Gravel Calculator (Tons)
Get your gravel quantity in tons — what quarries and delivery trucks actually price and load by. Enter your area and depth, pick the material, and the tool converts volume to tonnage with pounds and kilograms alongside.
Yards to tons: density by material
The yards-to-tons conversion is entirely a density question. These are the loose, uncompacted figures the calculator uses — moisture and compaction push real loads higher.
| Material | Tons per yd³ | 10 yd³ weighs | 1 ton is about |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel (loose, dry) | ≈ 1.42 | 14.2 tons | 0.70 yd³ |
| Pea gravel | ≈ 1.49 | 14.9 tons | 0.67 yd³ |
| Crushed stone | ≈ 1.43 | 14.3 tons | 0.70 yd³ |
| Crusher run / road base | ≈ 1.60 | 16.0 tons | 0.63 yd³ |
| Sand (dry) | ≈ 1.35 | 13.5 tons | 0.74 yd³ |
| #57 stone | ≈ 1.35 | 13.5 tons | 0.74 yd³ |
Worked example: a 20×20 ft driveway at 4 inches deep is 400 ft² × 0.333 ft = 133 ft³ ≈ 4.94 yd³. As crushed stone that's about 7.1 tons; as crusher run about 7.9 tons. Same hole, different invoice — which is why picking the right material in the calculator matters.
Tons FAQ
How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?
A 20×20 foot driveway (400 sq ft) at 4 inches deep is about 4.94 cubic yards, which is roughly 7.1 tons of crushed stone — or about 7.9 tons of crusher run, which is denser. Larger or deeper driveways scale up proportionally; the calculator above handles any size.
How do I convert cubic yards of gravel to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the material's density in tons per cubic yard. Most gravel is about 1.4–1.5 tons per cubic yard, so 10 yards of gravel is roughly 14–15 tons. The exact multiplier depends on the material — the table on this page lists the figure used for each.
Why do suppliers sell gravel by the ton?
Because weight is what a truck can legally carry and what a scale actually measures, tonnage is the unit quarries and delivery companies price by. Volume estimates are a planning step — converting your cubic yards to tons tells you what the invoice will be based on.