How much gravel do I need for a driveway?

For a standard single-car driveway (roughly 20 × 10 ft) at 4 inches deep, plan on about 2.5 cubic yards, or 3 cubic yards once you add the compaction buffer for the base layer.

Is gravel sold by the yard or by the ton?

Both: bulk suppliers typically quote and deliver by the ton, while landscaping estimates are usually done in cubic yards. Convert between them using your gravel's density (about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for a typical mix).

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

4 to 6 inches for the surface layer is standard for passenger vehicles. If you're building over soft or poorly draining soil, add a separate 4- to 6-inch compacted base layer underneath.

How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?

About 1.4 tons as a working average, but the range runs from roughly 1.2 for rounded pea gravel to 1.6 for crusher run and screenings. Density depends on the source rock, the gradation, and how wet the stockpile is, so ask your supplier for the figure on the specific product rather than relying on a general average.

What's the difference between #57 stone and crusher run?

#57 is a uniform, angular, washed stone with permanent voids between the pieces, which makes it drain freely. It is the right choice for French drains and trench backfill. Crusher run is well graded, containing fines that fill those voids, so it compacts to a dense load-bearing layer. Using #57 as a driveway base is a common mistake: it never firms up, so the surface course sinks into it and ruts.

Do I need landscape fabric under gravel?

For decorative beds and low-traffic paths, fabric underneath helps prevent weeds and keeps gravel from sinking into the soil over time. For driveways, a proper compacted base layer matters more than fabric alone.

Gravel Calculator

Enter your area’s length, width, and depth below to calculate how much gravel you need, in cubic yards, tons, or a truckload count. The depth you choose matters more than any other input, so start there before you measure anything else.

Length (ft)

Width (ft)

Depth (in)

Compaction buffer

Density (tons / cu yd)

Price per ton ($ (optional))

Cubic yards: 2.47 cu yd
With buffer: 2.84 cu yd
Tons (with buffer): 4.0 tons
Estimated cost: —

Includes a 15% compaction buffer. Order in whole or half-yard increments. Round up to the nearest your supplier offers.

Choosing the Right Depth for Your Project

Gravel depth isn’t one-size-fits-all. It depends entirely on what’s going on top of it:

Project Type	Recommended Depth
Walkways & decorative beds	2–3 inches
Standard driveway surface	4–6 inches
Driveway base layer (under a surface course)	4–6 inches, as a separate layer
Drainage trenches & heavy-traffic areas	6–12 inches

A driveway built directly over raw subgrade often needs two layers stacked rather than one blanket depth: a compacted base course plus a finer surface layer. If you’re building a full driveway, price both layers separately rather than treating it as a single pour.

Calculating Volume and Weight

Once you know your depth, the math is straightforward:

Cubic yards = (Length ft × Width ft × Depth in.) ÷ 324

(This shortcut combines converting inches to feet and cubic feet to cubic yards into one step: 12 × 27 = 324.)

Example: A 20 ft × 10 ft driveway surface at 4 inches deep.

20 × 10 × 4 ÷ 324 = 2.5 cubic yards

Most suppliers price gravel by the ton rather than the yard. A commonly used average is 1.4 tons per cubic yard, though this varies: lighter decorative stone can run closer to 1.2, while dense crushed base rock can exceed 1.6.

2.5 cubic yards × 1.4 tons/yd³ = 3.5 tons

Don’t Forget the Compaction Buffer

This is the step most first-time DIYers miss. Gravel that gets driven over, walked on, or plate-compacted settles and loses 10–20% of its loose volume. If you order exactly what the raw math says, you’ll end up short once the material compacts.

For a driveway base or any load-bearing application, add 15% to your order:

2.5 cubic yards × 1.15 = 2.9 cubic yards → order 3 cubic yards

For decorative beds or paths that won’t be driven on, the buffer is optional: 5% for general spillage is usually enough.

Compaction is also the reason base goes down in lifts rather than one deep layer: a plate compactor only reaches so far, and anything below that depth stays loose no matter how many passes it gets. Lift thickness, and what a poorly compacted base does to the layers above it, are covered in the paver base and bedding guide.

Common Gravel Types

Crushed stone / #57 stone: angular, locks together well, the standard choice for driveways and drainage.
Pea gravel: small, rounded, comfortable underfoot; popular for walkways and decorative beds, but shifts more under vehicle weight.
Decomposed granite: compacts to a firm, semi-solid surface; common for pathways in dry climates.
Road base / crusher run: a mix of crushed stone and fines that compacts hard; typically used as the bottom layer under a driveway’s surface course, not as the visible top layer.

