How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?

Between 1 and 1.5 tons, depending on the material — a cubic yard is a fixed size, but gravel is bought by weight, so denser stone packs more tons into the same yard. Pea gravel and crushed stone both land around 1.4 tons per cubic yard; light, loose topsoil is closer to 1. Multiply cubic yards by the material's tons-per-yard figure to convert.

How much does a yard of gravel weigh?

Roughly 2,000 to 3,000 lb depending on the material — call it 1 to 1.5 tons. Pea gravel and crushed stone both weigh about 2,800 lb per cubic yard; decomposed granite is the heaviest common option at 3,000 lb, and topsoil the lightest at 2,000 lb.

How much area does a ton of gravel cover?

It depends entirely on depth: a ton of pea gravel spread 2 in deep covers about 115.7 ft², but the same ton spread 4 in deep only reaches about 57.86 ft² — doubling the depth halves the coverage. A ton of crushed stone at 4 in, the typical driveway top course, covers about 57.86 ft². Coverage also shifts with density, so a lighter or heavier material changes the number even at the same depth.

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

Plan on two layers: a 4–6 in compacted base course of larger crushed stone, topped with a 2–4 in wear course of the finish gravel. Skimping on the base is the most common driveway mistake — the top layer migrates into a soft or ungraded sub-base within a season, and the driveway has to be redone rather than topped up.

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?

A single-car driveway 12 ft × 24 ft with a 4 in top course of crushed stone needs about 4.98 tons before waste, or 5.48 tons ordered with a 10% allowance — call it 3.91 cubic yards. That figure is for the visible top layer only; a proper driveway also needs a compacted base course underneath, which is ordered and costed separately.

Is gravel sold by the ton or the yard?

By the ton, almost everywhere. Quarries and landscape suppliers price and weigh trucks in tons because gravel's weight — not its volume — is what a truck axle and a delivery invoice actually care about. Cubic yards stay useful as the number you calculate first, since that is what a hole or a slab-shaped area actually holds, but the figure that reaches your wallet is tons.

How many 50 lb bags of gravel make a yard?

54 bags. A standard 50 lb bag yields about 0.5 ft³ of gravel, and a cubic yard is 27 ft³, so 27 ÷ 0.5 = 54. At roughly 2,700 lb of bags for one yard, bagging anything past a small planter or post hole quickly becomes more expensive and more labor than a bulk delivery.

Construction

Gravel Calculator

Gravel volume is length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards — then multiplied by the material's density and divided by 2,000 for tons, since gravel is bought by weight, not volume. Enter an area and depth to get tons, cubic yards, coverage per ton, 50 lb bag counts and cost, or flip it around and solve coverage from a fixed budget.

Material

Smooth, pea-sized stone for paths, playgrounds and drainage.

Length

Width

Depth2 in for a path, 4–6 in for a driveway base

Ordering

Waste allowanceSpillage and an uneven sub-grade

Price per tonDelivered, bulk price

$/ ton

Gravel needed

0.86

10 ft × 10 ft × 0.1667 ft of pea gravel

yd³

0.62

ft³

16.67

50 lb bags

Order with 10% waste

0.95 tons · 37 bags

Estimated cost

$43

0.95 tons @ $45.00/ton ($63.00/yd³ equivalent)

At this depth, one ton of pea gravel covers about 115.7 ft².

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One cubic yard = 27 ft³. Densities are bulk, loose-material figures — wet or hand-packed stone runs a little heavier.

The basics

Volume first, then weight

Gravel starts as a volume problem, exactly like concrete or mulch, but it does not end there. What you actually order and pay for is a weight, because trucks and suppliers price gravel by the ton — and the same volume of two different stones can weigh very different amounts.

V = L × W × D

Volume in cubic feet, then cubic yards

Multiply length L, width W and depth D with everything in the same unit, then divide by twenty-seven to move from cubic feet to the cubic yard suppliers quote in.

10 ft × 10 ft × 2 in → 10 × 10 × 0.1667 = 16.67 ft³ = 0.62 yd³

tons = yd³ × density ÷ 2,000

Weight is what you actually buy

Density converts volume into the number on the invoice. It is set by the material, not the hole — a cubic yard of pea gravel and a cubic yard of topsoil take up the same space and weigh noticeably different amounts.

0.62 yd³ × 2,800 lb/yd³ ÷ 2,000 = 0.86 tons

Method

How to size a gravel order by hand

Four steps take a tape measure and a material choice to a number a quarry can quote against.

