Gravel Driveway Calculator

A 60 × 12 ft gravel driveway at 6 in compacted takes 13.5 cubic yards, or 22.8–24.6 tons. Enter your driveway's length, width and depth below.

Shape
Area

Tape readings work: 10' 6", 10½. Sloped? Type the depth as 2-6. Other material? Use the cubic yard calculator.

Compacted Estimate

13.5 cubic yards compacted

rounded up to the nearest ¼ yd³

6 in60 × 12 ft6 in deep · ▢ 1 yd (3 ft)= 13.33 yd³
Solid: exact 13.33 yd³. Dashed: what you order, 13.5 yd³ (rounded up). Person: 6 ft, for scale.
Weight
22.8–24.6 tons (compacted in place)
Bags
Sold in bulk
Cost
Ask your supplier

Buying by the yard? Stone is delivered loose and packs down: order about 17–19 yd³ loose for 13.5 yd³ compacted, or order the tons shown.

Details: exact volume, bags vs bulk, order sheet

Exact 13.33 yd³ · 360 ft³ · 10.19 m³

At 6 in deep, 1 yd³ covers 54 ft².

You need 13.5 cubic yards of compacted crushed stone base ≈ 22.8–24.6 tons (compacted in place).

Order sheet for your supplier

 
Crushed stone base (compacted) weight: compacted in place (USDA-NRCS, Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies). Cost: no reliable national price — ask your supplier.
 
 
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Gravel driveway depth from road guides
  
Gravel driveway depth has no published residential standard: no DOT or extension source sets a driveway base and top layer. The closest guidance comes from gravel road and farm lane manuals.
 
 
 
SourceWritten forDepth
 
FHWAGravel roads: surface layer3 in minimum
FHWAGravel roads: layersover 4 in total → separate layers, each ≥ 2× top stone size
Penn State DSALow-volume roads: surface course6–8 in loose → 4½–6 in compacted
USDA-NRCSFarm travel lanes: aggregate pad3 in fine over a coarse base, or 6 in single layer
 
 
 
Sources: FHWA Gravel Roads guide (2015); Penn State DSA Handbook (2025); NRCS TN 210-AEN-04 (2017). Penn State compacts with a 10-ton roller; a plate compactor packs less.
  
 
  
Gravel driveway base: loose vs compacted weight
  
Gravel driveway base weighs about 25–60% more per yard compacted than loose crushed stone. Pick the compacted option and order the tons it gives, or the loose yards it lists; ordering the compacted yards as loose stone comes up short.
 
 
 Driveway stone per cubic yard, loose and compacted  
 Material lb per yd³ tons per yd³ Bags $ per yd³ 
   
 Crushed stone 2,600–2,700 1.3–1.35 Bulk only $35–$54 
 Crushed stone base (compacted)* 3,375–3,645 1.69–1.82 Bulk only — 
 Gravel 2,550–2,850 1.28–1.43 0.5 cu ft (50 lb) $15–$75 
  
 
 

Weight basis: crushed stone loose, as delivered; crushed stone base (compacted) compacted in place; gravel dry, loose.
* Estimate: supplier data or one source only.  Prices are reference ranges from dated cost guides and supplier lists (updated September 2026); local prices vary.   Sources: Caterpillar; Smoky Mountain Sand & Gravel; Vulcan Materials; USDA-NRCS; HomeGuide; Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Road Studies; Quikrete.  
  
 
  
Gravel driveway worked example: 60 × 12 ft
  
A 60 × 12 ft gravel driveway at 6 in compacted needs 22.8–24.6 tons of base; the loose weight would suggest only 17.6–18.2 tons.
 
     
  1. Area60 ft × 12 ft720 ft²
  2. Volume720 ft² × 6 in ÷ 12360 ft³
  3. Cubic yards360 ft³ ÷ 2713.33 yd³
  4. Ordernext ¼ yard up13.5 yd³
  5. Compacted tons× 3,375–3,645 lb22.8–24.6 tons
  6. Loose tons× 2,600–2,700 lb17.6–18.2 tons
    7.  
 
For walkways and beds, use the gravel calculator.
  
 
  
Gravel driveway FAQ
  
 
How thick should a gravel driveway be?
No DOT or extension source publishes a residential gravel driveway thickness. Road guides call for a 3 in minimum surface layer (FHWA) and 6–8 in loose compacting to 4½–6 in (Penn State DSA).
Should a gravel driveway go down in layers?
Yes, gravel thicker than 4 in goes down in separate layers, each at least 2 times the top stone size (FHWA gravel road guide).