Gravel Coverage Chart: Yards and Tons by Area and Depth
Sixteen areas at five depths in cubic yards, and then the same areas in tons, which is the unit the quarry will quote you in.
Stone is calculated in cubic yards and sold in tons, and the conversion between the two is the entire problem. Crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so a five yard order is around seven tons and a truck that will not fit down a narrow driveway.
Depth depends on what the stone is doing. A decorative bed is 2 inches. A walkway is 3 to 4. A driveway base is 4 to 8 inches of compacted stone, placed and rolled in lifts rather than dumped in one go.
Cubic yards by area and depth
| Area | 1 in | 2 in | 3 in | 4 in | 6 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.15 | 0.31 | 0.46 | 0.62 | 0.93 |
| 100 sq ft | 0.31 | 0.62 | 0.93 | 1.23 | 1.85 |
| 150 sq ft | 0.46 | 0.93 | 1.39 | 1.85 | 2.78 |
| 200 sq ft | 0.62 | 1.23 | 1.85 | 2.47 | 3.7 |
| 300 sq ft | 0.93 | 1.85 | 2.78 | 3.7 | 5.56 |
| 400 sq ft | 1.23 | 2.47 | 3.7 | 4.94 | 7.41 |
| 500 sq ft | 1.54 | 3.09 | 4.63 | 6.17 | 9.26 |
| 600 sq ft | 1.85 | 3.7 | 5.56 | 7.41 | 11.11 |
| 800 sq ft | 2.47 | 4.94 | 7.41 | 9.88 | 14.81 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 3.09 | 6.17 | 9.26 | 12.35 | 18.52 |
| 1,250 sq ft | 3.86 | 7.72 | 11.57 | 15.43 | 23.15 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 4.63 | 9.26 | 13.89 | 18.52 | 27.78 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 6.17 | 12.35 | 18.52 | 24.69 | 37.04 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 7.72 | 15.43 | 23.15 | 30.86 | 46.3 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 9.26 | 18.52 | 27.78 | 37.04 | 55.56 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 15.43 | 30.86 | 46.3 | 61.73 | 92.59 |
Yards and tons at 4 and 6 inches
| Area | Yards at 4 in | Tons at 4 in | Yards at 6 in | Tons at 6 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.62 | 0.86 | 0.93 | 1.3 |
| 100 sq ft | 1.23 | 1.73 | 1.85 | 2.59 |
| 150 sq ft | 1.85 | 2.59 | 2.78 | 3.89 |
| 200 sq ft | 2.47 | 3.46 | 3.7 | 5.19 |
| 300 sq ft | 3.7 | 5.19 | 5.56 | 7.78 |
| 400 sq ft | 4.94 | 6.91 | 7.41 | 10.37 |
| 500 sq ft | 6.17 | 8.64 | 9.26 | 12.96 |
| 600 sq ft | 7.41 | 10.37 | 11.11 | 15.56 |
| 800 sq ft | 9.88 | 13.83 | 14.81 | 20.74 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 12.35 | 17.28 | 18.52 | 25.93 |
| 1,250 sq ft | 15.43 | 21.6 | 23.15 | 32.41 |
| 1,500 sq ft | 18.52 | 25.93 | 27.78 | 38.89 |
| 2,000 sq ft | 24.69 | 34.57 | 37.04 | 51.85 |
| 2,500 sq ft | 30.86 | 43.21 | 46.3 | 64.81 |
| 3,000 sq ft | 37.04 | 51.85 | 55.56 | 77.78 |
| 5,000 sq ft | 61.73 | 86.42 | 92.59 | 129.63 |
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The mulch and gravel calculator takes your own measurements and returns the number for your job, plus the material list as a printable document. Every cell in the table above came out of that same calculator, run at build time.
Yards in, tons out
You calculate in yards because the hole has a volume. The quarry bills in tons because a scale is the only honest way to measure a loose material that settles differently in every truck. Multiply cubic yards by about 1.4 to get tons for crushed stone, a little more for a dense graded base and a little less for a washed decorative stone.
Do not convert a bulk mulch price to a stone price in your head. A yard of mulch is 800 pounds and a yard of stone is 2,800, so they load and haul nothing alike.
Stone size, and what each size is for
Number 57 stone, which is roughly three quarter inch clean, is the general purpose drainage and base stone: it does not compact tight, and that is the point under a French drain or a paver base. Crusher run or dense graded base has the fines in it and locks up hard when rolled, which is what a driveway base wants.
Pea gravel and river rock are decorative. Neither compacts, both migrate, and both need an edge to stay where you put them.
Compaction is not waste
Crushed stone loses roughly 20 percent of its loose volume when it is compacted properly. If you need 4 inches of compacted base, you are placing about 5 inches loose and rolling it down, which means ordering for the placed depth rather than the finished one.
Place it in lifts of no more than 4 inches and compact each one. A single 8 inch lift compacts on top and stays loose underneath, which is the same as not compacting at all.
Questions people ask
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
About 2,800 pounds, or 1.4 tons, for a typical crushed stone. Washed and decorative stones run a little lighter, and a wet dense graded base runs heavier.
How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
Four to eight inches of compacted stone depending on the soil and the traffic. For a 12 by 40 driveway at 4 inches that is about 5.9 cubic yards, which is roughly 8.3 tons.
How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?
About 80 square feet at 3 inches deep, or 60 square feet at 4 inches, using 1.4 tons per cubic yard.
Should I order in yards or tons?
Calculate in yards, order in tons, and tell the supplier both numbers. If the two disagree by more than about 10 percent, one of you is using a different weight per yard and it is worth sorting out before the truck is loaded.