How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?

About 1.4 to 1.7 tons for crushed stone and gravel of 1/4 to 2 inches, by Inch Calculator, and 1.25 to 1.5 tons for pea gravel. Moisture and fines add weight, so a supplier's figure for its own stone is the one to use; the calculator's weight field takes it.

How much does pea gravel cost?

$10–$50 a ton or $20–$80 a cubic yard in bulk, and $4–$7 for a 50 lb bag of 0.5 cu ft, by Lawn Love (updated October 16, 2026). The 1.02 cu yd of a 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep is $20.37–$81.48 by the yard, or 55 bags.

How much does a yard of gravel cost?

It depends on the stone: pea gravel $20–$80, #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone $70–$90, base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC) $30–$40, river rock $50–$160 a cubic yard, before delivery, from Lawn Love and Fixr. Delivery adds $50–$100 by Fixr, and some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards.

How much is a load of gravel?

Lawn Love puts a truckload of pea gravel at $250–$500, a load that typically carries 25 tons. Truck sizes differ by supplier, so ask how many tons or yards their load holds and divide your tons by it.

How do I calculate gravel for a French drain?

Pick Trench and enter the trench's length, width and the depth of gravel. A 50 ft trench 12 inches wide with 12 inches of #57 stone is 50 cu ft, 2.04 cu yd with 10% extra, about 3.16 tons. Leave out the volume of the pipe only if your plan says so; most estimates fill the whole trench.

How many bags of gravel do I need?

Divide the cubic feet by 0.5, the size of a 50 lb bag, and round up: 55 bags for a 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep with 10% extra. Compare the bags at $4–$7 each with the bulk price per yard before you buy.

How deep should gravel be?

Lawn Love gives 2 inches of pea gravel for a pathway, 3 inches for a flower bed and 6 inches for a patio or a driveway; the calculator's depth presets are those figures. A driveway is better built in layers: use the gravel driveway calculator.

How much gravel do I need in cubic meters?

Multiply length × width × depth in meters: a 3 × 3 m area 8 cm deep is 0.72 m³, or 0.79 m³ with 10% extra. Switch the calculator to metric for meters and centimeters, cubic meters and tonnes.

Gravel Calculator

A 10 × 10 ft area of pea gravel 3 inches deep takes 1.02 cu yd with 10% extra, about 1.40 tons. Enter the shape, the depth and the stone, and you get the cubic yards, the tons at that stone's weight, the bags and the cost at published prices.

Units

LengthWidth

Depth preset

Depth (in)Extra (%)MaterialWeight (tons per cu yd)

Pea gravel: 1.25–1.50 tons per cu yd by Inch Calculator, gravel calculator; the field starts in the middle. Your supplier's figure for their stone is better.

Your price (optional, $)Priced per

1.41 tons (1.02 cu yd) of pea gravel

Area:: 100.0 sq ft
Volume with 10% extra:: 1.02 cu yd (27.50 cu ft)
Volume without extra:: 0.93 cu yd
Weight at the published range:: 1.27 tons to 1.53 tons
Bags of 0.5 cu ft (50 lb):: 55
At $10–$50 a ton (Lawn Love, pea gravel cost):: $14.06–$70.28
At $20–$80 a cu yd:: $20.37–$81.48

Published US material prices before delivery, read October 2026. Local prices differ: type your supplier's.

Gravel for a driveway, layer by layer: the gravel driveway calculator.
The base and sand under pavers: the paver base calculator.
Yards to tons for sand, soil or stone: the cubic yards to tons calculator.
Gravel under a concrete slab, with the concrete: the concrete pad calculator.

How HomeMath calculates gravel

HomeMath multiplies the area by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12) for cubic feet, adds your extra allowance (10% to start, Inch Calculator's figure for what is lost in transport and in the voids of the ground) and divides by 27 for cubic yards. Tons are the cubic yards × the gravel's weight per cubic yard: HomeMath starts with the middle of the published range for the stone you pick (pea gravel 1.25–1.50 tons per yard), and you can type your supplier's figure. Bags are the volume ÷ 0.5 cu ft, rounded up. The cost is the tons × a published price per ton and the yards × a published price per yard, before delivery. In metric, HomeMath converts meters and centimeters exactly (1 in = 2.54 cm) and shows the result in cubic meters, liters and square meters. Weights come out in metric tonnes.

