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Rock Driveway Calculator

Rock driveway calculator works out Area covered and Depth from Material, Density from your supplier and Length. The default figures on this page give volume of 7.1111 yd3; change any entry and the result, the working and the sources update together.

Volume
7.1111 yd3
Gravel, Soil and Mulch Calculator
Area covered
480.00 ft2
Area covered
53.333 yd2
Area covered
44.593 m2
Depth
4.000 in
Volume
192.000 ft3
Volume
5.4368 m3
Order this much (rounded up to the half yard)
7.50 yd3
Bulk density used
100.00 lb/ft3
Weight
19,200 lb
Weight
9.600 ton (US short)
Weight
8.709 t (metric)
Weight
8,709.0 kg
Order this much (rounded up to the half ton)
10.0 ton (US short)
One cubic yard covers
81.00 ft2
Worked out from U.S. EPA, Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (loose bulk densities for gravel, sand, stone, soil, wood chips and compost) and 3 other sources.
Moisture content moves bulk weight substantially. Wet sand and gravel can be 20-30% heavier than the dry figures above.

Your figures

Updates as you type
Loose bulk densities from the US EPA Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors table.
Overrides the table density. A supplier ticket in tons per cubic yard divides by 27 and multiplies by 2000 to give lb/ft3.
Typical spreads: 2-3 in of mulch, 3-4 in of decorative stone, 4-6 in of driveway gravel, 4-6 in of new topsoil.
Loose delivered gravel loses roughly 10-20% of its volume when compacted into a base.

How this is worked out

5 steps
  1. Area = 40 ft x 12 ft = 480 sq ft
  2. Depth = 4 in = 0.33333 ft
  3. Volume = 480 x 0.33333 x 1.2 = 192 cu ft = 7.1111 cu yd
  4. Density = 100 lb/ft3 (EPA table: Stone, crushed - 1 cubic foot - 100 lb (FEECO))
  5. Weight = 192 x 100 = 19200 lb = 9.6 US short tons

Figures from bulk material densities, checked 31 August 2026. Its 9 worked examples are re-run on every release, last on 15 September 2026. What changed · how reference data is kept current

Sources and references

4 sources

Keep this result

Save it, change one figure, then compare the two

The calculation stays free. Save this scenario, adjust one assumption, save that too, and put them side by side to see exactly what the change costs you. A free account keeps 5 scenarios and 2 comparisons; Personal makes both unlimited and adds exports and private links. Nothing is saved unless you press Save.

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What the rock driveway calculator calculates

Converts a covered area and spread depth - or a known tonnage, or a measured stockpile - into the volume of gravel, sand, topsoil, mulch, compost or decorative stone required, in cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres, bags, tons and tonnes, with a soil-blend split and cost by the yard, the ton or the bag.

How to use this rock driveway calculator

Enter Material, Density from your supplier, Length and Width. Area covered updates as you type. Change one figure at a time to see what drives the result.

How the result is worked out

Open “How this is worked out” beside the result for the step-by-step calculation behind Area covered, Depth and Volume.

The method follows U.S. EPA, Standard Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (loose bulk densities for gravel, sand, stone, soil, wood chips and compost), ASTM C29/C29M, Standard Test Method for Bulk Density (Unit Weight) and Voids in Aggregate, NIST Special Publication 811, Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (exact ft-to-m and lb-to-kg conversions) and Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, Tech Spec 2: Construction of Interlocking Concrete Pavements (1 in / 25 mm screeded bedding sand course).

What you can compare

Change one input at a time to see how it affects Area covered, Depth and Volume. The inputs you can vary are Material, Density from your supplier, Length, Width, Unit for the plan dimensions and Depth of the layer.

Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice. Check any decision that matters with a qualified professional.

Embed this calculator on your website

Copy this code into any page. The calculator appears with the figures currently entered, sizes itself to fit, and a small credit line links back here. Free, no account, no ads inside it, no tracking of your readers. Set your own figures and fixed fields; Personal removes the credit line, sets your colour and shows you which sites use it.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate rock for a driveway?

Converts a covered area and spread depth - or a known tonnage, or a measured stockpile - into the volume of gravel, sand, topsoil, mulch, compost or decorative stone required, in cubic feet, cubic yards, cubic metres. Open “How this is worked out” beside the result to see each step for your own figures.

How much does a 100 ft gravel driveway cost?

On the figures this page opens with — length 20, width 10, depth of the layer 4 and extra for compaction, settlement and spillage 0% — the volume is 7.1111 yd3. No single number fits everyone: change any figure above and the answer updates as you type, with each step of the arithmetic beside it.

How much driveway will 20 tons of gravel cover?

It needs Material, Density from your supplier, Length, Width, Unit for the plan dimensions and Depth of the layer. Nothing else is required, and the figures stay in your browser.

How much gravel for a 20 ft driveway?

The result gives Area covered, Depth, Volume, Order this much (rounded up to the half yard), Bulk density used and Weight, each labelled with its unit so the figure can be read on its own.

What information do I need for the rock driveway calculator?

You need Material, Density from your supplier, Length, Width, Unit for the plan dimensions, Depth of the layer, Unit for the depth and How many identical areas. The page opens with default figures that give volume of 7.1111 yd3, so you can see the scale before entering your own.

What does this rock driveway calculator show?

It shows Area covered, Depth, Volume, Order this much (rounded up to the half yard), Bulk density used, Weight, Bags needed and Order this much (rounded up to the half ton), with the working and any warnings for your entries.

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