Gravel Calculator for Driveways
Enter your measurements
Results
- Material needed2.47 cubic yards
- Volume66.67 cubic feet
- Weight3.46 tons
Estimated cost
per cubic yard, delivered
Material cost is per cubic yard delivered and covers common driveway stone (crusher run, #57, #411); a per-load delivery fee and 5- to 10-ton minimum may apply. The installed range, also per cubic yard, adds spreading, grading, and compaction by a contractor but excludes excavation, sub-base prep, and edging, which are priced separately.
Estimate only — prices vary by region, supplier, and season. Get a local quote before buying.
This gravel calculator for driveway projects tells you how many cubic yards, cubic feet, and tons of crushed stone you need before you call a supplier. Enter your driveway's length, width, and depth, and it converts those dimensions into the units quarries and landscape yards actually price by: cubic yards and tons. Crushed stone is sold in bulk by the ton or the cubic yard, usually with a 5- to 10-ton delivery minimum, so ordering short triggers a second trip charge while over-ordering wastes money you can't recoup. Driveway gravel is typically placed 4 to 6 inches deep, and most installs use two courses: a compacted base of larger angular stone (such as #57 crushed limestone) topped with a finer binding layer like crusher run or #411. This tool sizes one layer at a time, so run it once per course and add the results. Because crushed stone compacts and settles, ordering about 10 percent over the bare volume figure is standard practice to cover compaction, edge spillage, and low spots.
How it’s calculated
Volume = Area × Depth. Cubic yards = volume ÷ 27. Tons = cubic yards × material density. Bags = volume ÷ bag size.
Worked example
For a standard single-car driveway — 60 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 4 inches deep — the calculator returns 200 cubic feet, which is 7.41 cubic yards and about 10.37 tons of crushed stone. That comfortably clears most suppliers' delivery minimums while leaving little excess, the level of precision that prevents a second truck trip. For a two-course install, run the base depth and the top-layer depth separately, then add the ton figures together and tack on roughly 10 percent for compaction.
Inputs
- Length
- 60 ft
- Width
- 10 ft
- Depth
- 4 in
Result
- Material needed
- 7.41 cubic yards
- Volume
- 200 cubic feet
- Weight
- 10.37 tons
- Estimated material cost
- $185 – $481
Materials & pricing near you
Crushed stone pricing in the US tracks proximity to limestone quarries and aggregate plants. The Midwest and Mid-Atlantic generally see the lowest bulk prices because quarries are dense there; the mountain West, Pacific Northwest, and parts of New England run higher, partly on haul distance. Material is quoted by the ton or the cubic yard — not both — so confirm which unit a price reflects before comparing bids. Bulk delivery usually requires a 5- to 10-ton minimum and adds a per-load delivery fee, often $50 to $150 for trips up to about 20 miles; smaller amounts are sold by the scoop or in bags at a steep per-ton premium. Prices firm up in spring driveway season and can ease in late fall. Gravel driveways rarely need a building permit, but check local stormwater or impervious-surface rules in suburban municipalities first.
Frequently asked questions
What depth of gravel should I use for a driveway?
Plan on 4 to 6 inches of total gravel depth. Over bare soil, a common build is a 4-inch compacted base of #57 crushed stone topped with about 2 inches of crusher run or #411 as a binding wearing surface. Light passenger-car traffic can work at roughly 4 inches total, while heavy trucks, trailers, or frequent traffic warrant 6 inches or more. Each layer is compacted before the next is added.
How do cubic yards and tons relate for driveway gravel?
Cubic yards measure volume and tons measure weight; suppliers price by one or the other. The conversion depends on the stone, but crushed stone averages about 1.4 tons per cubic yard — so the 7.41 cubic yards in the example weighs roughly 10.4 tons. Dense crusher run runs a bit heavier (closer to 1.5 tons per cubic yard) and open-graded #57 a touch lighter, so confirm the material's weight with your supplier when an exact ton count matters.
How do I measure a curved or irregular driveway?
For a gently curved driveway, measure length along the centerline and use the average width. For irregular shapes, break the area into rectangles or trapezoids, calculate each section separately, and add the totals. Then add about 10 percent to the final figure to cover compaction, spillage at the edges, and filling low spots.
Is bulk delivery or bagged gravel cheaper for a driveway?
Bagged crushed stone from home centers costs several times more per ton than bulk delivered stone, so it only makes sense for patching a worn spot or a very short apron. For any real driveway, bulk delivery is far cheaper per ton even after the delivery fee — which is why suppliers set a 5- to 10-ton minimum. Use this calculator to confirm your total clears that minimum before ordering.