Free gravel & aggregate calculator.
This free gravel and aggregate calculator returns cubic yards and tons for driveways, drainage, base course, and bedding. Pick from common material presets (pea gravel, crushed stone, sand, road base) or override the density to match your supplier. Imperial or Metric.
Material needed
Want this from the actual grading plan? SiteWorx/OS reads contours from a PDF or DWG, builds a triangulated surface, and computes cut-and-fill to bid-grade accuracy.
Volume × density = tonnage.
Gravel volume is length × width × depth. A 30 × 20 ft drive at 4 inches deep is 30 × 20 × (4/12) = 200 ft³ ÷ 27 ≈ 7.4 CY. In metric, multiply lengths in meters for cubic meters directly.
Mass is volume × density. Loose crushed stone runs about 1,600 kg/m³ (100 lb/ft³); pea gravel about 1,680 kg/m³; sand 1,520 kg/m³; compacted road base 1,920 kg/m³. The calculator's material presets approximate these values; use the override field when your supplier's spec sheet gives a different density.
Suppliers price by either cubic yard (loose, as-delivered) or by short ton (mass at the scale). The output includes both so you can compare like-for-like quotes.
Frequently asked
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Volume in cubic yards × the material's density in tons per cubic yard. Crushed stone is about 1.35 tons/CY; pea gravel about 1.42 tons/CY; sand about 1.28 tons/CY; road base about 1.62 tons/CY. The calculator does this automatically based on the material preset.
How much depth do I need for a gravel driveway?
4-6 inches over a compacted base for residential drives that see light vehicle traffic. 8-12 inches for heavy-duty driveways that see trucks. Drainage applications (French drains, swales) use 3-6 inch crushed stone at the depth specified by the drainage design.
Should I order by ton or by cubic yard?
Whichever the supplier prices in. Bulk crushed stone is usually priced by the ton at the quarry. Pea gravel and decorative stone are sometimes priced by the cubic yard. The calculator outputs both so you can compare quotes.
What's the difference between loose and compacted gravel?
Loose density is what the supplier hauls. Compacted density (after the gravel is placed and rolled) is about 10-15% denser, which means a compacted cubic yard occupies less ground space. The calculator returns loose volume — what you order — not compacted. Add 10-15% waste to account for compaction loss when sizing the order.
How accurate are the material density presets?
Within a few percent for the typical product. Real density varies by moisture, particle size, and geology — Class V from one quarry will not match Class V from another quarry. For material-critical orders (large drainage installs, structural fill), ask your supplier for their stated bulk density and use the override field.
SiteWorx/OS sizes gravel from the grading plan.
For large sitework jobs, SiteWorx/OS models the cut and fill from the existing and proposed grades and sizes base course volumes accurately against the actual surface — not just a rectangle. Real tonnage to bid, with material types per zone.