Gravel Calculator for Pathways
A gravel path needs 2–3 inches over a compacted base, which is about one cubic yard per 100 square feet at 3 inches deep.
Work out what you need
Measure the area, set the depth, and this converts it to cubic yards, what it weighs on the truck, how many bags that replaces, and roughly what it should cost delivered.
Weight is quoted as a band because moisture moves it more than grade does — gravel after heavy rain runs to about 105% of its dry weight. The delivered range starts from a published $25–80 per cubic yard and is scaled by how your region's material prices compare with the national average, so treat it as a sanity check and not a quote.
Get a real price from yards near youNot a pathway? The gravel guide covers every other job.
Why 2–3 inches for a pathway
Paths take a third of what a driveway takes, because nothing heavier than a wheelbarrow crosses them and the base does not have to carry an axle load.
What goes wrong
Without an edge the path spreads into the beds either side and you lose an inch of depth a season. Edging costs less than topping it up twice.
Washed stone with the fines screened out never binds. It looks cleaner in the yard and rolls out from under the tyres on the first hill.
Gravel by the numbers
| Weight per cubic yard | 2,800–3,000 lb dry |
|---|---|
| Tons per cubic yard | about 1.5 |
| Bags in a cubic yard | 54 × 0.5 cu ft bags |
| Half-ton pickup, one trip | about 0.25 cubic yards |
| Usually priced by the | cubic yard |
| Typical delivered price | $25–80 per cubic yard |
Road-base gravel carries fines that bind when compacted, which is what makes a driveway hold rather than scatter.