1
Put every dimension in feet
Depth is almost always quoted in inches; divide by twelve to get feet before it joins the multiplication. Length and width are usually already in feet.
2 in ÷ 12 = 0.1667 ft
2
Multiply for volume, then convert to cubic yards
L × W × D gives cubic feet. Divide by twenty-seven — the number of cubic feet in a cubic yard — to get the unit gravel is quoted in.
10 × 10 × 0.1667 = 16.67 ft³ ÷ 27 = 0.62 yd³
3
Multiply by the material's density for tons
Cubic yards × density in pounds per cubic yard, divided by 2,000, gives US tons. This is the step that makes gravel different from concrete or mulch — the material choice changes the answer even when the hole does not.
0.62 × 2,800 ÷ 2,000 = 0.86 tons
4
Add waste, then round to whole bags or tons
Add five to ten per cent for spillage, compaction and an uneven sub-grade. Bags always round up; bulk orders are usually placed to the nearest quarter ton.
0.86 × 1.10 = 0.95 tons · 37 × 50 lb bags

Worked examples

Same hole, seven materials

A fixed 12 ft × 20 ft area, 3 in deep, filled with each material in turn. The volume never changes — every figure below is computed by the same logic the calculator above uses, and only the tonnage moves, because that is set by density alone.

A 12 ft × 20 ft area, 3 in deep, filled with pea gravel

Given L = 12 ft, W = 20 ft, D = 3 in, density = 2,800 lb/yd³

Depth into feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.25 ft

Volume: 12 × 20 × 0.25 = 60.00 ft³ = 2.22 yd³

Tons: 2.22 × 2,800 ÷ 2,000 = 3.11 tons

3.11 tons

order with 10% waste: 3.42 tons

The hole is the same 60.00 ft³ for every material on this list — only the weight changes, because that is set by density, not by size.

Where it shows up

Why gravel gets ordered

top course + base course

Driveways

A compacted base of larger crushed stone carries the load; a finer wear course on top gives the surface its finish and its crunch underfoot.

clean, washed stone

Drainage

French drains, downspout beds and gravel trenches use stone with no fines so water moves through it instead of pooling on top.

paths, beds, borders

Landscaping

Decorative gravel dresses beds, lines dry creek beds and surfaces paths — usually the thinnest, least structural use of the material on this list.

Reference

Gravel density by material

Every tonnage figure on this page traces back to one of these densities. Heavier material means more tons for the same hole — and a higher delivered cost, even at the same price per yard.

Material	lb / yd³	lb / ft³	Tons / yd³	Covers 100 ft² at 2 in
Pea gravelSmooth, pea-sized stone for paths, playgrounds and drainage.	2,800	103.7	1.4	0.86 tons
Crushed stone (#57)Angular ¾–1 in stone, the standard driveway and base material.	2,800	103.7	1.4	0.86 tons
River rockRounded decorative stone for beds, borders and dry creek beds.	2,700	100	1.35	0.83 tons
Crushed limestoneCompacts hard, a common base layer under pavers and slabs.	2,700	100	1.35	0.83 tons
SandBedding layer under pavers and screeded into paver joints.	2,700	100	1.35	0.83 tons
Decomposed graniteFine, compactable surface for paths and low-traffic patios.	3,000	111.1	1.5	0.93 tons
TopsoilLighter and looser — for grading and beds, not drainage or a base.	2,000	74.1	1	0.62 tons

Quick chart

Pea gravel for common areas

The answer to “how much gravel for a 12 × 24 driveway” and dozens of variations on it — every common area at the three depths people actually order, in tons of pea gravel. Figures are exact before waste; add five to ten per cent when you place the order.

Tons of pea gravel required for common area sizes at 2, 3 and 4 inches deep
Area	ft²	2 in	3 in	4 in
10 × 10 ftSmall patio or fire-pit ring	100	0.86	1.30	1.73
12 × 12 ftStandard patio	144	1.24	1.87	2.49
3 × 50 ftGarden path, 3 ft wide	150	1.30	1.94	2.59
4 × 100 ftLong garden path	400	3.46	5.19	6.91
10 × 20 ftSingle-car driveway, short run	200	1.73	2.59	3.46
12 × 24 ftSingle-car driveway	288	2.49	3.73	4.98
16 × 40 ftDouble-wide driveway	640	5.53	8.30	11.06
20 × 20 ftParking pad	400	3.46	5.19	6.91
24 × 24 ftTwo-car parking area	576	4.98	7.47	9.96
20 × 100 ftRural driveway run	2,000	17.28	25.93	34.57

Pea gravel at 2,800 lb/yd³. Crushed stone and river rock scale from the same table using the density table above.

Sizing

How deep for each job

Depth drives the order more than any other number on this page — doubling it doubles the tonnage. These are common residential conventions; always defer to your local code for anything load-bearing.

Job	Depth	Note
Decorative top-dress over a bed	1–2 in	Over landscape fabric — cosmetic, not structural
Walkway or garden path	2 in	Over a compacted base and fabric
Play area or fire pit surround	3–4 in	Rounded stone is kinder underfoot than crushed
Driveway top (wear) course	2–4 in	Sits on a compacted base course, not bare soil
Driveway base course	4–6 in	Larger crushed stone, compacted in lifts
Patio or paver base	4–6 in compacted	Compacted crusher run, then a sand setting bed
French drain / drainage trench	Fills the trench	Clean, washed stone with no fines, wrapped in fabric

Vocabulary

Bulk, bags and everything between

How gravel is packaged changes its price per ton more than almost anything else. Knowing the terms is what keeps a small job from being quoted like a large one, and vice versa.

