Gravel calculator
The weight here comes from the density you enter, and gravel density genuinely varies. Treat the tonnage as an ordering estimate, confirm the density with the pit, and buy a little over rather than under.
Enter the area you are covering and how deep, and you get the volume in cubic yards and cubic metres plus the weight in tons or tonnes. Volume is length × width × depth; weight is that volume multiplied by the material's density, which you can override with your supplier's figure.
Worked example
A parking pad 20 ft × 12 ft, 3 inches deep: 3 inches is 0.25 ft, so the volume is 20 × 12 × 0.25 = 60 cubic feet, or 60 ÷ 27 ≈ 2.2 yd³. At 1.4 tons per yard that is about 3.1 tons. Add 10% waste for an uneven base and you would order roughly 2.5 yd³ — call it 3.5 tons — so the pit loads you a full, honest amount.
The formula
weight = length × width × depth × density
Work the volume out first (length × width × depth, with depth converted from inches to feet), turn cubic feet into cubic yards by dividing by 27, then multiply by the density in tons per cubic yard. Metric follows the same steps in metres and tonnes per cubic metre.
What this tool assumes
The depth, the waste factor and the density are all editable — they are the figures that change with the job and the material. The default density (1.4 tons per yard) is a middle-of-the-road crushed gravel; a phone call to the pit gets you the exact number for what you are buying.
Questions
- How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
- Roughly 1.4 short tons for dry crushed gravel, but it swings with the stone and the moisture. Wet gravel, dense trap rock or a material with a lot of fines runs heavier; loose washed stone runs lighter. If your supplier quotes a density, type theirs into the density field — it is the number that moves the answer most.
- Do I order gravel by the yard or by the ton?
- Either — pits sell both, and this tool shows both. Volume (cubic yards or metres) is what fills your space; weight (tons or tonnes) is often how it is priced and hauled. Match whichever unit your supplier is quoting so you are comparing like with like.
- How deep should a gravel driveway be?
- Depth is your call based on the traffic and the sub-grade, so you type it in. A walking path might be 2 inches; a driveway base is commonly built up thicker, often in layers of different stone. This tool tells you how much fills the depth you enter — it does not spec the depth for you.
- Why does crushed gravel differ from washed gravel?
- Crushed gravel has angular faces and fines that pack tight and lock together, which makes it heavier per yard and good for a compacted base. Washed gravel is rounded and clean, drains freely and weighs a little less. Same volume, different weight — so set the density to match what you are actually buying.
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