🪨 Stone & Gravel Calculator
Calculate how many tons of crushed stone, gravel, or river rock you need for your project.
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Volume before weight conversion
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How is Stone Sold?
Unlike mulch or soil which are sold by the cubic yard (volume), large quantities of stone and gravel are usually weighed on a massive truck scale and sold by the US Ton (2,000 lbs).
Because rocks are incredibly heavy, calculating the exact weight you need is crucial. A standard F-150 pickup truck can only safely carry about half a cubic yard of gravel (roughly 1,500 lbs) before bottoming out the suspension. If you need 3 or 4 tons, you must pay for a dump truck delivery.
How Much Does Gravel Weigh?
- Crushed Stone (Item 4, #57 stone): Weighs about 2,800 lbs (1.4 tons) per cubic yard.
- Pea Gravel: Weighs slightly more at about 2,900 lbs per cubic yard, because the small round stones pack together very tightly with fewer air gaps.
- River Rock: Dense and smooth, it can weigh up to 3,000 lbs (1.5 tons) per cubic yard.
- Lava Rock: Highly porous and full of air holes, lava rock is much lighter, weighing only about 2,400 lbs (1.2 tons) per cubic yard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How deep should I make a gravel driveway? +
A proper gravel driveway should have a minimum of 4 to 6 inches of crushed stone. You should also lay down a woven geotextile landscaping fabric first to prevent the heavy stone from slowly sinking into the mud over the years.