How Much Gravel Do I Need?
Enter the area you're covering and the depth, and we'll give you gravel in cubic yards and tons.
Area: 100 sq ft
0.7cubic yards
Bulk is usually sold in ½-yard increments with a ~1-yard delivery minimum — round up when you order.
Show the math
- Area100 sq ft
- Volume100 sq ft × 2 in ÷ 1216.7 cu ft
- Cubic yards16.7 cu ft ÷ 270.6 cu yd
- + 10% waste0.6 × 1.100.7 cu ydthe amount to buy in bulk, before rounding to bags
- Bags18.3 cu ft ÷ 0.5 cu ft/bag37 bagsrounded up to whole bags
- Weight0.7 cu yd × 1.4 tons/cu yd1.0 tons
Est. cost $27–$48typical bulk price · adjust for your supplier
Bags or bulk for this job?
≈ Similar cost — bags save the delivery trip, bulk saves the mess. Gravel & soil are heavy — a half-ton pickup carries only ~1 cu yd safely.
≈ 6 wheelbarrow loads to spread · delivery fee varies by distance — confirm at checkout.
- Low-fi estimate. Confirm coverage and bag sizes with your supplier.
- Includes a 10% overage allowance.
- Bag count assumes 0.5 cu ft bags. Bulk delivery is sold by the cubic yard.
- Weight assumes ~1.4 tons per cubic yard; actual density varies by material.
Doing more than one bed or material?
Want it installed?
Let a local pro know you're interested · no obligation
Planning more than one thing? Open the Yard Planner → to trace your whole yard over an aerial photo and total every material at once.
How to measure for gravel
- Measure the length and width of your area in feet.
- Multiply them for square feet (or just enter length and width above).
- Choose a depth — we default to 2 inches for gravel.
- Read your total in cubic yards, or the number of bags.
How Much Gravel Do I Need? coverage at a glance (2" deep)
| Area (sq ft) | Cubic yards | Bags |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0.7 | 37 |
| 200 | 1.4 | 74 |
| 300 | 2.0 | 110 |
| 500 | 3.4 | 184 |
| 1,000 | 6.8 | 367 |
Includes a 10% overage allowance. Estimates are low-fi — confirm with your supplier.
Frequently asked questions
How much gravel do I need per square foot?
At 2 inches deep, one cubic yard of gravel covers about 162 sq ft; at 4 inches, about 81 sq ft. Enter your depth above for an exact figure.
Is gravel sold by the yard or the ton?
Both. Bulk gravel is sold by the cubic yard or by weight; a cubic yard weighs roughly 1.4 tons. We show both so you can match your supplier.
Planning a drainage project?
If you're buying gravel to handle yard or foundation runoff, the French Drain calculators size the full system — gravel, pipe, fabric, and soil — in one place.