How Much Gravel Do I Need? Driveway Math for Real Properties

The formula

Length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (ft) gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Gravel runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard. So: a 100 ft x 12 ft drive at 2 inches deep is 200 cubic feet, about 7.4 cubic yards, call it 10 tons with compaction and settling.

Worked examples (12-foot-wide drive)

Base course at 4 inches plus topping at 2 inches, the way a driveway should be built:

• 60 ft suburban drive: ~9 tons base + ~5 tons topping, roughly 14 tons total
• 100 ft drive: ~15 tons base + ~8 tons topping, roughly 23 tons
• 200 ft acreage drive: ~30 tons base + ~15 tons topping, roughly 45 tons
• 300 ft rural drive: ~45 tons base + ~22 tons topping, roughly 67 tons
• Refresh coat on an existing solid drive (2 in topping only): about 1.2 tons per 10 ft

Why the base is most of the tonnage

The topping rock you see is the cheap part. The compacted base underneath is what carries your truck through a wet March. Skip the base and the pretty topping punches into Ozarks clay the first wet season, which is why 'a few loads of gravel' driveways turn into washboards. If a quote's tonnage looks half of everyone else's, the base is what's missing.

Rock types, quickly

Around Springfield you'll usually see 1-inch clean or 2-inch base rock for the foundation course and 3/8 to 3/4 inch gravel for topping. We match the combination to your traffic and budget when we quote, and delivery distance from the quarry is part of the price, which is one reason local quotes beat guessing from national averages.

Want the tonnage and the installed price for your actual driveway? We measure it free anywhere within 50 miles of Springfield and put the number in writing.