How much gravel do I need for a driveway?

About 40.4 tons for a 16 × 40 ft driveway in three 4 inch layers with 10% extra: 13.5 tons of #3 stone, 1–2 in, 13.5 tons of #57 crushed stone, 13.5 tons of #411 or crusher run. That is 26.07 cu yd.

How thick should a gravel driveway be?

About 12 inches in three layers of about 4 inches, by Fixr, which notes that most driveways are 8 to 12 inches deep. The base and middle layers go in 3 to 4 inches deep each; the calculator's presets are 3 and 4 inches per layer.

What gravel is best for a driveway?

Layers of different stone, by Fixr: #3 stone of 1 to 2 inches (or Item #4) at the bottom, #57 crushed stone about golf-ball size in the middle, and a finish of your choice on top, such as #411 or crushed granite. For a single material, such as pea gravel, use the gravel calculator.

How many tons of gravel are in a truck load?

Lawn Love gives a typical truckload of pea gravel as 25 tons; trucks differ, and Fixr notes that some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards. The 40.4 tons of a 16 × 40 ft driveway is 2 loads of 25 tons.

Is a gravel driveway cheaper than concrete?

Installed, yes by these sources: Fixr puts a gravel driveway at $1,000–$3,000 installed (updated August 2022), and a 16 × 40 ft driveway in plain concrete is $3,200–$5,120 installed at Concrete Network's $5–$8 per sq ft. For the same 16 × 40 ft, the calculator's stone is about $1,415–$1,886, and $2,119–$2,590 with Fixr's grading at $1.10 per sq ft, before labor and delivery. Fixr's prices are older, so compare local quotes.

How do I calculate a gravel driveway in tons?

For each layer, multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards and multiply by the stone's tons per yard. One 4 inch layer of #57 on 16 × 40 ft is 213.3 cu ft, 7.90 cu yd, about 12.2 tons before extra.

What else does a gravel driveway cost?

Fixr lists grading at about $1.10 per square foot, labor at $60–$100 an hour and delivery at $50–$100; excavation for a new driveway is typically about 12 inches deep. Add those to the stone for an installed figure.

Gravel Driveway Calculator

A two-car gravel driveway of 16 × 40 ft built in three 4 inch layers takes about 40.4 tons of stone, about $1,415–$1,886 in materials at published prices. Enter the length, width and each layer's depth to get the tons and yards per layer, the truck loads, and the cost with and without grading, beside the same driveway in plain concrete.

Units

Size preset

LengthWidth

Base layer: #3 stone, 1–2 in (in)

Base depth preset

Middle layer: #57 crushed stone (in)

Middle depth preset

Top layer: #411 or crusher run (in)

Top depth preset

Extra (%)Truck load (tons)

Layers and depths after Fixr: about 4 in each, 12 in in all. The truck load starts at the 25 tons Lawn Love gives for a truckload; ask your supplier for theirs.

40.41 tons of gravel (26.07 cu yd), about $1,415–$1,886

Area:: 640 sq ft
Base: #3 stone, 1–2 in:: 13.47 tons, 8.69 cu yd, $202–$404 at $15–$30 a ton
Middle: #57 crushed stone:: 13.47 tons, 8.69 cu yd, $876–$1,010 at $65–$75 a ton
Top: #411 or crusher run:: 13.47 tons, 8.69 cu yd, $337–$472 at $25–$35 a ton
Truck loads:: 2 (1.62 loads)
Materials per sq ft:: $2.21 to $2.95
Stone plus grading (Fixr), before labor and delivery:: $2,119–$2,590
Plain concrete instead, installed (labor included):: $3,200–$5,120

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

Pricing a paved driveway instead? The concrete driveway cost calculator.
One material for any area: the gravel calculator.
A supplier quoting in tons? The cubic yards to tons calculator.

How HomeMath sizes a gravel driveway

HomeMath builds the driveway the way Fixr describes it: a base of #3 stone, a middle of #57 crushed stone and a top of #411 or crusher run, about 4 inches each. Each layer is the area × its depth in feet, plus your extra (10% to start), ÷ 27 for cubic yards, × 1.55 tons per yard, the middle of Inch Calculator's range for crushed stone; its cost is the tons × Fixr's price per ton. Truck loads are the total tons ÷ your load, rounded up. Grading at $1.10 per sq ft is a separate row; labor and delivery are not included. The concrete row is the same area at Concrete Network's plain driveway price, installed, so compare it with Fixr's installed gravel prices, not with the stone. In metric, HomeMath converts meters and centimeters exactly (1 in = 2.54 cm) and shows the result in cubic meters, liters and square meters.

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

How much stone does a 16 × 40 ft gravel driveway take?

A gravel driveway is built in layers, each a different stone. The calculator follows Fixr's gravel driveway guide: a base of #3 stone (1 to 2 in), a middle of #57 crushed stone and a top of #411 or crusher run, about 4 inches each.

Three 4 in layers with 10% extra, at Fixr's prices per ton
Layer	Tons	Yards	Price	Cost
Base: #3 stone, 1–2 in	13.5 tons	8.69 cu yd	$15–$30 a ton (base gravel #3)	$202–$404
Middle: #57 crushed stone	13.5 tons	8.69 cu yd	$65–$75 a ton (crushed stone #57)	$876–$1,010
Top: #411 or crusher run	13.5 tons	8.69 cu yd	$25–$35 a ton (crusher run)	$337–$472

The 40.4 tons is 2 loads of 25 tons (Lawn Love's typical truckload), for $1,415–$1,886 of stone. The middle layer costs most: Fixr prices #57 at $65–$75 a ton.

