Driveway gravel calculator
Enter your driveway’s size and the depth of each layer to get the tons of base and top gravel to order. Resurfacing? Set the base depth to 0.
Enter your measurements
More options: Extra area · Middle · Base compaction …
- Base layer
- 21.9 tons (43,750 lb)
- Top layer
- 10.5 tons (21,000 lb)
- Driveway area
- 600 sq ft
- Bulk order (rounded up)
- base 22 tons + top 10.5 tons
- Truckloads (each layer delivered separately)
- 6 truckloads
60 ft × 10 ft = 600 sq ft
Base: 600 sq ft × 6 in = 11.1 cu yd compacted × 1.25 = 13.9 cu yd loose × 1.5 tons/cu yd = 20.8 tons
+ 5% waste = 21.9 tons
Effective rate: ≈ 1.97 tons per cu yd compacted
Base order: 21.9 tons rounded up to the next ½ ton = 22 tons
Top: 600 sq ft × 3 in = 5.56 cu yd compacted × 1.2 = 6.67 cu yd loose × 1.5 tons/cu yd = 10 tons
+ 5% waste = 10.5 tons
Effective rate: ≈ 1.89 tons per cu yd compacted
Top order: 10.5 tons rounded up to the next ½ ton = 10.5 tons
Total: 32.4 tons
- Crown the driveway (higher in the middle) so water sheds off the sides instead of running down the tire tracks. The FHWA gravel roads guide recommends about ½ in of fall per foot of width, roughly 4%.
Quick answers for common sizes
| Example | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much gravel for a 12×50 driveway | 32.4 tons |
| How much gravel for a 100 ft driveway | 62.4 tons |
| How much gravel to resurface a 12×60 driveway | 8.4 tons |
Stone needed by driveway length (at the width and depths above)
| Driveway length | Total stone | Base layer | Top layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 ft | 13.5 tons | 9.11 tons | 4.38 tons |
| 50 ft | 27 tons | 18.2 tons | 8.75 tons |
| 75 ft | 40.5 tons | 27.3 tons | 13.1 tons |
| 100 ft | 54 tons | 36.5 tons | 17.5 tons |
| 150 ft | 80.9 tons | 54.7 tons | 26.3 tons |
| 200 ft | 108 tons | 72.9 tons | 35 tons |
A durable gravel driveway is built in layers: a coarse or dense-grade base (often 6–8 in) that carries the load, and a smaller top layer (often 2–3 in) that you drive on. Each layer is figured separately — its compacted depth, how much that stone packs down, and its weight — because you order them as separate loads.
How the layers work
Gravel driveways fail from the bottom up. The base carries the load and spreads it over the soil; the top layer is the wearing surface. Each layer is calculated separately, because the stones pack down by different amounts, weigh different amounts, and arrive as separate loads.
compacted volume = (length × width + extra area) × layer depth loose volume = compacted volume × compaction factor layer tons = loose volume × loose density × (1 + waste) total = base + middle + top
Depths here are finished, compacted depths. Dense-graded stone such as crusher run shrinks by roughly a fifth when a plate compactor goes over it, so the calculator orders about 1.25 times the compacted volume of it; #411 about 1.2 times; clean stone such as #57 or #3 only 1.05–1.08 times. Leave the compaction boxes blank to use those typical figures, or type your supplier’s under More options.
| Layer | Common materials | Typical depth |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Crusher run (dense-grade: crushed stone plus its own dust) or #3 stone (1–2 in) on soft, wet ground | 6–8 in on firm soil; more on clay or soft ground |
| Middle (optional) | #57 stone (about ¾ in), for drainage | 0–4 in |
| Top | #411 (#57 mixed with stone dust), crusher run, or a local driveway blend | 2–3 in |
Why #411 on top?
#411 is #57 stone with the stone dust (screenings) mixed back in. The dust binds the stones together when it is wet and rolled, so it packs to a firm surface that tires don’t push around; suppliers sell it as a topping for drives and parking areas, and note that it can track until it hardens. Clean #57 on top drains well but rolls and scatters under tires. Crusher run also packs firm but can get dusty or muddy. Not every region uses the #411 name — ask for “#57 with fines” or a driveway topping blend.
Worked examples
- How much gravel for a 12×50 driveway: a typical suburban single drive built from scratch.
- How much gravel for a 100 ft driveway: a longer rural drive with a #57 drainage layer between base and top.
- How much gravel to resurface a 12×60 driveway: 2 in of fresh top stone on a sound old base.
