GreenYard

Gravel Calculator

Area × depth, converted to the cubic yards your landscape or construction supplier sells in bulk.

Area (sq ft)

Gravel depth (in)

Gravel needed

2.469 yd³

4 inches is typical for a driveway base layer; 2 inches for a decorative top layer.

What you entered

Area (sq ft): 200Gravel depth (in): 4

1
Volume in cubic feet
200 × (4/12)= 66.6667 ft³
2
Convert to cubic yards
66.6667 ÷ 27= 2.4691 yd³

Result

Gravel needed: 2.469 yd³

A 200 sq ft area at 4" deep needs about 2.4691358024691357 cubic yards of gravel.

Cubic yards of gravel for common projects at 2, 4, and 6 inch depths

Each figure is area times depth divided by 27, the loose volume before compaction, which is the same arithmetic the calculator runs. Values are rounded to two decimals; the calculator shows more places.

Project	Area (sq ft)	2 in deep (cu yd)	4 in deep (cu yd)	6 in deep (cu yd)
Garden path, 3 x 30 ft	90	0.56	1.11	1.67
Shed base, 10 x 12 ft	120	0.74	1.48	2.22
Patio paver base, 12 x 12 ft	144	0.89	1.78	2.67
Fire pit area, 15 x 15 ft	225	1.39	2.78	4.17
Single driveway, 10 x 40 ft	400	2.47	4.94	7.41
Double driveway, 20 x 40 ft	800	4.94	9.88	14.81
Long driveway, 12 x 100 ft	1,200	7.41	14.81	22.22

Depth follows the job: 2 to 3 inches for a decorative path, 4 to 6 compacted for a paver base, 4 to 8 for a driveway base. These are loose cubic yards, and gravel loses roughly 15 to 20 percent of its depth once compacted, so lay it in 2 inch lifts and tamp each one rather than trying to compact the full depth at once. Suppliers sell by the cubic yard or by the ton, and a cubic yard of crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons, less for pea gravel and more for dense crushed granite, so ask which unit a quote uses before comparing prices. Order about 10 percent over the figure shown to cover an uneven subgrade and spreading losses.

Base layers need more depth than you'd guess

A proper driveway or paver base layer is typically 4-6 inches of compacted gravel — skimping on base depth is a common cause of driveways and patios that shift, sink, or crack prematurely.

Compaction reduces final depth

Loose gravel compacts significantly once driven or walked on and properly tamped — ordering based on the loose volume this calculator gives, then compacting in layers, gives a more stable final result than trying to compensate for compaction upfront.

Frequently asked questions

My driveway is 12 ft wide, 40 ft long, and I need 4 inches of gravel — how many cubic yards?

About 5.9 cubic yards (12 x 40 x 0.333 ft = 160 cu ft / 27 = 5.9 cu yd). Order 6.5 cu yd to account for uneven subgrade and spreading losses.

How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?

About 2,800 lbs (1.4 tons) for typical crushed stone. Weight varies by gravel type: pea gravel is lighter (~2,400 lbs/cu yd), and dense crushed granite is heavier (~3,000 lbs/cu yd). Most suppliers sell by the cubic yard or ton.

What depth of gravel do I need?

Walkways and paths: 2-3 inches. Paver base: 4-6 inches compacted. Driveway base: 4-8 inches compacted. French drain backfill: 6-12 inches. Deeper is more stable but costs proportionally more.