How to use this gravel calculator
- Units, choose Feet or Metres for the length and width of your area.
- Length and width, enter the size of the area you want to cover.
- Depth, enter how deep the gravel should be, in inches (Feet mode) or centimetres (Metres mode).
- Material, pick pea gravel, crushed stone, river rock or decomposed granite to fill in a typical density, or choose Custom and type your supplier's own figure.
- Read the cubic yards, cubic metres and weight in tons, they update instantly as you type.
- Add another area for every path, bed or driveway section in the job, each one gets its own volume and weight, and a combined total appears once you have more than one.
How to calculate gravel
Gravel volume is just area multiplied by depth. First find the area by multiplying length × width, then multiply that by the depth to get a volume. The trick is keeping the units consistent: this calculator converts your depth (entered in inches or centimetres) into the same unit as your length and width before working out the cubic feet.
Suppliers usually sell gravel by the cubic yard, so the next step is to convert. There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard, so the tool divides the total cubic feet by 27. It also shows the figure in cubic metres (one cubic metre is about 35.31 cubic feet) for metric orders.
To turn volume into weight, multiply the cubic yards by the gravel's density. Dry gravel weighs roughly 1.4 to 1.5 US tons per cubic yard, and this tool uses 1.4 by default. So an area of 10 ft × 10 ft at 2 inches deep works out to about 0.62 cubic yards, or roughly 0.86 tons of gravel.
A note on gravel density
Density is not fixed. Pea gravel, crushed stone, river rock and decomposed granite all pack differently, and wet gravel weighs more than dry. The material presets in this tool use typical planning figures in US tons per cubic yard: pea gravel around 1.30, crushed stone around 1.40, river rock around 1.35 and decomposed granite around 1.50. These are general estimates, not one supplier's exact numbers, so if your supplier quotes their own tons-per-cubic-yard figure, switch the material to Custom and type it into the density box for a sharper result. It is always wise to order a little extra to allow for settling and spillage.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
Multiply length by width to get the area, then multiply by depth to get the volume, keeping every measurement in the same unit. Convert the result to cubic yards or cubic metres. This calculator handles the conversions for you.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
Roughly 1.4 to 1.5 US tons for dry gravel. This tool uses 1.4 tons per cubic yard by default, and you can change the density if your supplier quotes a different figure.
How deep should a gravel layer be?
Decorative gravel is usually 2 to 3 inches (about 5 to 8 cm) deep, while driveways often need 4 inches or more.
Why does the weight estimate vary?
Density depends on stone type, size and moisture, so pea gravel, crushed stone, river rock and decomposed granite all weigh slightly differently. Treat the tons figure as a close estimate and round up when ordering.
Can I calculate gravel for more than one area at once?
Yes. Use Add another area to enter a second, third or further path, bed or driveway section, each with its own length, width and depth. The tool shows every area's own volume and weight plus a combined total for the whole job.