Driveway Gravel Calculator
Build it in layers — enter your driveway footprint, a coarse base layer, and an optional finer top layer. Get tons and cubic yards for each layer and the total, plus bulk cost by the ton.
Add a finer top layer over the base (turn off to estimate the base only)
Add extra for compaction & settling: 10% for clean stone, 33% for crusher run (recommended — driveways are tamped down)
Driveways are ordered in bulk from a stone yard, priced per ton. Enter a price per ton for each layer and one delivery fee — we'll total it.
Why a gravel driveway has layers.
A driveway that holds up is not one pile of stone — it is built in layers. A coarse base layer of large, angular crushed stone spreads the weight of vehicles and drains water, and a finer top layer gives a smoother surface to drive on. This calculator sizes each layer over the same footprint and adds them up, so you can order the right amount of two different stones in one go.
Both layers cover the same area, so you enter your driveway's length and width once, then set a depth and stone for each. Turn the top layer off if you only need the base — for a first phase, or a base under pavers.
How deep each layer goes.
For a car driveway on firm, well-drained ground, plan on about 6 inches of crushed stone in total once it's packed down. Road-building standards often build that in two layers: a coarser base with finer stone on top. The calculator starts at 4 inches of base and 2 inches of top stone, and you can change either. Soft, clay or wet ground needs a thicker build, up to about 12 inches of stone, often with a geotextile fabric underneath to keep the stone separate from the soil.
Depth drives the order more than anything, because it multiplies across the whole footprint. The calculator works each layer out in cubic feet, divides by 27 for cubic yards, and converts to tons using that stone's density. Enter dimensions in feet, inches, or yards — it normalizes the units.
Which stone for each layer.
The base wants large, angular stone that locks together — a dense-grade aggregate (often called crusher run or road base) or a clean crushed stone such as #57. The top wants a finer, drivable stone: a smaller crushed grade, a dense crushed-and-fines blend, or pea gravel for a softer look. Pick a stone per layer above; each one carries a typical loose density used to work out tons.
Densities differ by source and by how compacted the stone is. Crusher run with stone dust packs heavier than a clean single-size stone, so pick Crusher run for a dense-grade base. If your supplier quotes a different weight per yard, choose Custom and enter their figure for the most accurate tonnage.
Ordering by the ton.
Driveways take far too much stone to buy in bags, so they are ordered loose by the ton and delivered. The calculator gives tons for each layer and the total, which is what a stone yard needs to load the truck. Keep the compaction option on: tamping the stone down is part of building a driveway, and it shrinks the loose volume. Clean stone needs about 10% more than the bare geometry; crusher run, whose stone dust fills the gaps, needs about a third more.
Round each layer up to what the supplier sells, and order the base and top separately since they are different stones at different prices. Measuring twice and picking sensible depths is the easiest way to avoid paying for stone you do not need.
Typical driveway depths.
Typical total depths by ground and traffic, from U.S. road-building standards. Confirm with a local contractor for your site.
| Use | Total depth (finished) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Car driveway, firm well-drained ground | ~6″ | Wisconsin DOT private-drive detail; EPA and USDA-NRCS road minimums |
| Soft, clay or wet ground | 6½–12″ | EPA: 6½″ minimum on weak soil even for light traffic; NRCS: up to ~12″ of stone, often over geotextile fabric |
| Heavy trucks every day (average soil) | 7–11½″ | EPA: 5 to 50 heavy trucks a day |
Depths are finished thicknesses: enter the depth you want after the stone is packed down, and the compaction option adds the extra loose stone. Figures come from U.S. road-building standards (see Methodology & sources); a home driveway with light car traffic sits at the low end. One cubic yard of stone covers about 324 ÷ depth (in.) square feet, so deeper layers cover less ground per yard.
Frequently asked questions.
How many layers does a gravel driveway need?
Most hold up well with two: a coarse base layer that carries the load and drains, and a finer top layer you drive on. Some builds add a middle layer for soft ground or heavy use. This calculator sizes a base plus an optional top — turn the top off to estimate the base alone.
How deep should a gravel driveway be?
For a car driveway on firm ground, about 6 inches of compacted stone in total, often as a base layer with finer stone on top. Soft, clay or wet soil needs a thicker build, up to about 12 inches of stone, often over a geotextile fabric. Set a depth for each layer above and the calculator totals the stone.
