Gravel Cost Calculator

Gravel Calculator

Calculate how much gravel you need — and what it will cost — for a driveway, walkway, or drainage bed. Enter your area, gravel type, and price per ton to get cubic yards, tons, and total estimated cost.

Pick the shape that best matches the area you're covering.

ft
ft
in

Most driveways use 4–6 in of gravel depth.

Density affects how many tons your order weighs.

$/ton

Check with your local supplier — gravel typically runs $15–$75 per ton.

Covers uneven sub-grade, spillage, and compaction. 10% works for most driveways.

How this is calculated

Area is calculated from the shape you select — rectangle (length × width), circle (π × radius²), triangle (½ × base × height), circular ring (π × (outer radius² − inner radius²)) for paths around a bed, or trapezoid (average of the two parallel sides × width) for tapered driveways. That area is multiplied by depth to get the exact volume required, converted from cubic feet to cubic yards (27 ft³ per yd³). We add your selected waste percentage to that required volume to get the waste-adjusted volume — the actual amount of material to buy — and every other figure (weight, bags, and cost) is calculated from that same waste-adjusted volume, so they always agree with each other. The suggested order then rounds that waste-adjusted volume up to the nearest 0.1 yd³, since most suppliers sell gravel in small fractional-yard increments. Weight uses the selected gravel type's typical density — crushed stone, pea gravel, limestone, river rock, and decomposed granite all pack differently, from about 2,600 to 2,800 lb per cubic yard. Total cost multiplies that weight by your entered price per ton. For small orders, we also estimate the equivalent number of standard 0.5 ft³ bags, and show the waste-adjusted volume and weight converted to metric (m³ and kg).

Example calculation

A 20 ft × 10 ft driveway at 4 in deep needs 2.47 yd³ of gravel. With 10% waste that's 2.72 yd³ of crushed stone — about 3.53 tons — so suggested order is 2.8 yd³. At $55/ton, that's roughly $194.20.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. Use the "Area shape" dropdown to switch to circle, triangle, circular ring (for a path around a bed or tree), or trapezoid (for a driveway that's wider at one end). Each shape shows the specific measurements it needs and the area formula is shown in the breakdown.