How I'd actually use this on a flip
Gravel orders show up on flips at three predictable points: the new-construction site prep (driveway, basement-perimeter drainage, garage pad subbase), the rehab exterior pass (replacing a tired asphalt driveway with stone, or running a French drain to fix a wet basement), and the landscaping closeout (decorative beds around the foundation, pea-gravel walkway from driveway to back patio). The math is the same in all three — what changes is which type of gravel and what underlayment goes down first.
On a driveway pour or replace, my default is two trucks: one of crusher run for the base, one of #57 for the top. Geotextile fabric goes down before the first truck. Compaction matters as much as the order quantity — a vibratory plate compactor passes twice over each 2-inch lift, and the calculator's 1.20 multiplier on loose depth assumes you're actually compacting. If you skip compaction the driveway settles into ruts the first time a delivery truck rolls over it.
On a French drain to fix a wet basement, the math gets easier because the trench dimensions are tight. A 30-foot perimeter run at 12 inches deep × 12 inches wide is right at 1.11 yards exact — 1.25 yards practical, about 1.69 tons. That's below the 5-yard supplier minimum, so I order from a smaller landscape yard or pay the small-load surcharge. Geotextile wraps the trench so soil fines don't clog the drain over time; the perforated pipe goes in the middle of the stone column.
Where this number breaks down
A few traps that put the calculator on the wrong side of the order:
- Soft subgrade.If the soil under the driveway is uncompacted topsoil or recent fill, even 8 inches of crusher run on geotextile won't hold up to heavy delivery trucks. Excavate down to native soil or compact the subgrade with a plate compactor BEFORE laying fabric. The calculator returns volume; subgrade prep is on the project plan.
- Wrong gravel type for the job.Pea gravel in a driveway, crusher run on a French drain — both obvious mistakes that a Saturday-afternoon trip to a quarry yard makes ten percent of the time. Match the type to the use-case preset on the calculator above; the preset isn't a suggestion, it's the right choice.
- Geotextile slippage on slope.Gravel on a slope greater than 5% wants to migrate downhill — the fabric doesn't stop it, just slows it. Use a cellular grid system or step the slope in retained terraces. The math doesn't change, but the install does.
- Density variance by supplier.The engine's densities are sane midpoints. A wet crusher-run delivery from a regional yard might run 125 lb/ft³ instead of 115 — your tons-per-yard tickets won't line up perfectly. Ask the supplier for their published density on the spec sheet if the order is large enough to matter.
- Snow plow damage. Plowing a gravel driveway with a steel-blade truck plow scrapes the top dressing down with the snow. Plan for a maintenance re-top of #57 every 2-3 years, more often on the apron where the plow turns.
Methodology
Every number on this page traces to one of three layers — site arithmetic for the volume math, supplier spec sheets for per-type bulk densities (cross-checked against Omnicalculator and InchCalculator industry references), and USDA NRCS aggregate-surfacing standards for the driveway depth + geotextile guidance. The per-cluster sourcing tier in methodology spells out which sources back which kinds of claims.
Show the formulas
- Volume:
(L ft × W ft × T″ / 12) / 27= cubic yards. - Tons:
yd³ × 27 ft³/yd³ × density (lb/ft³) / 2000 lb/ton. Densities used: pea 96 lb/ft³, #57 clean 100, crusher run 115 loose, decorative river rock 95. - Practical order: exact × (1 + waste%/100), rounded UP to the next 0.25 yd³. Default 7% cushion absorbs transit settle, corner spillage, and supplier weight tolerance.
- Compaction loss (compactable types only): 17.5% loose-to-compacted on crusher run / road base. Order loose depth = design depth × 1.20 to land at the design depth after compaction.
Frequently asked
How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
A typical residential driveway needs 8 to 12 inches of total compacted depth in three layers — a 4-6 inch compacted crusher-run subbase, a middle layer of #3 stone, and a 2-inch #57 stone top dressing (USDA NRCS Earth and Aggregate Surfacing Design Guide). For a 12-foot by 40-foot driveway with a 6-inch loose crusher-run base, that's about 8.9 cubic yards or 13.8 tons before cushion, 9.75 yards or 15.14 tons practical at the dispatcher. Use the calculator above for any driveway dimensions; the engine swaps gravel type and depth by use case.
