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MaterialCalc — Gravel Driveway Tonnage & Cost Calculator

Estimate prepared 09/02/2026. Estimates only; verify against your plans before ordering.

Gravel Driveway Tonnage & Cost Calculator

Ten feet for one car, twelve is comfortable.

Six to eight inches for a new driveway, two to refresh an existing one.

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Result

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Gravel is sold by the ton and driveways are measured in feet, and the conversion runs through density — about 105 lb per cubic foot for compacted crushed stone. A 100 ft driveway 12 ft wide at 6 inches takes roughly 35 tons, which is more than two truckloads and considerably more than most people expect.

Assumptions used

These are the numbers behind the result. Where one of them is soft, the cost range widens rather than pretending to a precision the data does not have.

Crushed gravel density
105 lb/ft³

Compacted 3/4 in crushed stone. Varies by quarry and moisture; loose stone runs lighter.

USGS aggregate bulk density range — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Compaction allowance
0.2

Loose stone loses roughly a fifth of its volume once compacted, so order above the finished volume.

Standard earthwork practice — Rough figure — widens the estimate range, checked 09/01/2026

Tandem dump truck capacity
14 yd³

Most trucks hit their weight limit before their volume limit on wet soil.

Regional hauler equipment specs — Industry standard, varies by supplier, checked 09/01/2026

Prices verified 09/01/2026 (US national average, big-box retail shelf price and regional ready-mix quotes). Regional adjustment: Blended from RSMeans city cost index bands and BLS construction wage differentials.

The formula

Volume = length × width × depth. Add a compaction allowance, because loose stone loses about a fifth of its volume once rolled. Tons = cubic feet × 105 lb ÷ 2,000. Truckloads = tons ÷ 15 for a tandem.

Worked examples

100 ft × 12 ft at 6 in

Driveway length: 100 Driveway width: 12 Total stone depth: 6 Stone: crusher Compaction allowance: 20

About 38 tons — three truckloads. Plan where each load gets dumped, because moving it twice is the expensive mistake.

Refreshing the same driveway with 2 in

Driveway length: 100 Driveway width: 12 Total stone depth: 2 Stone: crusher Compaction allowance: 20

About 13 tons, one load. Doing this every three or four years costs far less than letting it wear down to soil.

300 ft rural driveway at 8 in

Driveway length: 300 Driveway width: 12 Total stone depth: 8 Stone: crusher Compaction allowance: 20

Roughly 150 tons — ten truckloads. At this scale, hire a contractor with a spreader box rather than moving it yourself.

Choosing materials

  • Geotextile fabric under the stone is the single highest-value item on this list. Without it the stone migrates down into the soil and you lose an inch a year; with it, the driveway holds its depth for a decade.
  • Crusher run for the surface, clean stone only for drainage layers. Clean #57 never packs — it stays loose, ruts under tires and migrates to the edges.
  • Build a crown: an inch or two higher in the middle than at the edges. A flat gravel driveway holds water, and water is what makes potholes.
  • Six inches is the working figure for cars on stable ground. On soft or clay soil, or where trucks turn, eight to ten inches with a coarser base course underneath.
  • A refresh is 2 inches, not 6. Topping up an existing drive uses a third of the material of building one, and doing it every few years is cheaper than rebuilding.

Common questions

How much gravel for a 100 ft driveway?

At 12 ft wide and 6 in deep, about 38 tons including a compaction allowance. That is roughly three tandem truckloads. At 4 in it drops to about 25 tons.

How deep should a gravel driveway be?

Six inches total for cars on firm ground, eight to ten on soft or clay soil, and more where trucks turn. Build it in two courses if it is deep: a coarser base under a finer driving surface.

What kind of gravel is best for a driveway?

Crusher run — crushed stone with the fines left in, so it locks together and packs hard. Clean stone like #57 drains well but never packs, so it stays loose and migrates under traffic.

How much does a gravel driveway cost?

Stone typically runs $30 to $45 per ton delivered, so a 100 ft driveway at 6 in is roughly $1,200 to $1,900 in material. Spread and graded by a contractor, expect $2,000 to $3,500.

Do I need fabric under a gravel driveway?

Yes. Geotextile fabric stops the stone working down into the subgrade, which otherwise costs you an inch of depth a year and creates soft spots. It is a small fraction of the cost and it roughly doubles the life.

How often does gravel need topping up?

Every three to five years with a 2 in refresh, sooner if it carries heavy vehicles or lacks fabric underneath. Grading it annually to restore the crown does more for it than adding stone does.

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