Gravel Driveway Calculator
Find how many tons of stone you need for a gravel driveway. The tons include extra stone for packing down.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 14.68 cubic yards before packing. We added 10% extra.
For a driveway that carries heavy loads, check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
What it costs
Crusher run: $50 a ton, the middle of only 3 US sellers (Oct 2026), so treat it as rough.
Quick answers
- How deep?
- 4.5 in on firm ground, 5.5 in on average ground and 6.5 in on soft ground. These are FHWA figures, written for rural roads.
- A 10 × 100 ft driveway
- About 37.4 tons of crusher run at 6.5 in, or 25.9 tons at 4.5 in.
- Top layer
- At least 3 in of top gravel, says FHWA. It is part of the total depth.
- Extra for packing
- Loose crusher run shrinks when packed. Penn State spreads 8 in of its road stone to get 6 in, so we order 33% more.
How to work it out
- Measure the driveway in feet. Split a curve into straight parts and add them up.
- Multiply the length and width by the packed depth in inches. Divide the result by 324 for packed cubic yards.
- Multiply by 1.33. That turns packed yards into loose yards to order.
- Multiply the loose yards by 1.4 for tons of crusher run.
50 × 10 × 6.5 ÷ 324 = 10.03 cubic yards packed
10.03 × 1.33 = 13.34 loose
13.34 × 1.4 = 18.68 tons, before extra
Add 10%: 20.55 tons
How deep for your ground
FHWA, the federal road agency, gives a total gravel depth by how firm the ground is. It wrote these for rural roads with 0–5 heavy trucks a day.
We found no extension service figure for home driveways. So the calculator uses FHWA's depths. Other sources are below.
| Source and use | Gravel depth |
|---|---|
| FHWA, firm ground | 4.5 in |
| FHWA, average ground | 5.5 in |
| FHWA, soft ground | 6.5 in |
| Penn State, for its road stone | 6 in |
| NRCS Ohio, wet ground on fabric | 8 in |
| Gravelshop, trucks and RVs | 8–10 in |
Penn State and NRCS give packed depths. FHWA doesn't say packed or loose. Gravelshop is a stone supplier.
Not sure how firm your ground is? Pick soft. The calculator starts there, so you are less likely to run short.
A driveway carries the weight of cars and trucks. Before you build, check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
Tons for each 100 ft of driveway
Pick your width on the left. Then go across to how firm your ground is. For a longer drive, add up each 100 ft.
| Width | Firm, 4.5 in | Average, 5.5 in | Soft, 6.5 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft wide | 25.9 | 31.6 | 37.4 |
| 12 ft wide | 31.0 | 37.9 | 44.8 |
| 16 ft wide | 41.4 | 50.6 | 59.8 |
We treat these depths as packed, though FHWA doesn't say. The tons include extra loose stone for packing, but no extra for spills.
Base and top layers
FHWA builds a gravel road in layers. First comes a base to carry the load. Then a top layer of surface gravel goes on.
- The top layer should be at least 3 in deep.
- Each layer should be at least 2 times as thick as its top stone size. For 1 in stone, that is 2 in.
- On fabric, the first layer should be at least 6 in. Don't drive on the bare fabric.
A shed builder's guide adds one more tip. With a plate compactor, spread and pack 4 in or less at a time.
The depths above are the total, top layer included. On soft ground, that means 3.5 in of base under 3 in of top gravel.
Using two kinds of stone? Run the calculator once for each layer, with that layer's depth.
Crusher run or #57 stone?
The calculator offers both. They weigh, pack and cost a little differently.
- Crusher run: stone mixed with dust. Weight: 1.4 tons a yard. Packing: we add 33%. Price: near $50 a ton, rough, from only 3 sellers.
- #57 stone: clean, from about 3/16 in up to 1 in. Weight: 1.35 tons a yard. Packing: we add 17%. Price: near $60 a ton, the middle of 5 sellers.
FHWA's sample top gravel has 3–15% fine dust. Clean #57 has almost none.
So by our reading of FHWA's tables, #57 is not a top gravel in that guide. Crusher run is closer.
Questions people ask
How much gravel do I need for my driveway?
It depends on its size and how firm the ground is. A 10 × 50 ft driveway on soft ground takes about 18.7 tons of crusher run. For your own drive, check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
How much gravel for a 100 ft driveway?
At 10 ft wide, about 25.9 tons on firm ground and 37.4 tons on soft ground. At 12 ft wide on soft ground, about 44.8 tons.
How many inches of gravel for a driveway?
FHWA gives 4.5 in on firm ground, up to 6.5 in on soft ground. Penn State's road stone guide uses 6 in. On wet ground, an NRCS farm road standard asks for 8 in on fabric.
How do I calculate gravel for a driveway?
Take length × width in feet, times depth in inches, and divide by 324. Multiply by 1.33 for packing, then by 1.4 for tons of crusher run.
Can I use #57 stone for a driveway?
Yes, it is in the stone picker. But the top gravel in FHWA's guide carries some fine dust, which clean #57 lacks. See "Crusher run or #57 stone?" below.
How much is a load of gravel for a driveway?
We found no set size for a load. Crusher run costs about $50 a ton, but that is rough, from only 3 sellers. Expect a delivery fee too: $50–$100 nearby, in our research.
Do I need fabric under a gravel driveway?
We found no rule for home driveways. FHWA says the first layer on fabric should be at least 6 in. It also says not to drive on bare fabric.
Where our numbers come from
- Gravel road layers: FHWA Gravel Roads Construction & Maintenance Guide
- Packing down: Penn State road-stone guide (8 in loose packs to 6 in)
- Wet ground needs more stone: USDA NRCS access road standard (Ohio)
- Driveway depth: Gravelshop driveway layers guide
- Crusher run weight: the middle of 9 suppliers and road agencies
- Crusher run price: the middle price of 3 suppliers in SC, GA and MD (Oct 2026)
- Material weights: Caterpillar earthwork tables
- #57 stone price: the middle of 5 US sellers (Oct 2026)
- Packing down: US Army earthmoving manual (FM 5-434)
- Stone sizes: AASHTO M 43 table in Ohio DOT specs (2013)
- Pack it in thin layers: shed builder and NRCS guides
- Delivery fees: price lists from 7 US landscape yards (Oct 2026)
- Crusher run: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (what a ton covers; free delivery from 15 tons; add 10%)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
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