Gravel Calculator

4-6 inches of base material, often with another 2 inches of top dressing over it. A walking path only needs 2-3 inches, since nothing heavy is driving on it. Skimping on driveway depth is what produces ruts and potholes in the first winter.

It depends on the material, but general gravel runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, crushed stone around 1.35, pea gravel around 1.3, and dry sand around 1.4 (wet sand can weigh noticeably more). Select your material above for a more precise conversion.

Yes. Gravel loses roughly 10-20% of its loose volume once it is spread and rolled or tamped, so the number above is what goes down, not what stays up. Order a bit over the raw calculation and you will not be short after the first pass with the plate compactor.

It is usually not a choice. Most yards quote and sell by the ton for anything past a bag order, which is why this calculator leads with tons. If a supplier does quote by the yard, convert using the density for your material before comparing the two prices, or you are comparing different things.