How Much Gravel Do I Need?

Start by measuring the length and width of the area at ground level, then decide your depth. Most driveway base layers use 4–6 inches of compacted gravel; decorative paths and beds often use 2–3 inches.

Gravel is priced and delivered by the ton, not the cubic yard, so after finding your volume you need to convert using the material's density — roughly 2,400–3,000 lbs per cubic yard depending on the type (crushed stone, pea gravel, crusher run, etc. all differ slightly).

Use the Gravel & Rock Calculator to handle both the volume and the ton conversion in one step.

One thing that trips people up: compacted gravel settles 10–20% below its loose volume once it's run over with a plate compactor. The calculator's figure is already the right order quantity for a loose measurement — don't add a second compaction allowance on top of it, or you'll over-order.