Aprons, turnarounds and parking pads
Most drives are more than one rectangle. Add the extra pieces — a wider apron where the drive meets the road, a turnaround, a parking pad by the garage — under Extra area in More options. They get the same layers as the main run. For odd shapes, break them into rectangles and add up the square feet.
Resurfacing an old driveway
If the base is sound and you just need fresh stone on top, set the base depth to 0 and use 2 in of top stone. Before you order, fill potholes and regrade the crown; new stone on top of ruts ends up in the ruts.
Crown and drainage
Water is what destroys gravel drives. The FHWA’s Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide recommends a crown of about ½ in per foot (roughly 4%) from the centre to each edge, and it notes that crushed, fractured stone holds under traffic far better than rounded stone. On a 12 ft drive, that crown puts the centre about 3 in above the edges.
Ordering and delivery
Quarries sell by the ton, usually in half-ton steps, so each layer is rounded up separately — the base goes down and gets compacted before the top stone arrives. Under More options, pick the truck size (a single-axle truck carries roughly 6–8 tons, a tri-axle 18–22) and the delivery fee to see how many loads to book and the delivered cost. Ask the yard what their trucks actually carry.
Tips
- On soft or clay soils, a woven geotextile under the base can keep stone from sinking into mud.
- Compact each layer (a plate compactor can be rented) — loose stone ruts quickly.
- Leave the edges slightly lower than the center and make sure water has somewhere to go.
- Wet, low spots under the drive may need a drain rather than more stone — see the French drain calculator.
Compare stone types in gravel types for driveways and paths, and loose versus compacted weights in the landscape material weight chart.
What you’ll need
- Bow rake / landscape rakeBudget price
Steel tines for spreading gravel and soil and leveling it flat. The flat back of a bow rake doubles as a leveling tool.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Square-point transfer shovelBudget price
Flat blade for scooping gravel, soil and sand off a driveway pile — a round shovel leaves too much behind.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Wheelbarrow (6 cu ft class)Mid-range price
Most home wheelbarrows hold 4–6 cubic feet — so a cubic yard of mulch is five or six trips. Two wheels are steadier on soft ground.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Measuring wheelBudget price
Rolls off long distances — driveways, lawn edges, fence lines — quicker and more accurately than a tape for one person.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hand tamper (8 × 8 in or 10 × 10 in)Budget price
Compacts gravel in small areas and along edges where a rented plate compactor won’t reach. For a whole patio base, rent the plate compactor.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How much gravel do I need for a 60 ft driveway?
For a 10 ft wide, 60 ft long drive with 6 in of compacted crusher run and 3 in of #411 on top: about 21.9 tons of base and 10.5 tons of top stone, roughly 32.4 tons in all, including compaction and 5% waste. That is 600 sq ft, the same as how much gravel for a 12×50 driveway.
How thick should a gravel driveway be?
A common new build is 6–8 in of compacted base plus 2–3 in of top stone; clay, soft ground and heavy trucks call for more, usually with woven fabric under the base. Local soils and practice vary, so ask a local contractor or the quarry what holds up where you live.
What gravel goes on top of a driveway?
Angular stone that packs: #411 (#57 with stone dust) or crusher run lock into a firm surface. Clean #57 drains but rolls and scatters under tires, and round pea gravel or river rock ruts badly.
How many tons of gravel in a dump truck?
It depends on the truck and local weight limits. Single-axle trucks typically carry somewhere around 6–10 tons, tandems 12–16 and tri-axles 18–25. Ask the supplier what theirs carries; the truck size setting under More options uses mid-range figures.
Related guides
Sources
- FHWA — Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide (2015) (opens in a new tab) — Crown of about ½ in per foot (≈4%); crushed stone resists movement under load better than rounded stone
- Wisconsin DOT research report 0092-22-05 — Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates (2024) (opens in a new tab) — Compacted dense-graded base weighs about 1.75–2.1 tons per cubic yard (WisDOT conversion factors)
- Smith Bros. Mulch — #411 Limestone (opens in a new tab) — #411: crushed stone from #57 size down to dust (#10 screenings); about 2,800 lb per yard
- MRLM Landscape Materials — #411 Limestone (opens in a new tab) — Walnut size down to dust; used as topping for drives and parking lots; tracks until it hardens
- Gravel Monkey — How many tons of gravel in a dump truck? (opens in a new tab) — Typical payloads: single-axle about 6–10 tons, tandem 12–16, tri-axle 18–25; gravel hits the weight limit before the bed is full.