Driveways 4-6", walkways 2-3", drainage 2-4". Driveways, drainage, base.
Typical for crushed stone (#57): $20/ton
Area
200 sq ft
Depth
4"
1 yd³ covers
81 sq ft
Cost / sq ft
$0.35
One cubic yard of gravel (about 1.4 tons) covers:
324 sq ft
at 1"
162 sq ft
at 2"
108 sq ft
at 3"
At 1.4 tons per cubic yard for crushed stone (#57). Change the gravel type above to adjust density.
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Quick answer: how much gravel you need
To find how much gravel you need, multiply length by width by depth in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons and covers 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, or 81 sq ft at 4 inches. For a 20 by 10 ft driveway at 4 inches, that is about 2.5 cubic yards or 3.5 tons. Depth guidance: driveways 4-6 inches, walkways and patios 2-3 inches, drainage 2-4 inches. Material cost runs $10-$25 per ton for crushed stone, $30-$50 for pea gravel, and $40-$80 for river rock. Order 5-10 percent extra for settling.
Gravel is sold by the cubic yard or by the ton, so the first step is figuring out your volume. Multiply the area (length times width in feet) by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 to convert cubic feet to cubic yards.
To convert to tons, multiply cubic yards by the bulk density, which is about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for most landscape gravel. A cubic yard covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep. Always order 5 to 10 percent extra to account for settling and uneven ground.
| Depth | Coverage per Cubic Yard | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft | Top-dress / refresh |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | Walkways, patios |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | Decorative beds |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | Driveways (base + top) |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | Heavy-use driveways |
| Gravel Type | Cost / Ton (material) | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed Stone (#57) | $10 – $25 | Driveways, drainage, base |
| Pea Gravel | $30 – $50 | Walkways, patios, decorative |
| River Rock | $40 – $80 | Decorative beds, dry creek |
| Crusher Run (base) | $15 – $30 | Compacted sub-base |
| Decomposed Granite | $30 – $60 | Paths, patios, xeriscape |
Prices are material only. Delivery and installed labor typically add $1 to $3 per square foot. Bulk delivery is cheaper than bagged gravel above about one cubic yard.
Gravel costs about $14 to $35 per cubic yard for standard crushed stone, and $42 to $112 per yard for decorative stone. Yards are how gravel is sold and delivered; tons are how it is weighed at the quarry. A cubic yard runs about 1.4 tons, which is the conversion behind every figure below.
| Gravel type | Per cubic yard | 2 yards |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57) | $14 – $35 | $28 – $70 |
| Crusher run (base) | $21 – $42 | $42 – $84 |
| Pea gravel | $42 – $70 | $84 – $140 |
| Decomposed granite | $42 – $84 | $84 – $168 |
| River rock | $56 – $112 | $112 – $224 |
Material only, before delivery. One cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 inches deep, 162 sq ft at 2 inches, or 81 sq ft at 4 inches — so a yard of gravel covers roughly a 10 by 10 patio at typical decorative depth. Most suppliers charge a flat delivery fee per load rather than per yard, which is why ordering 5 yards costs proportionally less to deliver than ordering 1.
Two cubic yards of crushed stone costs about $28 to $70 in material, and 5 cubic yards about $70 to $175. Decorative stone is higher: 2 yards of pea gravel runs $84 to $140 and river rock $112 to $224. Delivery is usually a flat fee per load rather than per yard, so larger orders cost proportionally less to deliver.
To find how much gravel you need, multiply the length by the width by the depth in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. For example, a 20 by 10 ft driveway at 4 inches deep is 200 sq ft x 0.33 ft = 66.7 cubic feet, which is about 2.5 cubic yards or roughly 3.5 tons. Use the calculator above to do the math automatically for any area and depth.
A cubic yard of most landscape gravel weighs about 1.4 tons, or roughly 2,800 pounds. Denser materials like crusher run pack closer to 1.45 tons per cubic yard. To convert cubic yards to tons, multiply the cubic yards by 1.4. So 3 cubic yards is about 4.2 tons.
One ton of most gravel is about 0.71 cubic yards, since a cubic yard weighs roughly 1.4 tons. To convert tons to cubic yards, divide the tons by 1.4. So 20 tons of gravel is about 14.3 cubic yards, 10 tons is about 7.1 cubic yards, and 1 ton is about 0.71 cubic yards. Crusher run is slightly denser at 1.45 tons per yard. Use the tons-to-yards converter above for any amount.
For a gravel driveway, use 4 to 6 inches of gravel, ideally over a compacted base layer. Walkways and patios need 2 to 3 inches, and drainage applications 2 to 4 inches. Decorative gravel over landscape fabric can be as shallow as 2 inches. Going too deep wastes material; too shallow and the base shows through.
Gravel material costs $10 to $25 per ton for crushed stone, $30 to $50 for pea gravel, and $40 to $80 for river rock. Since a cubic yard is about 1.4 tons, a yard of crushed stone runs roughly $14 to $35 in material. Delivery and installed labor add $1 to $3 per square foot on top of the material cost.
One cubic yard of gravel covers about 108 square feet at 3 inches deep, 162 square feet at 2 inches, 81 square feet at 4 inches, or 324 square feet at 1 inch. Coverage is simply 324 divided by the depth in inches, because a cubic yard contains 324 square-foot-inches of material.
