Gravel Driveway Calculator
Estimating gravel for a new driveway or a driveway base? Type sizes in feet or metres to see tonnes, cubic yards and truck loads.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 27.16 cubic yards (20.77 m³). We added 10% extra.
This is a guide. A driveway carries weight, so check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
What it costs
Granular A or road base: $49 a cubic yard, the middle of 18 Canadian yards (Oct 2026). Pickup price, before delivery and tax. Truck delivery is extra.
Quick answers
- Depth for a home gravel driveway
- 200 mm (8 in) in Niagara Region's rules. Business driveways get 300 mm.
- Weight of driveway gravel
- Granular A is about 1.36 tonnes a cubic yard. Canadian sources give 1.3 to 1.5.
- Truck sizes
- Tandem: about 16 tonnes a load. Tri-axle: about 22 tonnes. That is one Ontario yard's 2022 list. A second says up to 22.9 tonnes.
- Granular A price
- About $49 a cubic yard at a yard (18 yards), or $15.75 a tonne at a pit (5 pits). Before tax and delivery.
- 100 × 10 ft, 8 in deep
- About 33.6 tonnes (24.69 cubic yards). Packed down, order about 45.3 tonnes.
How to work it out
- Measure the length and width of the driveway in feet.
- Multiply length × width × depth in inches. That number ÷ 324 is the cubic yards.
- Multiply the cubic yards by 1.36 for tonnes of Granular A.
- If you will pack it down, add 35% more loose stone.
- Divide the tonnes by the truck size to count loads. Round up.
100 × 10 × 8 ÷ 324 = 24.69 cubic yards
24.69 × 1.36 = 33.58 tonnes
Packed: 33.58 × 1.35 = 45.33 tonnes
45.33 ÷ 22 = 2.1, so 3 tri-axle loads
How deep to build it
We found few Canadian rules for private gravel driveways. These come from town rules for driveways at the road.
| Driveway | Gravel layer | Who says |
|---|---|---|
| Home gravel driveway | 200 mm (8 in) | Niagara Region |
| Business gravel driveway | 300 mm (12 in) | Niagara Region |
| Granular A under home asphalt | 150 mm (6 in) | Sarnia, Oro-Medonte |
| Granular A under home concrete | 75 mm (3 in) | Niagara Region |
Niagara Region rebuilds driveways at the road with these layers. Sarnia and Oro-Medonte are Ontario towns.
Sarnia and Oro-Medonte name Granular A under asphalt. Niagara names it under concrete, but uses Granular M under asphalt. Niagara's gravel-driveway rule gives the depth, not the stone.
Ontario's road spec makes Granular M for the top of unpaved roads. Ask your yard which stone it stocks. For the stone under a concrete slab, see our gravel under concrete calculator.
A driveway carries cars and trucks. Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer. Ask your town if you need a permit, too.
Order more if you pack it
Packed gravel takes up less room than loose gravel. The bulk calculators of two Quebec yards multiply 0–¾ in stone by 1.35. So type the depth you want after packing.
| Depth after packing | Cubic yards | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in (75 mm) | 1.25 | 1.70 |
| 6 in (150 mm) | 2.50 | 3.40 |
| 8 in (200 mm) | 3.33 | 4.53 |
| 12 in (300 mm) | 5.00 | 6.80 |
Includes 35% more for packing. No extra for spills.
Truckloads of driveway gravel and delivery
A driveway takes a lot of stone, so it comes by the truck load. One Ontario yard's 2022 list puts a tandem at 16 tonnes and a tri-axle at 22. A second Ontario yard delivers up to 22.9 tonnes a load.
The 100 × 10 ft example, packed, needs 45.3 tonnes. That is 3 tri-axle loads or 3 tandem loads.
Small landscape trucks carry only 3–6 cubic yards. Their trip fee was $75, the middle of 7 yards.
| Load | Price | Per tonne |
|---|---|---|
| 2 tonnes | $175 | $87.50 |
| 3 tonnes | $190 | $63.33 |
| 5 tonnes | $210 | $42 |
| 8 tonnes | $300 | $37.50 |
| 10 tonnes | $335 | $33.50 |
| 15 tonnes | $405 | $27 |
M.W. Price & Sons, near Fredericton NB. Before HST, Oct 2026. One seller only.
The price per tonne drops from $87.50 to $27 as the load grows. So one big load costs less than many small trips.
What the stone for a gravel driveway costs
Here is the 100 × 10 ft driveway at 8 in deep, not packed. That is 33.6 tonnes of Granular A.
- Picked up at a landscape yard: about $1,210.
- Loaded at a pit: about $529, but you need the trucks.
- Delivered at the New Brunswick 15-tonne rate: about $907.
All are before tax. We found no Canadian price for a driveway built by a crew, so get quotes.
Questions people ask
How much gravel do I need for my driveway?
Work out cubic yards: length × width × inches of depth, all ÷ 324. Each cubic yard is about 1.36 tonnes of Granular A.
How much gravel for a 100 ft driveway?
At 10 ft wide and 8 in deep, about 24.7 cubic yards. That is about 33.6 tonnes, or 45.3 if you pack it.
How thick should driveway gravel be?
For a home gravel driveway, Niagara Region's rule is 200 mm (8 in). That is one region, so ask your town.
How much is a load of gravel for a driveway?
One New Brunswick yard delivers 15 tonnes of 0–¾ in driveway stone for $405, before HST. A tandem truck holds about 16 tonnes.
How many tons of gravel for a driveway?
At 8 in deep, each 100 sq ft takes about 3.4 tonnes of Granular A spread loose. To pack it to 8 in, order about 4.5 tonnes. In short tons of 2,000 lb, that is about 3.7 and 5.0.
How much does a tonne of driveway gravel cover?
Spread loose 8 in deep, about 30 sq ft. Packed to 8 in, about 22 sq ft, since packing takes 35% more.
What stone goes on top of a gravel driveway?
For unpaved road tops, Ontario's road spec has a gravel called Granular M. Niagara's gravel-driveway rule names no stone, so ask your yard.
How much does it cost to put in a gravel driveway?
We found no Canadian price for a laid gravel driveway, so get quotes. Loose stone for 100 × 10 ft at 8 in is about $1,210 before tax (18 yards' middle price). Packing takes more stone, and trucking and labour are extra.
Where our numbers come from
- Gravel weight: Natural Resources Canada (1 cubic yard = 1.35 tonnes)
- Driveway layers: Niagara Region specifications
- Driveway layers: City of Sarnia driveway standard (2019)
- Driveway layers: Township of Oro-Medonte entrance standard
- Granular A and B: City of Toronto TS 1010 (OPSS 1010 definitions)
- Weights per cubic yard: Canadian yards and producers (few sources each)
- Loose prices: the middle of up to 23 Canadian yards (Oct 2026)
- Pit prices per tonne: 3–5 Canadian pits (Oct 2026)
- Quebec yards: bulk calculators (tonne, packing)
- Truck sizes and stone weights: A. Miron Topsoil price list (2022)
- Delivery fees (7 Canadian yards); loads up to 22.9 tonnes (LBL, Almonte ON)
- Delivered loads: M.W. Price & Sons (New Brunswick) price list
- #57 stone extra: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (add 10%)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
How we work out our numbers About us Found a mistake? Tell us