The gravel calculator turns an area and a depth into cubic yards and tons, so you can order from a supplier that sells by weight or by volume and check that the two numbers agree.
It covers paths, pads, a shed base and the base course under pavers or a slab. Depth is the input that moves the answer most, which is why the page will not guess it for you.
How to use it
- 01
Enter the area in feet
Length and width of the finished surface. For a winding path, measure it in straight sections and add the lengths; use the widest point as the width and let the waste allowance absorb the rest.
- 02
Enter the compacted depth in inches
Enter the depth you want after compaction. Four inches is the default. The paving association's installation guide puts at least 4 inches of compacted base under a patio or walk on well-drained soil and at least 6 under a residential driveway; the paver calculator sizes that base with the pavers. Ask your supplier what compaction allowance they use for the product you are buying.
- 03
Pick the material
No. 57 stone is an open-graded stone, the kind the paving guide wraps around a drain pipe; dense-graded base packs tight, and it is what the guide builds a paver base from. The Tennessee DOT estimates the two at different weights, so the choice moves the tons and nothing else.
- 04
Set the waste allowance
Ten percent by default. It covers uneven subgrade, spillage at the edges and settlement in the first season.
Loose stone and the compacted depth you order for
- Length × width: the finished surface, in feet.
- Compacted depth, the one the calculator asks for. The paving association’s guide puts at least 4 inches of compacted base under a patio or walk on well-drained soil and at least 6 under a residential driveway.
- Loose stone takes more room than the same stone compacted. The Tennessee DOT estimates No. 57 stone at 1.34 tons per loose cubic yard and 1.49 compacted, so a compacted cubic yard starts as about 1.11 loose cubic yards.
Not to scale. Tons = cubic yards × (1 + waste) × tons per compacted cubic yard.
How the math works
Volume
Cubic feet = length × width × (depth ÷ 12); cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27. A 12-by-10 pad at 4 inches is 1.48 cubic yards before waste.
Tons
Tons = cubic yards × (1 + waste) × the Tennessee DOT's estimating factor for the material: 1.49 tons per compacted cubic yard of No. 57 stone (1.34 loose) and 2.03 for dense-graded aggregate base. The same pad comes to about 2.4 tons of No. 57 stone or 3.3 tons of base. When the supplier quotes a density for their product, use theirs.
Why tons and yards disagree
A supplier selling by the ton weighs the truck; one selling by the yard measures the bucket. Loose material takes up more room than compacted material, so a yard on the ticket becomes less than a yard on the ground. Order by the compacted volume you need, plus waste, and let the density convert it.
Pricing it
Enter the supplier's price per ton or per cubic yard and the calculator totals the order both ways. For scale, the U.S. Geological Survey puts the 2025 average value of crushed stone sold or used by U.S. producers at $18.50 a metric ton, about $16.78 a short ton, and construction sand and gravel at $14.50 (both estimates). That is what producers received on average across every use, not what a yard charges for a delivered load, so it is context for a quote, never a substitute for one.
Worked examples
| Area | Size and depth | Cubic yards | With waste | No. 57 stone, tons | Dense-graded base, tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pad | 10 × 10 ft, 4 in | 1.23 | 1.36 | 2.0 | 2.8 |
| Shed base | 16 × 12 ft, 4 in | 2.37 | 2.61 | 3.9 | 5.3 |
| Path | 40 × 3 ft, 3 in | 1.11 | 1.22 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| Parking pad | 20 × 12 ft, 6 in | 4.44 | 4.89 | 7.3 | 9.9 |
| Driveway base | 40 × 10 ft, 6 in | 7.41 | 8.15 | 12.1 | 16.5 |
Depths are compacted. Tons use the Tennessee DOT's estimating factors, 1.49 tons per compacted cubic yard of No. 57 stone and 2.03 of dense-graded base; the supplier's figure for its own product governs the order.
Where the number goes wrong
- Skipping the base under a shed. A pad that is too shallow settles unevenly, and the shed door stops closing before the first winter is over.
- Ordering pea gravel where a compacting base is needed. Rounded stone does not lock together; crushed stone with fines does.
- Forgetting edging and fabric. Without a border the gravel migrates into the lawn, and without fabric it sinks into clay.
- Using this calculator for a driveway design. A driveway base is a layered, compacted system, and the apron at the street is permitted by the road authority.
Questions people ask
How many cubic feet are in a yard?
A cubic yard, the unit gravel, sand, mulch and topsoil are sold by, is 27 cubic feet: 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft (NIST Handbook 44). Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards: a 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep is 25 cubic feet, 0.93 cubic yard. A square yard, for area, is 9 square feet.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
It depends on the stone. The Tennessee DOT estimates No. 57 stone at 1.34 tons per loose cubic yard and 1.49 compacted, and dense-graded aggregate base at 2.03 compacted. The supplier's figure for its own product governs the order.
How much gravel do I need for a 10×10 area?
At 4 inches compacted, 1.23 cubic yards, or 1.36 with ten percent waste: about 2.0 tons of No. 57 stone or 2.8 tons of dense-graded base, at the Tennessee DOT's factors.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
At 4 inches compacted and before waste, about 54 square feet a ton of No. 57 stone and 40 of dense-graded base, at the Tennessee DOT's factors. Twice the depth halves the area.
How deep should a gravel shed base be?
Follow the shed manufacturer's base instructions first. For comparison, the paving association's guide puts at least 4 inches of compacted base under a patio on well-drained soil and more on wet or weak soil; a heavy shed is not lighter than a patio.
Does a gravel driveway need a permit?
The part on your lot may not; the apron that meets the street sits in public right-of-way and is permitted by the city, county or state that owns the road. The driveway permit brief explains who to ask.