YardMath

Gravel calculator

Form 04 · Materials estimateFigures checked 2026-09-04
US customary
Quantity · Amount
  1. 01Area to cover20 × 10 ft200 sq ft
  2. 02Gravel needed at 3 in deep52.5 cu ft including 5 % extra1.94 cu yd
  3. 03Weight1.4 tons per cu yd2.72 tons
  4. 04Bulk gravel$45 per cu yd1.94 cu yd$88
  5. 050.5 cu ft bags0.5 cu ft per bag at $6105 bags$578
Total, bulk$88
  • Fits in one level full-size pickup load (about 2 cu yd) — check your truck's payload for heavy material.
Bag size
Buy as
Bulk is priced per cubic yard
Total, bulk1.94 cu yd of gravel$88
Where these figures come from
  • Density 1.4 tons per cu yd: the usual planning figure for dry crushed or pea gravel (industry rule of thumb; product sheets range 1.3–1.5).
  • Bag sizes 0.5 cu ft (≈ 50 lb) and 1 cu ft: the sizes sold at US home centers.
  • Prices are typical US retail and bulk figures at the date on this sheet; they are placeholders for the price you are quoted.

Type the length, width and depth of the area and the sheet fills in the cubic yards, the weight in tons, how many bags that is, and what it comes to at a typical bulk or bagged price. Change the price to the one your supplier quoted. Gravel is usually sold by the cubic yard or the ton in bulk and in 0.5 cu ft (about 50 lb) bags at the store.

Worked examples

A 12 × 40 ft driveway, 4 in deep
6.22 cu yd — gravel needed at 4 in deep, about $280 in bulk.
A 3 × 30 ft garden path, 2 in deep
0.58 cu yd — gravel needed at 2 in deep, about $26 in bulk.
Patio base, 12 × 14 ft at 6 in
3.27 cu yd — gravel needed at 6 in deep, about $147 in bulk.

How it is worked out

Area (length × width × number of areas) × depth in feet = cubic feet; add the settling allowance; divide by 27 for cubic yards. Weight = cubic yards × the density you see in the material fields. Bags = cubic feet ÷ the bag's cubic feet, rounded up. Cost = the bulk quantity × your bulk price, or bags × your bag price, whichever you marked.

The figures behind it

  • Density 1.4 tons per cu yd: the usual planning figure for dry crushed or pea gravel (industry rule of thumb; product sheets range 1.3–1.5).
  • Bag sizes 0.5 cu ft (≈ 50 lb) and 1 cu ft: the sizes sold at US home centers.
  • Prices are typical US retail and bulk figures at the date on this sheet; they are placeholders for the price you are quoted.

Every figure here is an estimate. Materials vary with moisture, compaction and product; order a little extra and confirm quantities with your supplier.

Questions people ask

How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
About 1.4 tons (2,800 lb) for dry crushed gravel or pea gravel. Wet or fine material weighs more; the sheet lets you change the figure.
How many bags of gravel are in a cubic yard?
A cubic yard is 27 cu ft, so 54 bags of 0.5 cu ft or 27 bags of 1 cu ft. Bags are convenient for a few square feet; above about half a yard, bulk is usually cheaper even with delivery.
How deep should gravel be?
Two to three inches for a walking path over a compacted base, three to four inches for a driveway top course, and four to six inches for a base layer under pavers or a slab. Deeper means more material: the depth field changes everything below it.
Does the calculator include compaction?
It adds the settling allowance you see in the material fields, 5 % by default. Crushed stone compacts more than round gravel; use 10 % if you will be plate-compacting a base.

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