Bulk delivery: Loose gravel dumped by dump truck at a marked spot on the property. The cheapest way to buy more than a couple of tons, but most suppliers set a delivery minimum and a distance-based fee.
Supersack / tote: A one-ton bulk bag on a pallet, moved by forklift or a crane truck. It splits the difference between a full bulk load and a stack of small bags — useful when there is no truck access.
Bagged gravel: Pre-measured 50 lb sacks sold at any hardware store. Convenient for a planter or a post hole, but priced per ton it runs several times the cost of a bulk delivery.
Crusher run: Crushed stone left with its stone-dust fines instead of screened out. The fines let it compact hard, which is exactly what a base course under a driveway or patio needs.
Clean stone vs. minus: "Clean" gravel is washed and screened to one size with no fines, so water drains through it — the choice for a French drain. "Minus" (for example, ¾ in minus) keeps the fines, which is what lets it lock together underfoot.
Crushed vs. rounded: Crushed stone has angular faces that interlock and hold a slope, the reason it is used under driveways. Rounded river rock and pea gravel roll underfoot and migrate over time, so they need edging to stay put.

Worth knowing

Rules worth remembering

Six facts that turn a gravel order from a guess into a decision.

27 ft³ in a cubic yard

The volume conversion never changes

Every gravel estimate in imperial units ends with this division, exactly as it does for concrete or mulch — the material only enters the picture at the next step.

density sets the tons

Two materials, one hole, different weight

Volume tells you how much space the gravel fills; density tells you what it weighs once it is in there. Skipping straight from cubic yards to a truck order assumes every material weighs the same, and none of them do.

Same 12 × 20 ft, 3 in area: 3.11 tons of pea gravel vs 3.33 tons of decomposed granite

doubling depth doubles tons

Depth is a straight-line lever

Volume, and therefore tonnage, scales linearly with depth. Going from a thin decorative layer to a deeper structural one does not add a little — it doubles the order.

A thin decorative layer taken to twice the depth needs exactly twice the tons

check delivery minimums

Small orders cost more per ton

Suppliers often set a minimum load size or add a small-order surcharge. A driveway-sized order rarely hits it; a single flowerbed order often does.

fabric under gravel

Landscape fabric stops it disappearing

Gravel laid straight onto bare soil works its way downward and mixes with the ground below. A fabric barrier under it is what keeps the layer at the depth it was ordered for.

order 5–10% over

Waste is not optional

Spillage during spreading, compaction settling and an uneven sub-grade all eat into the exact number. Ordering a little over costs far less than a second small delivery.

Common mistakes

Where gravel estimates go wrong

Five errors account for nearly every short order and every driveway that needs redoing within a year.

inches ÷ 12

Leaving the depth in inches

Every dimension needs to share a unit before it multiplies. A 2 in depth typed as the number two rather than a sixth of a foot inflates the tonnage twelvefold.

ft³ ÷ 27

Forgetting cubic feet aren't cubic yards

The length-times-width-times-depth multiplication gives cubic feet. Gravel is priced and delivered by the cubic yard or the ton, so skipping this division orders a driveway's worth for a flowerbed.

tons ≠ yards

Treating tons and cubic yards as the same number

They describe different things — weight and space — and are only connected through density. A cubic yard of topsoil and a cubic yard of crushed stone are the same size and roughly a third apart in weight.

check the base

Skipping the compacted base course

Decorative stone poured straight onto bare soil migrates downward and disappears within a season. A compacted base course, and fabric under it, is what keeps the top layer where it was put.

order 10% over

Ordering the bare number

Spillage, an uneven sub-grade and stone that settles into soft spots all eat into the exact figure. A modest waste allowance is cheaper than a second small delivery.

Cost

What gravel actually costs

Bulk gravel is typically priced per ton delivered, with the rate moving with material, distance from the quarry and order size. A rough planning figure — $45 per ton — is what the calculator above uses by default, but shop your own market before ordering.

price × tons

Bulk delivery scales with weight, not size

Because the invoice is priced per ton, the material you choose changes the total even when the area and depth stay fixed — a heavier stone at the same price per ton costs more to fill the identical hole.

5.48 tons at $45.00/ton ≈ $246

ask for delivered price

Delivery is usually the bigger swing

Distance from the quarry, a steep or narrow driveway, and small-order minimums move the final price more than the gravel itself does. Get a delivered quote, not just a per-ton rate.

FAQ

Common questions

A 10 ft × 10 ft area at the common 2 in decorative depth needs 0.86 tons of pea gravel — that is 0.62 cubic yards, or 34 bags at 50 lb each. Add the usual 10% waste allowance and the order becomes 0.95 tons. Going deeper or choosing a denser material — crushed stone and pea gravel both run about 2,800 lb/yd³ — scales the tonnage up directly.

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