The published rules it uses: US customary units; metric conversion; gravel weights and prices. Their sources, and how HomeMath tests every result, are on the about page.

How much gravel do common jobs take?

With 10% extra, at each stone's middle weight.

Garden path 3 × 30 ft, 2 in of pea gravel0.61 cu yd · 0.84 tons
Flower bed 6 × 12 ft, 3 in of river rock0.73 cu yd · 1.06 tons
Patio 12 × 16 ft, 6 in of pea gravel3.91 cu yd · 5.38 tons
Shed base 10 × 12 ft, 4 in of base gravel1.63 cu yd · 2.53 tons
French drain 50 ft × 12 in, 12 in of #572.04 cu yd · 3.16 tons

How much does gravel weigh per cubic yard?

Weight is what turns yards into tons. These are the published loose weights HomeMath uses; the calculator starts with the middle of each range. Damp stone and stone with fines weigh more, so a supplier's own figure beats any table.

Loose weight per cubic yard
Material	Tons per cu yd	Used	Source
Pea gravel	1.25–1.50	1.375	Inch Calculator, gravel calculator
#57 or 3/4 in crushed stone	1.40–1.70	1.550	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons (crushed stone / gravel 1/4–2 in)
Base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC)	1.40–1.70	1.550	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons (crushed stone / gravel 1/4–2 in)
#3 stone (1–2 in)	1.40–1.70	1.550	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons (crushed stone / gravel 1/4–2 in)
River rock	1.30–1.60	1.450	Stone Center, gravel calculator
Sand (dry)	1.30–1.50	1.400	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons
Topsoil (dry)	1.00–1.30	1.150	Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons (dirt / soil (dry))

How much does gravel cost per ton and per yard? (October 2026)

These are published US material prices before delivery. Delivery is $50–$100 by Fixr, and some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards. Lawn Love puts a truckload of pea gravel at $250–$500, a load that typically carries 25 tons. A 50 lb bag of pea gravel (0.5 cu ft) is $4–$7.

Gravel prices
Material	Per ton	Per cubic yard	Source
Pea gravel	$10–$50	$20–$80	Lawn Love, pea gravel cost (updated October 16, 2026)
#57 or 3/4 in crushed stone	$65–$75	$70–$90	Fixr, gravel driveway cost (updated August 17, 2022) (crushed stone #57)
Base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC)	$25–$35	$30–$40	Fixr, gravel driveway cost (updated August 17, 2022) (crusher run)
River rock	$80–$280	$50–$160	Fixr, landscaping stones cost (updated January 31, 2025)

What does the gravel for common jobs cost?

With 10% extra, at each stone's middle weight and its published price per yard
Job	Cubic yards	Tons	Cost by the yard
Garden path 3 × 30 ft, 2 in of pea gravel	0.61 cu yd	0.84 tons	$12.22–$48.89
Flower bed 6 × 12 ft, 3 in of river rock	0.73 cu yd	1.06 tons	$36.67–$117
Square 10 × 10 ft, 3 in of pea gravel	1.02 cu yd	1.40 tons	$20.37–$81.48
Shed base 10 × 12 ft, 4 in of base gravel	1.63 cu yd	2.53 tons	$48.89–$65.19
Patio 12 × 16 ft, 6 in of pea gravel	3.91 cu yd	5.38 tons	$78.22–$313

How much pea gravel do common areas take?

Pea gravel with 10% extra, at 1.375 tons per cu yd
Area and depth	Cubic yards	Tons	0.5 cu ft bags	Cost by the yard
4 × 20 ft, 2 in	0.54 cu yd	0.75 tons	30	$10.86–$43.46
10 × 10 ft, 3 in	1.02 cu yd	1.40 tons	55	$20.37–$81.48
12 × 12 ft, 3 in	1.47 cu yd	2.02 tons	80	$29.33–$117
10 × 20 ft, 3 in	2.04 cu yd	2.80 tons	110	$40.74–$163
12 × 16 ft, 6 in	3.91 cu yd	5.38 tons	212	$78.22–$313
20 × 20 ft, 4 in	5.43 cu yd	7.47 tons	294	$109–$435

How much area does a ton of gravel cover?

About 105 sq ft at 2 inches deep and 70 sq ft at 3 inches for crushed stone at 1.55 tons per cubic yard. It is 27 ÷ the tons per yard, divided by the depth in feet; the table has the other stones.