How many tons of gravel are in a cubic yard?
Most gravel weighs 1.4 to 1.7 tons per cubic yard. Pea gravel sits at the lower end (about 1.30 tons/yd³ at 96 lb/ft³); crusher run at the higher end (about 1.55 tons/yd³ loose at 115 lb/ft³, denser still after compaction). #57 angular drainage stone is the typical residential mid-point at roughly 1.35 tons/yd³ (100 lb/ft³). Aggregate suppliers bill by the ton; landscape suppliers sometimes quote yards. The calculator above shows both numbers so you can confirm with whoever's dispatching.
What size gravel is best for a driveway?
Use crusher run (also called road base or quarry process) for the subbase — the mix of fines and ¾-1 inch angular pieces packs and compacts into a stable load-bearing layer. Use #57 stone (¾ inch clean, no fines) for the top dressing because it stays loose, drains, and gives the surface its finished crunch. Don't use rounded pea gravel as a driveway top — vehicle tires shove it into ruts within a season. The calculator's Driveway base preset defaults to 6 inches of crusher run; the Driveway top preset defaults to 2 inches of #57.
How thick should a gravel driveway be?
USDA NRCS spec for residential gravel driveways is 8 to 12 inches of total compacted depth in three layers. On moderate clay or loam soil, the 4-6 inch compacted crusher-run subbase should be at the upper end (6 inches) with a geotextile separation fabric underneath, landing total compacted thickness at 10-12 inches. On heavy clay the subbase has to be at least 8 inches and geotextile is non-negotiable. Skipping the geotextile lets fines from the soil migrate up into the gravel within a few rainy seasons; the driveway turns into a soft strip that won't drain.
Do I need a weed barrier or geotextile fabric under gravel?
For a driveway: yes, geotextile is required by NRCS spec on heavy clay and recommended everywhere else. Use a non-woven fabric rated for driveway use (minimum 4 oz per square yard), overlap joins by at least 12 inches, and pin the edges. For decorative beds: a permeable landscape fabric helps with weeds and lets water through, but the bigger weed-control move is depth — 3 inches of mulch or stone over a clean prep does more than fabric over a half-prepped surface. Don't use plastic sheet under gravel; it traps water and the gravel migrates downhill on the slick layer.
How much does a yard of gravel cost?
Pricing varies by region, gravel type, and quantity, but as a Chicago-metro 2026 rule of thumb: pea gravel runs $50-65 per cubic yard delivered (5-yard minimum), #57 angular stone $40-55, crusher run $35-50, and decorative river rock $80-150 depending on size and color sort. Bagged from a big-box at 0.5 cubic feet per bag is roughly 4-7x the per-yard price — practical only for small projects under a yard. The calculator output above doesn't include price; call your closest aggregate supplier for the day's pricing and confirm both yards and tons on the dispatch ticket.
What I'd do next
- Topsoil for the lawn restore
After the gravel driveway and beds, the lawn restore is the closeout. The cushion math is similar; the depth presets are different.
- Concrete yardage (slab, footing, post hole)
If the driveway is concrete instead of gravel — or if the gravel base is going under a slab — step over to the concrete calc.
- Whole-project budget (rehab)
A driveway is one line on a bigger budget. The flagship surfaces every line for a residential gut rehab.
Also in this cluster
By James Wu. Volume math is site arithmetic, formulas above. Per-type loose bulk densities are midpoints from supplier spec sheets cross-checked against Omnicalculator (105 lb/ft³ default) and InchCalculator (1.4-1.7 tons/yd³ range). Driveway depth specs and geotextile guidance from USDA NRCS TN 210-AEN-04 — Earth and Aggregate Surfacing Design Guide (August 2017) and NRCS Construction Specification 495 — Geotextile. Earthfill + gravel-fill construction practices from NRCS Construction Specification 423 — Earthfill and Gravel Fill. Compaction loss range (15-20% loose-to-compacted on crusher run) cross-referenced against InchCalculator's “How to Account for Overage and Compaction” section. Engine logic in lib/sitework/gravel.ts. Not structural-engineering advice — for soil-bearing capacity, frost-line drainage, or any base prep under a structural slab, consult the local building inspector or a geotechnical engineer. Full methodology.