Gravel calculator

A 20 × 10 ft area covered 3 in deep takes 1.85 cubic yards of gravel, which weighs about 2.50 tons. Enter your area, depth and type of gravel; the weight comes from published figures for each material.

Shape of the area

Length

Width

Material

Depth

Extra

1.85 cubic yards

2.50 tons

Area	200 sq ft (22.22 sq yd)
Volume	50 cu ft · 1.85 cu yd · 1.42 m³
Weight	5,000 lb · 2.50 tons · 2.27 metric tonnes
Weight range	2.38 to 2.50 tons at 2,565 to 2,700 lb per cu yd
Bags of 0.5 cu ft	100

How it was worked out

Area: 20 ft × 10 ft = 200 sq ft

200 sq ft × 3 in = 50 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.85 cu yd

1.85 cu yd × 2,700 lb per loose cu yd ÷ 2,000 = 2.50 tons

How the calculator works

Gravel is measured by volume and usually sold by weight. The calculator first finds the volume: the area in square feet times the depth in feet gives cubic feet, and 27 cubic feet make a cubic yard. A shortcut that extension services use is square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324. It then multiplies the cubic yards by the weight of a yard of the material you chose and divides by 2,000 to get US tons.

Area: 20 ft × 10 ft = 200 sq ft

200 sq ft × 3 in = 50 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.85 cu yd

1.85 cu yd × 2,700 lb per loose cu yd ÷ 2,000 = 2.50 tons

For a round area, choose Circle and enter the diameter. For an odd shape, split it into rectangles and add the results, or enter the total area if you already know it.

Weight of a cubic yard

These are the planning weights the calculator uses, with the range the sources publish. A yard of gravel from your local pit may weigh more or less, and wet material is heavier. If your supplier quotes a weight per yard, choose "Other" and enter it.

Weights used by the calculator
Material	Lb per loose cu yd	Tons per cu yd	Published range, lb	Tons per compacted cu yd
Gravel (mixed sizes)	2,700	1.35	2,565 to 2,700	–
Pea gravel	2,700	1.35	2,565 to 2,700	–
Crushed stone (#57 and other clean stone)	2,700	1.35	2,410 to 2,780	1.60
Crusher run (road base with fines)	2,800	1.40	2,430 to 3,000	1.90
River rock	2,600	1.30	2,570 to 2,700	–
Stone dust (screenings)	2,400	1.20	2,400	–
Sand	2,700	1.35	2,400 to 2,960	1.50

Loose or compacted

Gravel spread loose in a bed or path stays roughly the volume it was in the truck. Gravel spread as a base and compacted with a plate or roller packs down a great deal. Research for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation measured base aggregates losing 27 to 60 percent of their loose volume when compacted, and WisDOT pays for compacted base at 1.75 to 2.1 tons per cubic yard. So when you are building a compacted layer, measure its finished thickness and choose "compacted": the calculator then uses the heavier compacted weight, and the tons come out right.

How far a cubic yard goes

Coverage of loose gravel
Depth	Sq ft per cu yd	Sq ft per ton (1.35 t/yd)	Cu yd per 100 sq ft
1 in	324	240	0.31
2 in	162	120	0.62
3 in	108	80	0.93
4 in	81	60	1.23
6 in	54	40	1.85
8 in	41	30	2.47
12 in	27	20	3.7

One ton of gravel at 2,700 lb per yard is 0.74 cubic yards, or 20 cubic feet. Spread 2 in deep it covers about 120 sq ft; at 3 in, about 80 sq ft.

Bags or bulk

Bagged gravel and sand are usually sold in 0.5 cu ft bags, so a cubic yard is 54 bags. That makes bags sensible for a small patch and bulk delivery sensible for anything over a yard or so. The calculator shows the bag count for each bagged material.

Sources

Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, March 2016. Loose weights of gravel, rock, sand, sandy loam soil and shredded wood chips.
Maintenance Manual Volume 1, Appendix: Useful Information, California Department of Transportation, July 2014. Loose weights of crushed gravel, limestone, granite, screenings, sand and soil; 111 lb of asphalt mix per square yard per inch; 2.0 tons per compacted cubic yard of base.
Highway Maintenance Tables and Conversion Factors (Engineering Policy Guide appendix), Missouri Department of Transportation, current guide. Loose and compacted weights of crushed stone, sand, asphalt and concrete in pounds per cubic foot and per cubic yard.
Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP 0092-22-05), Wisconsin Highway Research Program, Michigan State University, December 2023. Measured loose and compacted weights of base aggregates, recycled asphalt and recycled concrete; tons per compacted cubic yard.
How Much Compost, Soil or Mulch Do I Need to Purchase?, Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Travis County, February 2010. Square feet times depth in inches, divided by 324, gives cubic yards.