How much gravel do I need for my driveway?
It depends on the area and the depth of each layer. Enter your driveway's length and width, a depth and stone for the base and top, and the calculator returns tons and cubic yards for each layer and the total. As a rough idea, a 40 × 12 ft driveway with a 5-inch base and 2-inch top is around 16 tons of stone.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
For most driveway stone, about 1.3 to 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Crushed stone runs near 1.4 tons a yard, pea gravel a little less. The exact figure depends on the stone and how compacted it is, so the calculator uses a typical density per stone type and lets you enter a custom one. Crusher run packed into a finished base works out to about 1.8 to 2 tons per cubic yard of finished layer.
Should I order extra for compaction?
Yes. Clean stone like #57 or pea gravel packs down only a little, so about 10% more covers it. Crusher run has stone dust that fills the gaps when it's compacted, so order about a third more (33%) than the bare measurements. Pick your stone in each layer and the calculator applies the right allowance; the option is on by default. Rounding each layer up to what your supplier sells covers the rest.
Methodology & sources
Each layer is standard geometry: the footprint area is multiplied by that layer's depth for cubic feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards, and multiplied by the stone's density (lb/ft³) and divided by 2,000 for US tons. The total is the sum of the base and (optional) top layers. The optional compaction factor multiplies each layer's volume by 1.33 for crusher run and by 1.10 for clean stone (crushed, #57, pea gravel, river rock) or a custom density. All arithmetic was verified with Python's Decimal to avoid floating-point drift.
Density references (.edu / .gov):
- Pennsylvania State University — Aggregate Technician Certification Program (aggregate bulk density / unit weight, AASHTO T19) — link
- Michigan Department of Transportation — Standard Specifications for Construction, Section 902: Aggregates — link
- U.S. Federal Aviation Administration — AC 150/5370-10, Item P-208 Aggregate Base Course — link
Depth references (.gov):
- Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Standard Detail Drawing 9A14, Driveways without Curb & Gutter (6-inch dense aggregate base for private drives) — link
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Gravel Roads: Maintenance and Design Manual, Appendix A, Table 6 (suggested minimum gravel thickness for rural roads by daily heavy-truck count and soil strength) — link
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — Conservation Practice Standard 560, Access Road (Ohio, 2022) (geotextile under the surfacing on weak soils such as silts, organics and clays) — link
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — Conservation Practice Standard 560, Access Road (Wisconsin, 2021) (minimum 6 inches of crushed stone; about 12 inches with a base course and geotextile) — link
Compaction references (.edu / .gov):
- Wisconsin Highway Research Program / Wisconsin Department of Transportation — Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (2023; dense graded base measured at about 1.79–1.98 tons per cubic yard compacted) — link
- Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads — Driving Surface Aggregate technical bulletin (2025; placed 8 inches loose, compacted to 6 inches) — link
- U.S. Federal Highway Administration — Strength Characterization of Open-Graded Aggregates for Structural Backfills, FHWA-HRT-15-034 (2015; No. 57 stone at 95.4 lb/ft³ loosest and 108.7 lb/ft³ densest) — link
Crusher run uses the same ~105 lb/ft³ loose figure with a 1.33 allowance, which works out to about 1.89 tons per cubic yard of finished base — inside the range measured for dense graded base, and in line with 8 inches loose packing to 6. Clean stone has no fines to fill its gaps: in the FHWA lab tests, No. 57 stone got at most about 14% denser from its loosest to its densest state, so a 10% allowance sits within that range.
Stone defaults are typical loose densities: ~105 lb/ft³ for crushed stone and #57 (~1.42 tons/yd³), ~98 lb/ft³ for pea gravel (~1.32 tons/yd³), and ~100 lb/ft³ for river rock (~1.35 tons/yd³). Dense-grade base (crusher run) with stone dust packs heavier; suppliers vary, so the per-layer density is editable — confirm before ordering.
Unit conversions (27 cu ft = 1 cu yd; 1 cu ft = 0.0283168466 m³) are exact definitions. Last methodology review: October 2026.
Independence: Sources are cited for reference only. The universities, agencies and retailers named on this page do not sponsor or endorse MaterialCalcs, and we are not affiliated with them. Retail prices were checked by hand and vary by store and region.