Gravel Calculator
Enter the area, finished depth and material density to estimate the gravel volume, weight, order quantity and cost for a driveway, path or landscaping project.
Your gravel estimate
Driveway — net area 40.00 m² at 50 mm finished depth, with a 5.0% allowance.
Density entered directly — use loose or compacted bulk density from your supplier where available.
Area and volume
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Total area | 40.00 m² |
| Excluded area | 0 m² |
| Net area | 40.00 m² |
| Finished depth | 50 mm |
| Finished volume | 2.000 m³ |
| Extra material allowance | 5.0% |
| Order volume (with allowance) | 2.100 m³ |
| Order volume in litres | 2,100 L |
Weight equivalents
| Unit | Value |
|---|---|
| Required mass before rounding | 3,360 kg |
| Metric tonnes | 3.360 t |
| US short tons | 3.704 US tn |
| UK long tons | 3.307 UK tn |
| Pounds | 7,408 lb |
Your order
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Order format | Loose, weighed in bulk |
| Required before rounding | 3.360 tonnes |
| Rounding increment | 0.100 tonnes |
| Rounded order quantity | 3.4 tonnes |
| Extra after rounding | 0.040 tonnes |
Estimated cost
| Item | Value |
|---|
Check the area to exclude
This is an order-planning estimate only. It does not recommend a material, aggregate type or depth, calculate structural suitability, drainage or foundation requirements, quote delivery or stock, or estimate excavation or installation. For those, check your supplier's product data or consult a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Choose Metric or Imperial units, and a rectangle or circle shape.
- Enter the dimensions, and any area to exclude such as a planting bed.
- Enter your finished gravel depth.
- Enter your supplier's density, or choose an approximate material preset as a starting point.
- Set an allowance for compaction, uneven ground and handling.
- Choose how you plan to order — loose by weight, in bags, or loose by volume — and add a price if you want a cost estimate.
- The calculator estimates the order quantity, weight and cost.
How is gravel quantity calculated?
The calculator finds the net area to cover, multiplies it by the finished depth to get a volume, adds your chosen allowance, then multiplies by the material density to get a mass. That mass is then rounded up to a practical order quantity in whichever format you choose.
- net area = gross area − excluded area
- order volume = finished volume × (1 + allowance ÷ 100)
- required mass = order volume × density
Example: a 10 m × 4 m area, 50 mm deep, at 1.6 t/m³ density, 5% allowance
- 10 × 4 = 40 m² net area.
- 50 mm is 0.05 m, so 40 × 0.05 = 2 m³ finished volume.
- With a 5% allowance, 2 × 1.05 = 2.1 m³ order volume.
- 2.1 m³ × 1,600 kg/m³ = 3,360 kg, or 3.36 tonnes, before rounding.
- Rounded up to the nearest 0.1 tonnes, that is 3.4 tonnes to order.
Metric and imperial gravel measurements
Every measurement is converted into a single internal volume in cubic metres and a single internal mass in kilograms before any arithmetic happens, so the metric and imperial results can never disagree. Imperial mode uses feet for length, inches for depth, square feet for area and cubic yards for loose volume.
Choosing a gravel density
Density is the figure that turns a volume into a weight, and it varies by material, particle size, moisture content and how compacted the material is. Where your supplier states a loose or compacted bulk density for the specific product you are buying, use that. The material presets in this calculator — decorative gravel or shingle, pea gravel, crushed stone or gravel, crushed limestone or granite, road base and sand — are approximate starting points around 1.5 to 1.9 tonnes per cubic metre, not a substitute for your supplier's own figures.
Metric tonnes, US short tons and UK long tons
"Ton" means different things in different places, so this calculator always shows a weight alongside its exact unit rather than an unqualified "ton".
| Unit | Exact weight |
|---|---|
| Metric tonne | 1,000 kg |
| US short ton | 907.18474 kg (2,000 lb) |
| UK long ton (Imperial ton) | 1,016.0469088 kg (2,240 lb) |
What this calculator does not cover
This is an order-planning estimate only. It does not recommend a gravel or aggregate type, suggest a finished depth, calculate structural suitability, drainage or foundation requirements, quote delivery or stock availability, or estimate excavation or installation. Ground conditions, compaction, drainage, edging, geotextile membranes and structural base design can all change what a real project needs — check your supplier's product data and installation requirements, or consult a qualified professional, before ordering or building.