Gravel calculator for Texas
Cubic yards and tons for any gravel or landscape rock project, then the exact product to order, delivered free.
Enter your project dimensions
One ton of crushed gravel covers about 116 square feet at 2 inches deep. That single figure settles half the gravel arguments on any job site, and it's the figure this calculator is built around. Enter length, width and depth, pick your gravel, and you get cubic yards, tons and a delivered price. The tool works for any landscape rock too, since crushed gravel, #57 stone and their cousins all sit near 2,800 lb per cubic yard.
How to figure how much gravel you need
- Measure the area in feet. Length times width for rectangles; for circles, the diameter. An L-shaped driveway is two rectangles, and the multiple-areas mode adds them for you.
- Pick a depth in inches. Paths and top-ups take 2–3 inches. A brand-new driveway needs 4–6 inches built as two layers, not one pour.
- Convert. Area x depth in feet gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards, multiply by 1.4 for tons.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.4 (crushed gravel at ~2,800 lb per cubic yard)
Weight and coverage numbers worth saving
A cubic yard of dry crushed gravel weighs about 2,800 lb, so 1.4 tons. Flip that and a ton is about 0.71 cubic yards. Coverage falls off fast with depth:
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | ≈ 116 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | ≈ 77 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | ≈ 58 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | ≈ 39 sq ft |
| Material | Weight per cubic yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway / walkway gravel | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Pea gravel (3/8") | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Crushed stone (#57, 3/4") | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Crusher run / road base | ≈ 3,000 lb | 1.50 |
| River rock (1–3") | ≈ 2,700 lb | 1.35 |
Depth by project
- Garden paths and walkways: 2–3 inches of walkway gravel over compacted ground or fabric.
- Refreshing an existing driveway: 2 inches of new surface gravel.
- New driveways: 3–4 inches of compacted crusher run first, then 2–3 inches of driveway gravel or #57 on top. The base does the load-bearing; the top course sheds water and looks right.
- Patios and seating areas: 2–3 inches inside solid edging.
- French drains and soggy spots: 12 inches or more of clean stone. Size those on the Stone Calculator, since drainage wants washed rock without fines.
Worked example: a 50 x 10 ft driveway
Five hundred square feet at 4 inches total: 500 x 0.333 = 167 cubic feet. Divide by 27 and you're at 6.2 cubic yards, which is 8.7 tons. Add 5% for compaction and order about 9 tons, split roughly 60/40 between crusher run base and surface gravel. The two-layer split matters. The most common correction we make on phone orders is a caller who measured the driveway to the inch and then planned a single 2-inch pour straight onto dirt.
Typical projects, pre-calculated
Ballpark figures before you measure, all at 1.4 tons per cubic yard:
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-car driveway pad | 20 x 10 ft | 4" | 2.5 yd³ | 3.5 tons |
| Two-car driveway | 24 x 20 ft | 4" | 5.9 yd³ | 8.3 tons |
| Country driveway | 50 x 12 ft | 6" | 11.1 yd³ | 15.6 tons |
| Garden path | 20 x 3 ft | 3" | 0.6 yd³ | 0.8 tons |
| Patio seating area | 12 x 12 ft | 3" | 1.3 yd³ | 1.9 tons |
| Shed base | 10 x 12 ft | 4" | 1.5 yd³ | 2.1 tons |
Four mistakes that cause second deliveries
- Skipping the base on new driveways. Surface gravel poured straight on soil ruts within a season; base first, top second.
- Comparing quotes by area alone. Two bids for the same 20 x 10 pad can differ purely on depth, so compare at equal tons.
- Going thinner than 2 inches. One inch of gravel disappears into mud by spring.
- Ignoring the crown. A flat surface ponds water; a 2% slope sheds it and keeps the fines where they belong.
Which gravel for which surface
Angular crushed gravel locks together under weight, so it belongs anywhere tires roll. Rounded stones (pea gravel, river rock) roll under load and migrate; keep them on foot paths and in beds. For a driveway that lasts, pair a base that compacts (crusher run, road base) with a surface that drains (driveway gravel, #57). Deciding between two products, or matching what's already down? Send a photo to (512) 412-3378 and we'll name it.
Yards, tons and truckloads: how gravel is sold
Three units describe the same pile. A cubic yard is volume. A ton is 2,000 lb of weight, about 0.71 yards of gravel. A truckload is whatever the truck holds: 8–10 yards for a single-axle dump truck, 12–16 yards (17–22 tons) for a tandem. Quotes only compare in one unit, so convert everything to tons before judging a price. And judge delivered price, nothing else. Hauling is often half the cost of aggregate; with free delivery on every ARS order, the per-ton price you see is the number that lands in your driveway.
Measuring odd driveways
Curves and turnarounds throw people. For a curved lane, run the tape along the middle of the drive and pair it with the average width. A turnaround bulb is close enough to a circle; measure its widest span as the diameter. Slopes need the base course thickened at the downhill end, because water and gravel both end up there. When the shape defeats the tape measure, break it into rectangles and let the multiple-areas mode total them.
Getting the delivery right
- Pick the drop spot before the truck arrives: firm ground, no low wires, no septic field crossings.
- Drop close to the work. A yard of gravel is 9–14 wheelbarrow trips, and every 10 extra feet adds up over 6 yards.
- Tipping onto pavement you care about? Lay a tarp first. Cleanup drops from an afternoon to ten minutes.
- Compact the base course before the surface course goes down. A plate compactor rents cheap; truck tires work in a pinch.
Gravel questions, answered with numbers
How much will 1 ton of gravel cover?
How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
How much gravel do I need to cover a 10x10 area?
How many yards of gravel are in a ton?
How much is a truckload of gravel?
How much does a yard of gravel cost?
Should I add extra for compaction?
Can I lay gravel straight over grass?
Related calculators
That tonnage ships free.
Driveway gravel, #57, crusher run: priced by the ton, delivered across Texas.