Area one ton covers
Material	2 in	3 in	4 in	6 in
Pea gravel	118 sq ft	79 sq ft	59 sq ft	39 sq ft
#57 or 3/4 in crushed stone	105 sq ft	70 sq ft	52 sq ft	35 sq ft
Base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC)	105 sq ft	70 sq ft	52 sq ft	35 sq ft
River rock	112 sq ft	74 sq ft	56 sq ft	37 sq ft

How do I work out gravel by hand?

Area: 10 × 10 ft = 100 sq ft.
Volume: 100 × 3/12 = 25 cu ft, or 0.93 cu yd.
Extra: 25 × 1.10 = 27.5 cu ft = 1.02 cu yd.
Tons: 1.02 × 1.375 = 1.40 tons of pea gravel.
Bags: 27.5 ÷ 0.5 rounds up to 55.

A circle 8 ft across is π × 4² = 50.3 sq ft; at 3 in that is 0.51 cu yd with extra. For an odd shape, split it into rectangles, or type the area you measured.

What about a French drain, or gravel under a slab, a driveway or pavers?

A French drain is a trench: pick Trench and type its length, width and gravel depth (the example above uses #57 stone). A base compacts, so type more extra (Inch Calculator says compaction can take up to 30% off a fill's volume), or use the concrete pad calculator, which adds the gravel base under a slab. For a driveway in layers, the gravel driveway calculator; under pavers, the paver base calculator; and to turn a quote in tons into yards, the cubic yards to tons calculator.

How much gravel do I need in metric?

Switch to metric for meters and centimeters, cubic meters and tonnes; the weight field then reads tonnes per cubic meter (1.55 tons per cu yd is about 1.84 t/m³). Prices stay US figures, converted per tonne and per cubic meter.

Frequently asked questions

How much gravel do I need?: Multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by the gravel's weight per yard for tons. A 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.25 = 25 cu ft, 0.93 cu yd; with 10% extra that is 1.02 cu yd, about 1.40 tons of pea gravel.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?: About 1.4 to 1.7 tons for crushed stone and gravel of 1/4 to 2 inches, by Inch Calculator, and 1.25 to 1.5 tons for pea gravel. Moisture and fines add weight, so a supplier's figure for its own stone is the one to use; the calculator's weight field takes it.
How much does pea gravel cost?: $10–$50 a ton or $20–$80 a cubic yard in bulk, and $4–$7 for a 50 lb bag of 0.5 cu ft, by Lawn Love (updated October 16, 2026). The 1.02 cu yd of a 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep is $20.37–$81.48 by the yard, or 55 bags.
How much does a yard of gravel cost?: It depends on the stone: pea gravel $20–$80, #57 or 3/4 in crushed stone $70–$90, base gravel (crusher run, #411, ABC) $30–$40, river rock $50–$160 a cubic yard, before delivery, from Lawn Love and Fixr. Delivery adds $50–$100 by Fixr, and some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards.
How much is a load of gravel?: Lawn Love puts a truckload of pea gravel at $250–$500, a load that typically carries 25 tons. Truck sizes differ by supplier, so ask how many tons or yards their load holds and divide your tons by it.
How do I calculate gravel for a French drain?: Pick Trench and enter the trench's length, width and the depth of gravel. A 50 ft trench 12 inches wide with 12 inches of #57 stone is 50 cu ft, 2.04 cu yd with 10% extra, about 3.16 tons. Leave out the volume of the pipe only if your plan says so; most estimates fill the whole trench.
How many bags of gravel do I need?: Divide the cubic feet by 0.5, the size of a 50 lb bag, and round up: 55 bags for a 10 × 10 ft area 3 inches deep with 10% extra. Compare the bags at $4–$7 each with the bulk price per yard before you buy.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?: About 105 sq ft at 2 inches deep and 70 sq ft at 3 inches, for crushed stone at 1.55 tons per cubic yard. It is 27 ÷ the tons per yard, divided by the depth in feet.
How deep should gravel be?: Lawn Love gives 2 inches of pea gravel for a pathway, 3 inches for a flower bed and 6 inches for a patio or a driveway; the calculator's depth presets are those figures. A driveway is better built in layers: use the gravel driveway calculator.
How much gravel do I need in cubic meters?: Multiply length × width × depth in meters: a 3 × 3 m area 8 cm deep is 0.72 m³, or 0.79 m³ with 10% extra. Switch the calculator to metric for meters and centimeters, cubic meters and tonnes.