How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?

With the calculator’s presets, 1.25 to 1.45 tons: river rock 2,500 lb per cubic yard (1.25 t), pea gravel 2,600 (1.3 t), crushed stone 2,700 (1.35 t), gabion stone 2,900 (1.45 t). Wet or finely graded material weighs more, so type the density from your supplier’s quote when you have it.

How much gravel do I need for a 12 × 50 ft driveway?

At 4 inches of crushed stone, 8.15 cubic yards or 11 tons with 10% waste, and 7.41 cubic yards or 10 tons without. At $40 a ton the bulk price comes to $404.80, which includes the 8% discount the calculator assumes from 10 tons.

Is gravel cheaper in bags or in bulk?

Per ton, bulk. A 4 × 10 ft strip 2 inches deep in pea gravel is $14.12 in bulk at $40 a ton, or $67.50 for fifteen 0.5 ft³ bags at $4.50. Bags make sense when a delivery charge or minimum load, which the calculator does not include, would cost more than that difference.

How do I work out gravel for a round bed or fire pit?

Choose Circle and enter the radius, half the width. A circle 10 ft across at 3 inches deep is π × 5² = 78.5 sq ft, 0.80 cubic yards and 1.04 tons of pea gravel with 10% waste.

Can I enter the area in meters?

Yes. Pick m for length and width and cm or mm for the depth. Results stay in cubic yards and US tons: 5 × 3 m at 10 cm of crushed stone with no waste is 1.96 cubic yards and 2.65 tons. If you know only the area, choose Total area and type it in sq ft, sq m or sq yd: 50 sq m at 10 cm is 6.54 cubic yards and 8.83 tons.

How much extra gravel should I allow for compaction?

Type the percentage your supplier or plan gives into Compaction allowance; the calculator has no default and adds nothing at 0. It multiplies in with the waste factor, so 10 × 10 ft at 3 inches of crushed stone with 10% waste is 1.02 cubic yards, and with 20% compaction 1.22 cubic yards and 1.65 tons.

Gravel Calculator

Gravel for a path, patio or driveway in cubic yards, tons and bags: rectangle, circle, triangle or known area, with bulk and bagged cost compared. How it works

Area

Shape

Length

Width

Depth

Material and price

Material Type

Material Density (lbs/yd³)

Pea Gravel: ~2600 lbs/yd³

Waste Factor

Compaction allowance (%)

Optional. Extra volume for settling, multiplied in with the waste factor. 0 adds nothing.

Purchase Mode

Price per Ton ($)

Assumed bulk discount: 4% off from 5 tons, 8% from 10 tons, 15% from 20 tons

Gravel needed

1.02 yd³

Weight 1.32 tons · Bulk cost $52.96

Breakdown

Volume: 1.02 yd³
Weight: 1.32 tons2,648 lbs
Bags Needed: 55@ 0.5 ft³/bag
Recommended: $52.96Bulk Delivery

Cost Comparison

Bulk DeliveryRecommended

$52.96

$40.00/ton × 1.32 tons

Pre-Bagged

$247.50

55 bags × $4.5/bag

Includes 10% waste factor. Gravel compacts when spread and some material is always lost during transport.

Depth Preview

Shallow (1")Standard (6")Deep (12")

About the Gravel Calculator

A 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep holds 0.93 cubic yards. Add the default 10% for waste and the gravel calculator gives 1.02 cubic yards, or 1.38 tons of crushed stone at 2,700 lb per cubic yard. Cubic yards = length × width × depth, all in yards; tons = cubic yards × density ÷ 2,000.

Crushed stone for common areas

Area	2 in deep	3 in deep	4 in deep
10 × 10 ft (100 sq ft)	0.68 yd³, 0.92 t	1.02 yd³, 1.38 t	1.36 yd³, 1.83 t
20 × 20 ft (400 sq ft)	2.72 yd³, 3.67 t	4.07 yd³, 5.50 t	5.43 yd³, 7.33 t
12 × 50 ft (600 sq ft)	4.07 yd³, 5.50 t	6.11 yd³, 8.25 t	8.15 yd³, 11.00 t

Crushed stone at 2,700 lb/yd³ with the default 10% waste, in US tons of 2,000 lb.

