Contractor & trades · free calculator
Gravel driveway cubic yards calculator
Calculate cubic yards of gravel needed for a driveway or pad and total delivered material cost.
Total delivered + spread cost
Show the work
- Cubic yards needed8.9
- Cubic yards to order (with compaction)10.2
- Material + delivery cost$814
- All-in $ per sqft$2
Gravel by the cubic yard — the simple version
Gravel is sold by the cubic yard (27 cubic feet). Driveway sizing is just (length × width × depth) ÷ 27, then add for compaction.
Depth by use case
- Top course only (refresh existing driveway): 2-3 inches
- New base + top (gravel-on-soil install): 4-6 inches total in two lifts
- Heavy equipment / soft clay base: 8-10 inches with geotextile fabric beneath
Material types
- Crushed stone #57 ($40-70/yd) — clean drainage stone, sharp edges lock together. Best top course.
- Road base / ¾ minus ($30-55/yd) — crushed with fines, compacts dense. Best base course.
- Pea gravel ($50-90/yd) — round and decorative. Looks great, drives like sand.
- Recycled asphalt ($15-30/yd) — cheap, locks well, hauler-dependent quality.
Compaction factor
Truck-loose gravel measures 100% volume in the dump truck. After roller compaction it's only 80-85% as deep. Order 15-20% extra to hit the depth you actually want post-compaction. Skipping this = thin spots showing dirt within a year.
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