Driveway Gravel Calculator
Work out how many tons of crushed stone, road base, or pea gravel your driveway needs. Enter your driveway’s length, width, and depth below.
Measure straight across the widest point.
Adjust depth below if needed.
Covers spillage and compaction. 5–10% is normal.
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Bags or bulk delivery?
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Coverage & weight
Material profile
A typical 60 ft × 12 ft driveway at the standard 4 inch base depth needs 12 tons of crushed stone, or 13.2 tons with 10% waste — about one full dump truck load. One ton covers roughly 60 sq ft at that depth.
Gravel needed for common driveway sizes
Actual tonnage depends on driveway length, width, and whether you’re pouring a base, a topping, or both.
| Project | Depth | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-car pad, 20 × 10 ft | 4 in | 2.47 yd³ | 3.33 tons |
| Standard driveway (site default), 60 × 12 ft | 4 in | 8.89 yd³ | 12.00 tons |
| Long rural driveway, 150 × 12 ft | 4 in | 22.22 yd³ | 30.00 tons |
| Double-wide driveway, 60 × 20 ft | 4 in | 14.81 yd³ | 20.00 tons |
| Heavy-duty base (road base), 60 × 12 ft | 4 in | 8.89 yd³ | 12.89 tons |
| Topping layer (pea gravel), 60 × 12 ft | 2 in | 4.44 yd³ | 6.00 tons |
Driveway gravel types, density and typical use
| Type | Weight per yd³ | Best for | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone / crusher run | 2,700 lb | Driveway base & topping | Moderate |
| Road base (Type 1 / MOT) | 2,900 lb | Heavy-duty driveway base | Low |
| Pea gravel (topping) | 2,700 lb | Decorative driveway topping | Good |
Figures are for dry material. Wet or freshly delivered material can weigh noticeably more.
How to calculate gravel you need
- Measure the driveway, length and width in feet, including any turnarounds or parking pads.
- Pick base or topping, 4 inches for a structural base layer, 2 inches for a decorative topping.
- Choose your material, crushed stone or road base for structure, pea gravel for a finished look.
- Add 10% waste, for compaction loss and spillage during spreading and grading.
- Check tons and truckloads, most single-car driveways need one dump truck load.
Worked example
Here’s the math for the site default: a 60 ft × 12 ft driveway at a 4 inch base depth, using crushed stone (2,700 lb/yd³), with 10% waste added.
- Area60 ft × 12 ft = 720 sq ft
- Depth in feet4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
- Volume720 × 0.333 = 240 cu ft
- Cubic yards240 ÷ 27 = 8.89 yd³
- Tons (crushed stone, 2,700 lb/yd³)8.89 × 2,700 ÷ 2,000 = 12.0 tons
- Plus 10% waste12.0 × 1.10 = 13.2 tons
- Order amountRound up to 13.5 tons, delivered in bulk — about 1 truckload
Recommended depth by project
| Project | Recommended depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Topping/resurface over existing base | 2 in | Refreshes worn gravel without a full rebuild |
| Light-use residential driveway | 4 in | Site default; single base layer for cars only |
| Two-layer standard driveway | 4 in base + 2 in topping | Base layer plus a finer decorative topping, poured separately |
| Heavy-duty base for trucks/RVs | 6 in | Extra depth of road base resists rutting under heavy axle loads |
| Sub-base over soft or clay soil | 6–8 in | Needs a deeper compacted base before topping when soil doesn't drain well |
| Annual top-up/maintenance | 1 in | Replaces gravel lost to erosion, plowing, and traffic displacement |
Bags or bulk delivery?
Driveways use far too much material for bags to make sense once you’re past a very short parking pad — a 720 sq ft driveway at 4 in needs 12 tons, which would be over 5,300 bags at 0.5 cu ft each. Bagged gravel only makes sense for patching potholes or topping up a few square feet.
- Small pad or patch job (under 50 sq ft):bags work fine — expect roughly 25–30 bags for a 4 in patch.
- Single-car driveway (200–400 sq ft):order bulk by the ton; one dump truck delivery covers it.
- Long or double-wide driveway (600+ sq ft):order bulk and confirm the truck can access and dump at the site, or arrange spreading.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the base layerpouring topping gravel straight onto dirt lets it sink and disappear within a season.
- Using round pea gravel as a driveway baseround stone doesn’t lock together and shifts under tire weight; use angular crushed stone or road base for the base layer.
- Underestimating compactionloose gravel compacts 10–20%, so ordering the exact volume without extra leaves you short.
- Not compacting between layersbase and topping layers should each be compacted or rolled, not just dumped and left loose.
- Ignoring drainage slopea flat driveway holds water and washes gravel into ruts; grade at least a 1–2% crown or slope.
- Using a topping-only depth for heavy vehicles2 in of gravel over dirt fails fast under trucks or RVs; use a full 4–6 in base first.
What this calculator assumes
Adjust your result if your project differs from these.
- Depth is compacted depth after grading and rolling, not loose-dumped depth.
- Base and topping layers are calculated separately if you’re building a two-layer driveway.
- Density is for angular crushed stone/road base; rounded gravels weigh about the same but pack looser.
- Waste allowance covers compaction loss and spillage during spreading, not long-term erosion.
- Calculation assumes a rectangular driveway footprint; irregular shapes need separate areas added together.
- Pricing is a national average estimate; delivery cost depends on distance from the quarry or yard.
Common questions
How deep should gravel be for a driveway?
4 inches is standard for a single base layer supporting cars; add a 2 inch topping layer on top for a finished look, or go to 6 inches for trucks and RVs.
Do I need a base layer under driveway gravel?
Yes, unless you’re just refreshing an existing driveway. A compacted crushed stone or road base layer keeps gravel from sinking into the soil under vehicle weight.
What's the best gravel for a driveway?
Angular crushed stone or road base (Type 1/MOT) for the base layer — the angular edges lock together under weight. Pea gravel looks nicer but only works as a thin topping, not a structural base.
How much does a ton of gravel cover for a driveway?
About 60 sq ft at a 4 inch depth for crushed stone at 2,700 lb/yd³.
Crushed stone vs pea gravel for a driveway?
Crushed stone for the base — it compacts and locks together. Pea gravel is round and shifts under tires, so it’s better reserved for a decorative topping layer, not the structural base.
How often does driveway gravel need topping up?
Typically every 1–3 years depending on traffic and weather, since rain, plowing, and tires gradually push gravel toward the edges and into the subsoil.
Can I put gravel over an existing gravel driveway?
Yes, if the existing base is still solid. A 1–2 inch topping refresh is usually enough; if the base has ruts or potholes, regrade before adding new material.
How much does it cost to gravel a driveway?
For the 720 sq ft example above (12 tons at 4 inches), expect roughly $540 in material plus an $80 delivery fee, about $620 total before waste.
Do I need to compact the gravel?
Yes, especially the base layer. Compacting with a plate compactor or roller after each layer prevents ruts and settling under vehicle weight.
How wide should a gravel driveway be?
10–12 ft is standard for a single-car driveway; go to 16–20 ft if two vehicles need to pass or park side by side.
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Project
| Shape | — |
| Dimensions | — |
| Depth | — |
| Area | — |
| Material | — |
| Waste allowance | — |
Volume & weight (incl. waste)
| Cubic yards | — |
| Cubic feet | — |
| Weight | — |
| Tons (rounded up) | — |
Shopping list
| Bulk order | — |
| Bagged alternative (0.5 cu ft) | — |
| Estimated cost | — |
Notes
Estimate generated by materialcalculate.com. Assumes uniform depth and standard dry material densities. Confirm quantities with your supplier before ordering.