Gravel calculator
Cubic yards = length × width in feet × depth in inches ÷ 324: a 16 × 12 ft patio 3 inches deep takes 1.78 cubic yards, or 1.87 with 5% extra, about 2.61 tons of pea gravel.
Example: replace these measurements
Your order
1.87 cubic yards of pea gravel (2.61 tons)
1.87 cubic yards of pea gravel
192 sq ft measured
Your shopping list
- 1.87 cubic yards of pea gravel (2.61 tons)
At posted store prices
- $243.10 1.87 × $130 a cubic yard, Pea gravel, bulk at Whiz-Q Stone in Fort Worth, TX on
$243.10 for this item, before tax and delivery.
Each price is one store’s posted price on the day shown, for the product named. Prices vary between stores: check yours. Your own price goes under Details.
At the weight of a cubic yard above, this order weighs about 5,200 lb. That is more than any 2026 Ford F-150 is rated to carry (2,440 lb at most, in Ford’s specifications), so ask the yard what delivery costs, and how many loads it takes.
Quantities and package details
- Patio
- 192 sq ft × 3 in = 48 cu ft
- Volume before extra
- 48 cu ft (1.78 cu yd)
- Cubic yards to order
- 1.87
- Tons to order
- 2.61
- Weight of a cubic yard
- 1.4 tons, an example for pea gravel: ask your supplier for theirs
- Bags of 0.5 cu ft
- 101
That is 101 bags. For a cubic yard or more, a bulk delivery from a landscape yard or quarry is usually simpler: ask for their minimum load and delivery fee.
The calculation
- Patio: 192 sq ft × 3 in ÷ 12 = 48 cu ft
- 48 cu ft ÷ 27 = 1.78 cu yd; with 5% extra = 1.87 cu yd
- 1.87 cu yd × 1.4 tons a yard = 2.61 tons
- 50.4 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft a bag = 100.8, rounded up to 101 bags
Not measured yet? Common jobs
A rough starting point, worked out with this calculator. Usual sizes and depths, with this calculator's 5% extra and 1.4 tons a cubic yard. Use a row to load its size into the calculator, then change it to your measurements.
| Job | Size | Cubic yards | Tons | Bags of 0.5 cu ft | Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden path | 3 × 30 ft, 2 in | 0.58 | 0.82 | 32 | |
| Flower bed | 4 × 12 ft, 3 in | 0.47 | 0.65 | 26 | |
| Round fire-pit area | 12 ft across, 3 in | 1.1 | 1.54 | 60 | |
| Patio | 12 × 16 ft, 3 in | 1.87 | 2.61 | 101 | |
| One-car driveway topping | 12 × 50 ft, 3 in | 5.83 | 8.17 | 315 | |
| Two-car driveway topping | 20 × 50 ft, 3 in | 9.72 | 13.61 | 525 |
Common questions
How much gravel do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet by the depth in inches, divide by 12 for cubic feet and by 27 for cubic yards. A 12 × 16 ft patio 3 inches deep is 48 cubic feet, or 1.78 cubic yards before any extra.
How many tons is a yard of gravel?
It depends on the stone and how wet it is, so ask the quarry for the weight of a yard of the product you buy and enter it here. The calculator starts from 1.4 tons for pea gravel and #57 stone, 1.35 for river rock and 0.6 for lava rock, which is light and porous. Decomposed granite starts at 1.6 tons, GraniteCrete’s weight for a compacted cubic yard, because it is packed into a path. At 1.4 tons, 2 cubic yards weighs 2.8 tons.
Source: GraniteCrete Math Sheet (revised 29 July 2024): decomposed granite by the cubic yard and the ton. Listed on the Sources page.
Which gravel should I use?
Pea gravel (about 3/8 inch, smooth and round) for paths, play areas and seating areas; it rolls underfoot, so give it an edging. River rock (3/4 inch and up, smooth) for beds, dry creek beds and around downspouts, not for walking. #57 stone (about 3/4 to 1 inch, crushed and angular) locks together for a driveway topping and drains well around pipes and footings. Decomposed granite (fine, sandy) packs firm for a path or patio you walk on every day. Lava rock for planters and roof gardens, where a light load matters.
How deep should gravel be?
About 2 inches for a path and 2 to 3 inches for a decorative bed. A gravel driveway is built in layers, usually 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone under 2 to 3 inches of gravel.
How much does a bag of gravel cover?
A 0.5 cubic foot bag covers 3 square feet at 2 inches deep, or 2 square feet at 3 inches. A cubic yard is 54 of those bags.
How to plan the quantity
Area × depth gives the volume: square feet × inches ÷ 12 = cubic feet, and cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards. Add each part of the job as its own area.
Quarries and landscape yards sell gravel by the ton or by the cubic yard. To turn yards into tons, multiply by the weight of a yard of that product. The weight changes with the stone and how wet it is, so use the supplier’s figure; the calculator starts from an example.
Paths and decorative beds take 2 to 3 inches. A gravel driveway is built in layers, usually 4 to 6 inches of crushed stone under 2 to 3 inches of gravel: add each layer as its own area, or use the crushed stone calculator for the base.
Choose the gravel type and the calculator fills in a weight to start from: 1.4 tons a cubic yard for pea gravel and #57 stone, 1.35 for river rock and 0.6 for lava rock, which is light and porous. Tennessee DOT weighs #57 stone at 1.31 tons a cubic yard loose and 1.49 compacted, so 1.4 sits between the two. Replace it with your supplier’s figure. The volume is the same whatever the type; only the tons change.
Decomposed granite is raked out and compacted into a firm path, so enter the depth after compacting. It starts from 1.6 tons a cubic yard, GraniteCrete’s weight for compacted decomposed granite; a loose figure would leave an order by the ton short.
Before you order
- Wet gravel weighs more than dry, so a load sold by the ton holds a little less when it is wet.
- Landscape fabric, edging and the delivery fee are separate purchases. Ask the supplier for the minimum load and how close the truck can tip.