How Much Gravel Do I Need?
Work out what you actually need
Measure the bed, pick a depth, and this converts it to cubic yards, what it will weigh on the truck, and roughly what it should cost delivered where you are.
Screened topsoil runs roughly 2,000–2,400 lb per cubic yard dry, more after rain. Order about 10% over: soil settles, and a second delivery costs more than the first yard did.
Find suppliers near youThe trap in this question is the unit. Topsoil is sold by the cubic yard. Gravel is sold by the ton. Work out yards, order tons, and you will be short by nearly a third.
The conversion:
- 1 cubic yard of gravel ≈ 1.4 tons (about 2,800 lb)
- 1 ton of gravel ≈ 0.71 cubic yards (about 19 cubic feet)
Coverage per ton
| Depth | One ton covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 230 sq ft |
| 2 in | 115 sq ft |
| 3 in | 77 sq ft |
| 4 in | 58 sq ft |
| 6 in | 39 sq ft |
The one to remember: a ton covers about 100 square feet two inches deep. Close enough to size a job in your head.
Coverage per cubic yard
| Depth | One cubic yard covers |
|---|---|
| 1 in | 324 sq ft |
| 2 in | 162 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft |
The arithmetic
Tons = area in square feet × depth in inches ÷ 231
A 12 by 50 foot driveway is 600 square feet. At 4 inches: 600 × 4 ÷ 231 = 10.4 tons. For cubic yards instead, divide by 324 and you get 7.4 — the same material, a different unit, and a 40% difference in the number.
The calculator does the volume, and the coverage chart has the full grid.
What depth you want
| Job | Depth |
|---|---|
| Decorative bed or border | 2 in |
| Path or walkway | 2–3 in |
| Resurfacing an existing drive | 3–4 in |
| New driveway on soil | 10–12 in, in layers |
| Under pavers | 4–6 in compacted base |
| French drain | Fill the trench |
For a new drive, see what size gravel for a driveway — the layers use different stone, so price them separately.
Two things that shift the number
Density varies by material. The 1.4 tons per yard above is a good general figure, but river rock runs lighter at about 1.3 and crusher run heavier at about 1.45. On a small order it is noise; on 25 tons it is a ton either way.
Compaction is not settling. Loose topsoil settles 15–20% and you order extra to cover it. Gravel that will be compacted with a plate or a roller loses roughly 20% of its loose volume too — so for a compacted base, add about a fifth. For decorative gravel that nobody compacts, do not.
Before you order
Ask any yard three things: price per ton, delivery fee to your ZIP, and the minimum load. Stone is heavy, so trucks fill by weight long before they fill by volume, and minimums are often quoted in tons rather than yards.
Find suppliers near you on Topsoil.com.
One job where the unit catches people twice: a retaining wall needs two different stones, a binding base course and a clean washed backfill, priced separately. What goes behind a retaining wall has the layers and the tonnage.