Should I order gravel by the cubic yard or by the ton?

Order in whichever unit your supplier prices by, since both describe the same pile. Quarries and bulk haulers usually sell by the ton because the truck is weighed on a scale. Landscape supply yards more often sell by the cubic yard because they load with a bucket of known volume. A cubic yard of gravel weighs roughly 1.2 to 1.5 tons depending on the stone, so always compare quotes in the same unit before deciding which is cheaper.

Should I add extra gravel for compaction?

Yes if the gravel is being compacted. Angular crushed stone and road base lose roughly ten to twenty percent of their loose volume once plated or rolled, so order about fifteen percent more than the calculated figure when the finished depth matters. Rounded stone such as pea gravel and river rock is not compacted and needs no allowance beyond a little extra for spreading losses and low spots.

Gravel Calculator

Q: How deep should gravel be?

Two inches is enough for a garden path or a decorative bed that only carries foot traffic. Three inches suits a residential driveway surface layer, and four inches is better where trucks, trailers or regular turning are involved. Six inches is a compacted base course under pavers, a shed or a new driveway. A new driveway built from bare soil is usually three separate layers totalling eight to twelve inches, not a single deep pour.

Area and depth in, cubic yards and tons out — ready to quote to a supplier.

Length

Width

Depth

Gravel type

Volume

—yd³

Weight

—tons

Area

—

Volume in cubic feet

—

1 yd³ covers at this depth

—

Compacted gravel settles. If the finished depth matters, order about 15% more than the figure above — see the compaction question below.

How to Use the Gravel Calculator

Measure the length and width of the area in feet. Split irregular shapes into rectangles and run each one separately.
Tap the depth that matches the job — path, driveway, heavy use or base layer.
Pick the gravel type. This only affects the tonnage: different stone weighs different amounts per cubic yard.
Quote your supplier in whichever unit they price by. Both numbers describe the same pile.

How It's Calculated

Volume is area times depth, converted to yards. Depth is in inches, so it is divided by 12 to get feet, and the cubic feet are divided by 27 because a cubic yard is 3 × 3 × 3 feet.

Cubic yards = (length × width × (depth ÷ 12)) ÷ 27
Tons = cubic yards × density

Worked example: a 20 ft × 10 ft driveway at 3 inches is 200 sq ft × 0.25 ft = 50 cubic feet, and 50 ÷ 27 = 1.85 yd³. In crushed stone at 1.4 tons per cubic yard, that is 2.59 tons.

Densities are loose, dry weights and are approximate — 1.2 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard covers most gravels. Wet material weighs more, and a supplier's own figure for their stone beats any general number, so ask if the order is large.

Gravel Coverage Reference

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. How far it spreads depends entirely on depth.

Depth	1 yd³ covers	Typical use
1"	324 sq ft	Top dressing over existing gravel.
2"	162 sq ft	Garden paths, decorative beds, foot traffic only.
3"	108 sq ft	Residential driveway surface layer.
4"	81 sq ft	Driveways with trucks, trailers or regular turning.
6"	54 sq ft	Compacted base under pavers, sheds or new driveways.
12"	27 sq ft	Trench backfill, French drains, deep sub-base.

A cubic yard of gravel weighs 1.2–1.5 tons, so a standard pickup bed handles about half a yard before you are over the axle rating. Two yards is a job for a dump truck.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I order by the cubic yard or by the ton?

Whichever your supplier prices by — both describe the same pile. Quarries and bulk haulers usually sell by the ton, because the truck crosses a scale. Landscape yards more often sell by the cubic yard, because they load with a bucket of known volume. A cubic yard runs roughly 1.2–1.5 tons depending on the stone, so convert before comparing two quotes; the cheaper-looking unit is often just the smaller one.

How deep should gravel be?

2" is plenty for a garden path or decorative bed carrying foot traffic. 3" suits a residential driveway surface. 4" is better where trucks, trailers or regular turning are involved. 6" is a compacted base course under pavers, a shed or a new driveway. Note that a driveway built from bare soil is normally three layers totalling 8–12" — a large angular base, a middle layer, then the surface stone — rather than one deep pour.

Should I add extra for compaction?

Yes, if the gravel is being compacted. Angular crushed stone and road base lose roughly 10–20% of their loose volume once plated or rolled, so order about 15% over the calculated figure when the finished depth matters. Rounded stone — pea gravel, river rock — isn't compacted and needs no allowance beyond a little extra for spreading and low spots.

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