Gravel calculator
Work out how much gravel you need in cubic yards and tons, or cubic metres and bulk bags, with the density range every figure comes from.
Gravel calculator
Use your supplier's density
You need
- Volume
- Weight
- Area
| Order by | Exact | Order, rounded up for anything sold in whole bags |
|---|
Enter your measurements to see what to order.
One cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.35 US tons and covers about 183 square feet at 1.8 in.
How to work out how much gravel you need
- Measure the area in feet and multiply length by width.
- Pick a depth in inches and multiply it by the area to get a volume.
- Multiply the volume by the bulk density, 1602 kg per cubic metre for gravel, to get a weight.
- Divide the weight by your supplier's ton or cubic yard to get what to order, and round up. Suppliers do not sell part bags.
- Add 10 percent. Covers settlement, uneven ground and the material lost around the edges. A second delivery for half a yard costs more than the extra you did not use.
How many tons in a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.35 US tons, at 1602 kg per cubic metre. Because published densities run from 1424 to 1780, the honest answer is a range: between 1.2 and 1.5 tons per cubic yard depending on grading and how wet the load is.
How many cubic yards in a ton of gravel?
About 0.74 cubic yards. One tonne is about 0.62 cubic metres.
How deep should gravel be laid?
| Use | Depth | What the supplier says |
|---|---|---|
| Path | 1.6 in to 2 in | Mainland Aggregates: no more than 40 to 50mm on paths and driveways. |
| Driveway | 1.6 in to 2 in | Mainland Aggregates: gravel goes over a compacted sub-base, not straight onto soil. |
| Border | 1.6 in to 2 in | Mainland Aggregates. |
How much does gravel weigh?
Between 1424 and 1780 kg per cubic metre, a spread of 25 percent. Loose, as delivered. Four producers and yards across three states. The verifier dropped one yard's 3,500 lb per cubic yard ceiling because it implies a 22 percent void fraction, which loose gravel cannot reach. The calculator above uses 1602, and you can replace it with your own supplier's figure.
4 published figures from 4 suppliers, read 2026-09-20.
| Supplier | Published figure | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Hedrick Industries (BV Hedrick Gravel & Sand / Grove Stone & Sand)US | Washed Stone - 105 lbs/FT³ (page also lists ABC- 145 lbs/FT³, Screenings - 110 lbs/FT³, Sand - 100 lbs/FT³) | Unstated as to moisture |
| Harbor SoilsUS | Crushed gravel: 2,700-3,000 lbs per cubic yard (same table: Decorative rock 2,500-3,500 lbs) | Loose as delivered, moisture unstated for the gravel row |
| Roseville Landscape Material Supply (trading as Roseville Rock Supply)US | Sand / Gravel: 2,600-2,800 lbs per cubic yard (same table: Decorative Rock 2,400-2,800 lbs; River Rock 2,400-2,600 lbs; Decomposed Granite ~3,000 lbs) | Loose as delivered, moisture and compaction unstated |
| North Bay Materials Delivery ServicesUS | Sand, Gravel, DG, Rock, River Cobble: 2,500 - 2,900 lbs. per cubic yard / 1.35 tons | Unstated |
What you can order gravel in
| Pack | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|
| cubic yard | US, CA | 0.765 m3 |
| US ton | US, CA | 907 kg |
| 0.5 cu ft bag | US, CA | 0.014 m3 |
| 850kg bulk bag | UK | 850 kg (suppliers state 700 to 1000 kg) |
Gravel and aggregate
In the UK trade the same material is sold as aggregate, ordered in tonnes and bulk bags, so the aggregate calculator works in those units and at those depths.