How much stone do other driveway sizes take?

Three 4 in layers with 10% extra
Driveway	Stone	Yards	Loads of 25 tons	Materials
Single stall, 10 × 20 ft	12.6 tons	8.15 cu yd	1	$442–$589
One car, 12 × 20 ft	15.2 tons	9.78 cu yd	1	$530–$707
Single, 12 × 24 ft	18.2 tons	11.73 cu yd	1	$637–$849
Double, 24 × 24 ft	36.4 tons	23.47 cu yd	2	$1,273–$1,697
Two car, 16 × 40 ft	40.4 tons	26.07 cu yd	2	$1,415–$1,886
Long single lane, 10 × 100 ft	63.1 tons	40.74 cu yd	3	$2,210–$2,947

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

About 12 inches in three 4 inch layers is ideal by Fixr, and most driveways are 8 to 12 inches deep. The calculator's layer presets are 3 and 4 inches (8 and 10 cm in metric). Here is what the shallower builds save on 16 × 40 ft:

Total depth (base and middle 4 in, the rest on top)
Total depth	Stone	Materials
8 in	26.9 tons	$1,078–$1,415
10 in	33.7 tons	$1,246–$1,650
12 in	40.4 tons	$1,415–$1,886

How much does a gravel driveway cost installed?

Fixr (updated August 17, 2022) puts a gravel driveway at $1,000–$3,000 installed, $1,750 on average, with materials at $1–$3 per square foot. Its prices by size, labor included:

Gravel driveway cost by size (Fixr)
Driveway	Installed
Single stall, 10 × 20 ft	$250–$700
Single, 12 × 24 ft	$300–$900
Double stall, 20 × 20 ft	$800–$1,200
Double, 24 × 24 ft	$1,000–$2,200
Triple, 24 × 36 ft	$1,500–$5,000

On top of the stone come grading at about $1.10 per sq ft, labor at $60–$100 an hour and delivery at $50–$100; some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards. These prices are older than the site's other sources, so check them against a local quote.

Is a gravel or a concrete driveway cheaper?

Compare installed with installed. A 16 × 40 ft driveway in plain concrete is $3,200–$5,120 installed at Concrete Network's $5–$8 per sq ft; Fixr puts a gravel driveway at $1,000–$3,000 installed, with its prices by size in the table above. The calculator's figure for the gravel is the stone, $1,415–$1,886, or $2,119–$2,590 with Fixr's grading at $1.10 per sq ft; add labor and delivery before you set it beside a concrete price. Fixr's figures are from 2022, so a local quote for each is the real test. Price the paved driveway in full, with removal of an old one, in the concrete driveway cost calculator. For one stone over any area, use the gravel calculator; for a quote in tons, the cubic yards to tons calculator.

How does the driveway work in metric?

Switch to metric for meters, centimeter layers, cubic meters and tonnes; the truck load is then in tonnes. Prices stay US figures per ton converted to tonnes.

Frequently asked questions

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?: About 40.4 tons for a 16 × 40 ft driveway in three 4 inch layers with 10% extra: 13.5 tons of #3 stone, 1–2 in, 13.5 tons of #57 crushed stone, 13.5 tons of #411 or crusher run. That is 26.07 cu yd.
How much does a gravel driveway cost?: Fixr puts a gravel driveway at $1,000–$3,000 installed, $1,750 on average, with materials at $1–$3 per square foot (updated August 2022). The calculator prices the stone of your own driveway layer by layer: $1,415–$1,886 for 16 × 40 ft, before delivery, grading and labor.
How thick should a gravel driveway be?: About 12 inches in three layers of about 4 inches, by Fixr, which notes that most driveways are 8 to 12 inches deep. The base and middle layers go in 3 to 4 inches deep each; the calculator's presets are 3 and 4 inches per layer.
What gravel is best for a driveway?: Layers of different stone, by Fixr: #3 stone of 1 to 2 inches (or Item #4) at the bottom, #57 crushed stone about golf-ball size in the middle, and a finish of your choice on top, such as #411 or crushed granite. For a single material, such as pea gravel, use the gravel calculator.
How many tons of gravel are in a truck load?: Lawn Love gives a typical truckload of pea gravel as 25 tons; trucks differ, and Fixr notes that some suppliers won't deliver fewer than 10 cubic yards. The 40.4 tons of a 16 × 40 ft driveway is 2 loads of 25 tons.
Is a gravel driveway cheaper than concrete?: Installed, yes by these sources: Fixr puts a gravel driveway at $1,000–$3,000 installed (updated August 2022), and a 16 × 40 ft driveway in plain concrete is $3,200–$5,120 installed at Concrete Network's $5–$8 per sq ft. For the same 16 × 40 ft, the calculator's stone is about $1,415–$1,886, and $2,119–$2,590 with Fixr's grading at $1.10 per sq ft, before labor and delivery. Fixr's prices are older, so compare local quotes.
How do I calculate a gravel driveway in tons?: For each layer, multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards and multiply by the stone's tons per yard. One 4 inch layer of #57 on 16 × 40 ft is 213.3 cu ft, 7.90 cu yd, about 12.2 tons before extra.
What else does a gravel driveway cost?: Fixr lists grading at about $1.10 per square foot, labor at $60–$100 an hour and delivery at $50–$100; excavation for a new driveway is typically about 12 inches deep. Add those to the stone for an installed figure.