Calculators / Driveways
How much gravel for your driveway?
A gravel driveway goes in layers, big stone at the bottom. Put in the size and pick a build. You’ll get the tons of each stone to order.
Updated · How we check our numbers
Order about
33 tons
For a 60 × 12 ft driveway, 8 in of stone in 2 layers, compacted.
- Area
- 720 sq ft
- Depth
- 8 in
- Tons
- 33
Estimate for planning only, not professional advice. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, your local code and a licensed professional before you buy, build or install. Use at your own risk. Terms.
area = 60 × 12 = 720 sq ft
Base: 720 × 4 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × 1.85 = 16.4 tons, rounded up to the half ton
Top: 720 × 4 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × 1.85 = 16.4 tons, rounded up to the half ton
Stone to order, by layer
Big stone + crusher run- Base: #1 or #2 stone4 in compacted, 8.9 cu yd in place16.5 tons
- Top: Crusher run (dense graded, #304 or #411)4 in compacted, 8.9 cu yd in place16.5 tons
Compacted thickness from USDA NRCS's access road standard. Tons at 1.85 a compacted cubic yard.
Build the middle 3 to 4.5 in higher than the edges (½ to ¾ in per foot, PennDOT) so rain runs off.
We weigh every layer at 1.85 tons a compacted yard, the DOT figure for dense graded base. Clean, open stone weighs less in place (WSDOT lists 1.4 for open ballast), so the base tons run high. Ask the quarry.
Spread and compact each layer before the next. PennDOT says not to lay more than 8 in loose in one lift.
How we work it out
No extension service publishes a driveway build, so we use USDA NRCS's access road standard for vehicles: 8 in of compacted stone, as 6 in of #1 or #2 stone with 2 in of #57 on top, 4 in of big stone with 4 in of crusher run, or 8 in of crusher run alone. A 3 in layer of fine screenings on top is optional.
tons per layer = sq ft × inches ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × 1.85
1.85 tons per compacted cubic yard is what WisDOT and WSDOT use for dense graded base in place, so there's no separate allowance for packing down. Clean open stone weighs less in place, so the big-stone tons run a little high. Each layer is rounded up to the half ton.
Crown the middle ½ to ¾ in per foot so water runs off (PennDOT), and on clay or silt put road geotextile under it (NRCS).
Where the numbers come from
- USDA NRCS Ohio, conservation practice standard 560 Access Road (Table 4)
- WisDOT standard specifications 305 (1.85 tons per cubic yard)
- WSDOT Design Manual Exhibit 620-1 (compacted weights)
- PennDOT LTAP Tech Sheet 186 (cross slope, lift depth)
- Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Roads: ESM course reference
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