Stone calculator
Driveway Stone Calculator
A gravel driveway is three layers, not one. Enter your driveway footprint and the depth of the layer you are pricing.
Your project
A full new driveway is 8-12" total across three courses. Resurfacing is 2-3".
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Delivered driveway stone typically runs $25-$55 per ton.
Driveway stone needed
8.82
US tons · includes 5% waste
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 6.22 cubic yards
- Volume (cubic feet)
- 168 cu ft
- Total weight
- 17,640 lb
- Density used
- 105 lb per cu ft (1.42 tons/yd³)
- Truckloads (15-ton)
- 1
- Estimated delivered cost
- $353
Quarry densities vary by source and moisture. Confirm tons per cubic yard with your supplier before placing a bulk order — a 10% density difference is a whole extra load on a big job.
The shareable link reopens this calculator with your exact inputs.
What driveway stone is
A stone driveway that lasts is built in courses. The bottom is 3-4 inch clean rock (#3 or rip-rap) for load spreading, the middle is 2 inch crusher run, and the top is 3/4 inch minus or #57 for the wearing surface. Each course locks into the one below.
At 105 lb per cubic foot, one cubic yard weighs about 1.42 US tons, and one ton spread 2" deep covers roughly 114 square feet.
How to install it
Strip topsoil to firm subgrade, lay woven geotextile over anything soft, then place each course in 4 inch lifts and compact before the next. Crown the centre about 2% so water runs to the shoulders rather than sitting in the wheel paths.
The mistake that costs the most
Dumping 4 inches of pretty river rock on bare dirt. Rounded stone has no interlock, it will not compact, and it will be pressed into the mud within a season. Angular crushed stone with fines is what stays put under a tire.
The math behind the calculator
Square feet × (depth in inches ÷ 12) = cubic feet. Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards. Cubic feet × 105 ÷ 2,000 = US tons. The waste allowance is applied to the volume before the weight conversion, which is how suppliers quote it.
Driveway stone needed per 100 square feet
At 105 lb per cubic foot, before waste.
| Depth | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1" | 8.3 | 0.31 | 0.44 |
| 2" | 16.7 | 0.62 | 0.87 |
| 3" | 25 | 0.93 | 1.31 |
| 4" | 33.3 | 1.23 | 1.75 |
| 6" | 50 | 1.85 | 2.63 |
| 12" | 100 | 3.7 | 5.25 |
Recommended depth by application
| Application | Depth |
|---|---|
| New driveway — base course | 4" of #3 / rip-rap |
| New driveway — middle course | 4" of crusher run |
| New driveway — top course | 2-3" of #57 or 3/4" minus |
| Resurfacing an existing drive | 2-3" |
Frequently asked questions
+How many tons of driveway stone do I need?
Multiply square feet by depth in feet to get cubic feet, then multiply by 105 and divide by 2,000. A 500 sq ft area at 4" needs about 8.75 tons before waste.
+How many tons of driveway stone are in a cubic yard?
Roughly 1.42 tons at 105 lb per cubic foot. Wet material weighs 5-10% more, which matters when you are buying by the ton and measuring by the yard.
+How deep should driveway stone be?
New driveway — base course: 4" of #3 / rip-rap. New driveway — middle course: 4" of crusher run. New driveway — top course: 2-3" of #57 or 3/4" minus. Resurfacing an existing drive: 2-3".
+What does driveway stone cost?
$25 – $55 per ton delivered in most US markets, before the haul fee. Short loads carry a minimum charge, so half a load often costs nearly as much as a full one.
+How many tons of stone for a 100 ft driveway?
A 100 ft × 12 ft driveway is 1,200 sq ft. At 4" deep that is 400 cubic feet, roughly 14.8 cubic yards, or about 21 tons of crushed stone. A full three-course 10 inch build on the same footprint needs closer to 52 tons.