Construction Calculator
Gravel Calculator
Estimate gravel, crushed stone, road base, pea gravel, river rock, paver base, drainage rock, and decomposed granite volume, weight, waste, and material cost.
Unit System
Switch between imperial and metric measurements.
Material Presets
Select a material to update the default density and price. You can still edit the numbers manually.
Project Presets
Choose a preset to quickly set a common depth. You can still edit the depth afterward.
Project Inputs
Enter the project area, depth, waste allowance, material density, and price.
Results
Estimated gravel order weight
3.8 tons
Includes your selected waste percentage.
Material weight varies by stone type, moisture, compaction, and supplier. Truck capacities also vary by truck size, road limits, supplier policy, and material moisture. Use this as a planning estimate and confirm final quantities and delivery options with your supplier.
Gravel Delivery
Gravel delivery: cubic yards, tons, and truckloads
Gravel and stone are often ordered by the ton, but many projects are measured in cubic yards. This calculator converts area and depth into cubic yards, estimates tons using the selected material density, and then shows approximate truckload counts for delivery planning.
Small dump truck
A small dump truck may carry around 5 tons per load. This can be useful for smaller landscaping projects, paths, and tight access jobs.
Standard dump truck
A standard dump truck is often planned around 10 tons per load. This is a common delivery estimate for driveways, slab bases, drainage rock, and general gravel projects.
Large truck / tri-axle
Larger dump trucks or tri-axle trucks may carry around 15 tons per load, depending on local road limits, truck configuration, supplier policy, and material moisture.
Truckload estimates are planning numbers only. Gravel weight varies by material type, stone size, moisture, compaction, and supplier. Confirm final delivery capacity, minimum order rules, and fees with the gravel yard before ordering.
How to calculate gravel and stone
To estimate gravel or stone, multiply length by width by depth. For imperial projects, convert depth from inches to feet, calculate cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply cubic yards by tons per cubic yard to estimate weight.
Imperial formula
Length × Width × Depth ÷ 27 = Cubic Yards
Weight formula
Cubic Yards × Tons Per Cubic Yard = Estimated Tons
Depth guide
Related construction tools
Gravel and stone are often used below concrete slabs, patios, walkways, driveways, and drainage projects. Use these related calculators and guides to plan the full project.
Area Calculator
Calculate square feet, square yards, square meters, acres, waste-adjusted area, and material cost before estimating gravel volume, tons, and depth.
Gravel Driveway Calculator
Estimate gravel tons, cubic yards, depth, waste, and cost for driveway projects.
Gravel Driveway Cost
Estimate driveway gravel cost using size, depth, tons, price per ton, delivery, and project factors.
Gravel Cost Calculator
Estimate gravel project cost using area, depth, cubic yards, tons, waste, price per ton, and delivery.
How Much Gravel Do I Need?
Learn how to estimate gravel volume, cubic yards, tons, depth, waste, and cost.
Gravel Cost Per Ton
Learn how gravel price per ton works and estimate total material cost.
Pea Gravel Calculator
Estimate pea gravel cubic yards, tons, delivery, and cost for patios, walkways, landscaping, drainage, and ground cover.
River Rock Calculator
Estimate river rock cubic yards, tons, delivery, and cost for landscaping beds, dry creek beds, drainage, and decorative ground cover.
Decomposed Granite Calculator
Estimate decomposed granite cubic yards, tons, delivery, stabilizer add-ons, and cost for patios, walkways, dog runs, garden paths, and compacted landscape surfaces.
Crushed Stone vs Gravel
Compare crushed stone and gravel for driveways, drainage, landscaping, patios, and base layers.
Crushed Stone Calculator
Estimate crushed stone cubic yards, tons, waste, and cost using the Crushed Stone material preset.
Road Base Calculator
Estimate road base cubic yards, tons, waste, and cost using the Road Base material preset.
Paver Base Calculator
Estimate compacted paver base gravel, bedding sand, cubic yards, tons, delivery, and cost for patios, walkways, driveways, and hardscape projects.
Base for Concrete Slab Depth
Learn common gravel, crushed stone, and road base depths for concrete slabs, patios, driveways, and shed pads.
Concrete Calculator
Estimate concrete volume, waste, and material cost.
Concrete Cost Calculator
Estimate concrete price, base material, rebar, labor, prep, delivery fees, and total project cost.
Concrete Slab Calculator
Estimate concrete for patios, driveways, and pads.
How to Prepare Ground for Concrete Slab
Learn excavation, grading, gravel base, compaction, forms, and final slab prep steps.
Construction Calculators
View all Numeravo construction tools and guides.
Recommended tools for gravel and stone projects
Tape Measure
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Laser Distance Measure
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Landscape Fabric
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Tamper / Plate Compactor
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Wheelbarrow
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Shovel
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Rake
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Work Gloves
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Safety Glasses
Useful for measuring, spreading, compacting, and finishing gravel or stone projects.
Gravel calculator FAQ
Can this calculator estimate crushed stone and road base?
Yes. Use the material presets to estimate gravel, crushed stone, road base, pea gravel, river rock, paver base, drainage rock, and decomposed granite.
How do I calculate how much gravel I need?
Multiply length by width by depth to calculate gravel volume. For imperial estimates, convert depth from inches to feet, calculate cubic feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
A common estimate is about 1.4 tons per cubic yard of gravel, but actual weight varies by material type, moisture, and compaction.
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
Light-use driveways often use 4 to 6 inches of gravel, while heavier-use driveways may need 6 to 12 inches depending on soil, load, and base requirements.
How much gravel do I need under a concrete slab?
Many concrete slab bases use 4 to 6 inches of compacted gravel, but the right depth depends on soil, drainage, slab design, and local conditions.
Should I add waste to a gravel estimate?
Yes. A 5% to 10% waste allowance is commonly used to account for spreading, compaction, uneven ground, and material loss.
How many tons of gravel fit in a dump truck?
A small dump truck may carry about 5 tons of gravel, a standard dump truck is often estimated around 10 tons, and a larger dump truck or tri-axle may carry about 15 tons. Actual capacity depends on truck type, road limits, supplier policy, material moisture, and local weight rules.
How many cubic yards of gravel are in a dump truck?
The cubic yards in a dump truck depend on gravel density and truck weight capacity. Since gravel is often ordered by the ton, convert cubic yards to tons using the selected material density, then divide by the truck capacity.
Should I order gravel by the ton or cubic yard?
Most gravel suppliers price and deliver by the ton because weight is easier to measure at the yard. Project plans often start with cubic yards, so use cubic yards for volume planning and tons for ordering and delivery estimates.
Does this calculator include delivery cost?
No. This calculator estimates material cost based on price per ton or tonne. Delivery, taxes, labor, equipment, and supplier fees are separate.