Frequently asked questions

How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?: With the calculator’s presets, 1.25 to 1.45 tons: river rock 2,500 lb per cubic yard (1.25 t), pea gravel 2,600 (1.3 t), crushed stone 2,700 (1.35 t), gabion stone 2,900 (1.45 t). Wet or finely graded material weighs more, so type the density from your supplier’s quote when you have it.
How much gravel do I need for a 12 × 50 ft driveway?: At 4 inches of crushed stone, 8.15 cubic yards or 11 tons with 10% waste, and 7.41 cubic yards or 10 tons without. At $40 a ton the bulk price comes to $404.80, which includes the 8% discount the calculator assumes from 10 tons.
Is gravel cheaper in bags or in bulk?: Per ton, bulk. A 4 × 10 ft strip 2 inches deep in pea gravel is $14.12 in bulk at $40 a ton, or $67.50 for fifteen 0.5 ft³ bags at $4.50. Bags make sense when a delivery charge or minimum load, which the calculator does not include, would cost more than that difference.
How do I work out gravel for a round bed or fire pit?: Choose Circle and enter the radius, half the width. A circle 10 ft across at 3 inches deep is π × 5² = 78.5 sq ft, 0.80 cubic yards and 1.04 tons of pea gravel with 10% waste.
Can I enter the area in meters?: Yes. Pick m for length and width and cm or mm for the depth. Results stay in cubic yards and US tons: 5 × 3 m at 10 cm of crushed stone with no waste is 1.96 cubic yards and 2.65 tons. If you know only the area, choose Total area and type it in sq ft, sq m or sq yd: 50 sq m at 10 cm is 6.54 cubic yards and 8.83 tons.
How much extra gravel should I allow for compaction?: Type the percentage your supplier or plan gives into Compaction allowance; the calculator has no default and adds nothing at 0. It multiplies in with the waste factor, so 10 × 10 ft at 3 inches of crushed stone with 10% waste is 1.02 cubic yards, and with 20% compaction 1.22 cubic yards and 1.65 tons.

Ordering gravel for a path or driveway

A 40 × 10 ft path 4 inches deep in crushed stone (2,700 lb/yd³) with the default 10% waste needs 5.43 cubic yards, or 7.33 tons. At $40 a ton that is $281.60 in bulk, because the calculator takes an assumed 4% off from 5 tons, so the rate becomes $38.40. The same path in 0.5 ft³ bags at $4.50 is 294 bags and $1323.00. Bags win only on small jobs.

Use the circle for round beds and fire-pit pads, the triangle for a corner bed, and Total area when you already know the square feet, meters or yards. Depth can be in inches, centimeters or millimeters. For a base that will be compacted, add a compaction allowance: 10 × 10 ft at 3 inches with 10% waste is 1.02 yd³, and 20% compaction makes it 1.22.

Volume, weight and cost

cubic yards = area × depth × waste × (1 + compaction ÷ 100) and tons = cubic yards × density ÷ 2000

Length, width or radius (feet, meters or yards) and depth are converted to yards first (1 yd = 3 ft = 0.9144 m = 36 in = 91.44 cm); a circle's area is π × r² and a triangle's ½ × base × height. Waste is 0, 5, 10 or 15%. Density is in pounds per cubic yard: river rock 2,500, pea gravel 2,600, sand 2,650, crushed stone 2,700, quarry process 2,800, MOT Type 1 2,850, gabion stone 2,900, and Custom starts at 2,400. These are rough starting values; moisture and grading change them, so use your supplier's figure when you have it.

Bags are ceil(cubic yards × 27 ÷ bag size) for 0.5, 0.6, 1 or 2 ft³ bags. Bulk cost is tons × price per ton, less a discount the calculator assumes: 4% from 5 tons, 8% from 10 and 15% from 20. Suppliers set their own breaks, and delivery charges and minimum loads are not modelled.

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