Why “Gravel” Doesn’t Have One Density

The 1.4 tons per cubic yard figure above is an average across a category that varies more than most people expect. Two properties drive it, and they also determine how the material behaves once it is down.

Angularity. Crushed stone has fractured faces that interlock under load. Rounded stone such as pea gravel or river rock cannot interlock; the stones roll past each other instead. This is why pea gravel stays loose underfoot however much you compact it, and why it migrates out of a driveway over a season while crushed stone stays put.

Gradation. A well-graded material contains a spread of particle sizes, so the small ones fill the voids between the large ones. A uniformly graded material is all one size and keeps its voids permanently. Crusher run is well-graded by design and locks up hard; #57 stone is deliberately uniform, which is exactly why it drains.

Those two properties explain the density spread:

Material	Approx. Tons per Cubic Yard	Behaviour
Pea gravel / river rock	1.2–1.4	Rounded, will not lock up
#57 crushed stone	1.3–1.4	Angular, uniform, drains freely
Crusher run / road base	1.4–1.6	Well graded, compacts hard
Screenings / stone dust	1.4–1.6	Fine, compacts to near-solid
Decomposed granite	1.3–1.5	Compacts to a firm surface

Ask your supplier for the figure on the specific product. Quarries know their own material’s density and it varies by source rock. A limestone and a granite of the same gradation are not the same weight.

Moisture moves the number too. Material stockpiled outdoors after rain can weigh noticeably more than the same stone dry, which is worth knowing when you are buying by weight to fill a volume you measured. Order against the wetter figure and accept a small surplus. Our construction unit conversions guide covers the yards-to-tons arithmetic across materials in more detail.

Choosing Between Drainage and Compaction

These two goals pull in opposite directions, and picking the wrong material for the job is more common than getting the quantity wrong.

If you need it to drain (French drains, trench backfill around perimeter drains, dry wells, base under a shed), use a uniform, angular, washed stone such as #57. The voids are the point. Adding fines to “make it solid” destroys the drainage you installed it for.

If you need it to bear load (driveway base, patio and paver base, under a slab), use a well-graded material with fines, such as crusher run. It compacts to a dense, stable layer that will not rut under a vehicle.

The classic failure is using #57 stone as a driveway base because it is what the yard had. It drains beautifully and never firms up, so the surface course sinks into it and the driveway develops ruts within a season. The reverse error, using crusher run around a perimeter drain, blinds the drain with fines and it stops working.

For a paver or slab base, a compacted crusher run layer with a thin screeding course on top is the conventional build. See the paver calculator for the layer depths.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?: For a standard single-car driveway (roughly 20 × 10 ft) at 4 inches deep, plan on about 2.5 cubic yards, or 3 cubic yards once you add the compaction buffer for the base layer.
Is gravel sold by the yard or by the ton?: Both: bulk suppliers typically quote and deliver by the ton, while landscaping estimates are usually done in cubic yards. Convert between them using your gravel's density (about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for a typical mix).
How deep should a gravel driveway be?: 4 to 6 inches for the surface layer is standard for passenger vehicles. If you're building over soft or poorly draining soil, add a separate 4- to 6-inch compacted base layer underneath.
How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?: About 1.4 tons as a working average, but the range runs from roughly 1.2 for rounded pea gravel to 1.6 for crusher run and screenings. Density depends on the source rock, the gradation, and how wet the stockpile is, so ask your supplier for the figure on the specific product rather than relying on a general average.
What's the difference between #57 stone and crusher run?: #57 is a uniform, angular, washed stone with permanent voids between the pieces, which makes it drain freely. It is the right choice for French drains and trench backfill. Crusher run is well graded, containing fines that fill those voids, so it compacts to a dense load-bearing layer. Using #57 as a driveway base is a common mistake: it never firms up, so the surface course sinks into it and ruts.
Do I need landscape fabric under gravel?: For decorative beds and low-traffic paths, fabric underneath helps prevent weeds and keeps gravel from sinking into the soil over time. For driveways, a proper compacted base layer matters more than fabric alone.

Estimates on this page are for planning purposes. Depth requirements can vary by soil type, drainage conditions, and local frost line. Confirm with your supplier or a local contractor before ordering for a driveway or structural application.

Written by: The CubedCalc Team. We research and fact-check every calculator using manufacturer specs, building codes, and industry references. We are not licensed contractors or engineers; always verify structural or code-critical numbers with a qualified professional.