Gravel calculator for North Dakota
Calculate material in cubic yards or tons for gravel and landscape rock jobs, then choose the right product for free delivery.
Enter your project dimensions
For planning at 2 inches of depth, a ton of crushed gravel spreads across about 116 square feet. Use the calculator by entering your area's length, width, and depth, then selecting the gravel to view cubic yards, tons, and delivered price. It can also estimate landscape rock: crushed gravel, #57 stone, and comparable materials weigh near 2,800 lb per cubic yard. With deep frost, getting the base depth right matters.
Calculate your gravel amount
- Use feet to measure the space. Rectangles need length and width, while circles use the diameter. Treat an L-shaped driveway as two rectangles, then use multiple-areas mode to combine them.
- Choose a depth in inches. For paths and refreshes, use 2 to 3 inches. A new driveway calls for 4 to 6 inches installed in two layers rather than one deep layer.
- To convert, multiply area by depth in feet for cubic feet. Divide that total by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by 1.4 for tons.
Tons = cubic yards × 1.4 (crushed gravel at ~2,800 lb per cubic yard)
Gravel weight and coverage reference
Dry crushed gravel is about 2,800 lb in a cubic yard, or 1.4 tons. A ton comes to roughly 0.71 cubic yards. Deeper gravel covers less area:
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | ≈ 116 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | ≈ 77 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | ≈ 58 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | ≈ 39 sq ft |
| Material | Weight per cubic yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway / walkway gravel | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Pea gravel (3/8") | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Crushed stone (#57, 3/4") | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Crusher run / road base | ≈ 3,000 lb | 1.50 |
| River rock (1-3") | ≈ 2,700 lb | 1.35 |
Project depth guide
- Garden paths and walkways need 2 to 3 inches of walkway gravel placed over compacted ground or fabric.
- Existing driveway refresh: Apply 2 inches of fresh surface gravel.
- On a new driveway, install 3 to 4 inches of compacted crusher run, followed by 2 to 3 inches of driveway gravel or #57. The bottom course carries the load, while the surface layer drains and finishes the drive.
- Patios and seating areas: place 2 to 3 inches within sturdy edging.
- French drains and soggy spots: use 12 inches or more of clean stone. Calculate these projects with the Stone Calculator because drainage requires washed rock with no fines.
Example calculation: a 50 x 10 ft driveway
For five hundred square feet at 4 inches, the total is 500 x 0.333 = 167 cubic feet. After dividing by 27, that equals 6.2 cubic yards or 8.7 tons. Include 5% for compaction and order about 9 tons, with roughly 60/40 split between crusher run base and surface gravel. Keep those layers separate. A common phone-order issue is measuring a driveway precisely, then intending to place one 2-inch layer directly over dirt.
Common project estimates
Use these rough estimates before measuring. They all use 1.4 tons per cubic yard:
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-car driveway pad | 20 x 10 ft | 4" | 2.5 yd³ | 3.5 tons |
| Two-car driveway | 24 x 20 ft | 4" | 5.9 yd³ | 8.3 tons |
| Country driveway | 50 x 12 ft | 6" | 11.1 yd³ | 15.6 tons |
| Garden path | 20 x 3 ft | 3" | 0.6 yd³ | 0.8 tons |
| Patio seating area | 12 x 12 ft | 3" | 1.3 yd³ | 1.9 tons |
| Shed base | 10 x 12 ft | 4" | 1.5 yd³ | 2.1 tons |
Four reasons a second delivery is needed
- Leaving out the base on a new driveway. Gravel laid directly on soil may rut within a season, so put in the base layer before the surface layer.
- Comparing bids only by area. The same 20 x 10 pad may be quoted differently because the depths are different, so compare quotes at the same tonnage.
- Using less than 2 inches. By spring, one inch of gravel can sink into mud.
- Forgetting the crown. Level gravel lets water pond, while a 2% slope moves water away and helps retain the fines.
Choosing gravel by surface
Use crushed, angular gravel where vehicles travel because it packs together under tire weight. Pea gravel and river rock are rounded, so they can move around when loaded; reserve them for walking paths and landscape beds. In North Dakota's freeze-thaw conditions, build a lasting driveway with a compacting layer below and a draining surface above, such as crusher run or road base under driveway gravel or #57. If you are choosing between materials or identifying existing gravel, text a photo to (701) 436-1620 and we can help identify it.
How gravel is sold: yards, tons and loads
The same pile can be measured three ways. Cubic yards show volume, while a ton is 2,000 lb and works out to about 0.71 yards of gravel. Truckloads depend on capacity: 8 to 10 yards fit in a single-axle dump truck, and a tandem carries 12 to 16 yards (17 to 22 tons). Put every quote in tons before comparing prices. Compare the delivered total, since hauling may account for half the aggregate cost. Delivery is free on every North Dakota Rock Supply order, so the listed per-ton amount is what reaches your driveway.
Measuring irregular driveways
Curved lanes and turnarounds take a little extra measuring. For a curve, measure along the drive's center and use the average width. A round turnaround can be treated as a circle, using its widest point for the diameter. On a slope, make the base course deeper at the downhill end because water and gravel collect there. If the layout is hard to measure, divide it into rectangles and total them in multiple-areas mode.
Preparing for delivery
- Decide on the drop location before the truck arrives. Choose firm ground and keep clear of low wires and septic field crossings.
- Have the material unloaded as near to the project as possible. Moving one yard takes 9 to 14 wheelbarrow loads, so another 10 feet can mean a lot of extra work across 6 yards.
- For pavement you want to keep clean, put down a tarp before delivery. It can cut cleanup from an afternoon to ten minutes.
- Pack the base course before adding the surface material. A plate compactor is available to rent, though truck tires can work when necessary.
Gravel answers by the numbers
What does 1 ton of gravel cover?
How can I calculate gravel needed?
How much gravel covers a 10x10 area?
How many gravel yards make a ton?
What is a truckload of gravel?
What is gravel per yard?
Do I need extra for compaction?
Can gravel go directly over grass?
Other calculators
Your tonnage includes free delivery.
Driveway gravel, #57 and crusher run are sold by the ton and delivered throughout North Dakota.
