 108 sq ft per cubic yard
Paths, beds, general landscaping
4 inches
about 81 sq ft per cubic yard
Driveway top layer or patio base planning
6 inches
about 54 sq ft per cubic yard
Driveway/base situations with heavier depth needs
Common gravel types
Pea gravel
Good for paths, decorative beds, and lighter landscape areas.
Crushed stone
Common for driveways, bases, drainage, and compacted layers.
River rock
Useful for landscaping, drainage, dry creek beds, and decorative areas.
Decomposed granite
Often used for paths, compacted surfaces, patios, and casual walkways.
Driveway and project depth guidance
- 2 inches: light refresh, top-up, decorative paths, or shallow landscape coverage.
- 3-4 inches: common planning depth for paths, landscaping, and some surface layers.
- 4-6 inches or more: driveway and base situations depending on traffic, soil, sub-base, and compaction.
This is a planning estimate, not engineering advice. Check local conditions, sub-base needs, compaction, and supplier recommendations before ordering.
Common gravel estimate mistakes
- Using inches as feet for depth instead of converting first.
- Forgetting overage for compaction, spreading loss, and uneven ground.
- Confusing cubic yards and tons when comparing supplier quotes.
- Using the wrong gravel density for the selected material.
- Ignoring compaction for driveways, bases, and drainage layers.
- Not checking supplier minimum order, bag coverage, or delivery rules.
Plan the rest of the material estimate
Start with square footage, then add depth to get volume. For nearby project estimates, use the Cubic Yard Calculator, Square Feet to Cubic Yards Calculator, Sand Calculator, Mulch Calculator, Concrete Calculator, or Concrete Bags Calculator.
For driveway-specific depth and overage planning, read the Gravel Driveway Depth and Overage Guide or browse Construction Calculators.
Quick answers
What this calculator answers
- Result: Estimate gravel in cubic yards, tons, cubic feet, bags, and optional cost.
- Method: Area times depth gives cubic feet, then cubic feet divided by 27 gives cubic yards.
- Project planning: Use depth, density, and overage together for driveway, path, patio, drainage, and landscaping estimates. gravel driveway depth guide
Transparency note
Accuracy and limitations
Calzivo tools are built for practical estimates, conversions, and checks. Some tools use standard formulas or simplified assumptions, and results can be affected by input accuracy, rounding, units, local rules, or changing official requirements.
Construction estimates can vary with site conditions, waste, compaction, product coverage, local requirements, and measurement accuracy. Verify material orders before purchasing.
How to Use This Tool
Use these steps to enter the right inputs and interpret the result correctly.
Choose rectangle, circle, multiple areas, or manual area input.
Select a project preset or enter your own depth.
Choose gravel type or enter your supplier density.
Add overage, bag size, and price if you want a buying estimate.
Review cubic yards, tons, bags, and cost before ordering.
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Cubic Yard Calculator
Calculate cubic yards from length, width, and depth for gravel, sand, concrete, mulch, topsoil, fill, and material orders.
Mulch Calculator
Estimate mulch cubic yards, cubic feet, bags, depth, and cost for garden beds, tree rings, paths, and landscaping.
Sand Calculator
Estimate sand cubic yards, tons, bags, depth, and cost for pavers, patios, sandboxes, pool bases, landscaping, and fill.
Concrete Calculator
Estimate concrete cubic yards, cubic feet, bags, cost, and overage for slabs, footings, post holes, and small pours.
Concrete Bags Calculator
Estimate 40 lb, 60 lb, 80 lb, and other concrete bag counts for slabs, posts, footings, patios, and walkways.
Area Calculator
Calculate area for rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, trapezoids, parallelograms, and ellipses with formulas and square units.
Related Guides
Background reading and explanations related to Gravel Calculator.
Gravel Driveway Calculator
Use a gravel driveway calculator formula to estimate cubic yards, tons, depth, waste allowance, and gravel needed for a driveway.
Cubic Yards to Tons
Learn how cubic yards to tons conversions work for gravel, sand, soil, mulch, and driveway materials before ordering.
Gravel Driveway Cost Guide 2026
Estimate gravel driveway cost in 2026 by size, square foot, material, depth, delivery, labor, base prep, and installation factors.
Gravel Driveway Depth and Overage Guide
Use practical depth ranges and overage planning to avoid under-ordering gravel for driveways and base layers.
Square Feet to Cubic Yards Explained
Learn how area and depth turn into cubic yards for gravel, sand, and concrete planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gravel Calculator and how to read the result.
How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
Calculate area, multiply by depth in feet to get cubic feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by gravel density for tons.
How many cubic yards of gravel do I need?
Cubic yards equal cubic feet divided by 27. This calculator shows cubic yards after applying your selected overage.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
Many gravel types are roughly 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, but the exact density depends on material, moisture, compaction, and supplier.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
A common planning depth is about 4 inches, but driveway depth depends on base preparation, traffic, soil, and local conditions.
Should I order extra gravel?
Usually yes. Overage helps cover compaction, uneven ground, spreading loss, and normal ordering waste.
How many bags of gravel do I need?
Divide total cubic feet including overage by the bag volume, then round up because partial bags cannot be purchased.
Why does gravel density vary?
Density changes with stone type, size, moisture, void space, compaction, and supplier measurement methods.