How much does a ton of gravel cover?

At the typical loose density of 105 lb/ft³, a US ton is about 19 cubic feet of gravel — roughly 114 ft² at 2 inches deep, 76 ft² at 3 inches, or 57 ft² at 4 inches. The industry rule of thumb of 100 ft² per ton at 2 inches builds in a margin for settling and edge waste, which is why it survives on every quarry's price sheet.

How much does a cubic yard of gravel cover?

A cubic yard is exactly 27 cubic feet regardless of gravel type, so coverage is pure geometry: 162 ft² at 2 inches, 108 ft² at 3 inches, 81 ft² at 4 inches. Unlike per-ton coverage, these numbers never change with density — only real-world losses like compaction and spillage eat into them.

Why does my gravel never cover as much as the chart says?

Three reasons: gravel consolidates 5–15% under foot and vehicle traffic, an unlevel subgrade swallows extra stone in its low spots, and some material is always lost to edges, spillage and the last shovelful in the truck bed. Together they routinely cost 10–20% of theoretical coverage — which is exactly what the standard waste allowance exists to absorb.

Does gravel type change coverage per ton?

Yes, because coverage per ton is driven by density. Light pea gravel at 96 lb/ft³ stretches to about 125 ft² at 2 inches, while dense crusher run at 125 lb/ft³ loose manages only 96 ft² — and just 86 ft² once compacted to 140 lb/ft³. Per-yard coverage, by contrast, is identical for every type.

How do I convert coverage back into an order quantity?

Divide your area by the coverage figure for your depth and material, then add 10% (15% if the stone will be compacted or the ground is rough). A 600 ft² driveway topping at 3 inches with common gravel: 600 ÷ 76 = 7.9 tons, times 1.10 ≈ 8.7 — order 9 tons.

Is it cheaper to order by coverage per ton or per yard?

Neither is inherently cheaper — a supplier's ton and yard prices describe the same stone. What matters is comparing like with like: convert every quote to cost per ton using the material's density (a yard of common gravel is about 1.42 tons loose) before deciding. The gravel cost calculator does this conversion automatically.

Gravel · Coverage Guide

Gravel coverage guide

A ton of gravel covers 114 ft² at 2 inches — until compaction, a wavy subgrade and edge waste take their cut. Here are the honest coverage numbers, per ton and per yard, at every practical depth.

Contents

1.What a ton of gravel covers
2.What a cubic yard covers
3.Worked example: sizing a parking pad
4.What shrinks real-world coverage
5.Coverage by gravel type

What a ton of gravel covers

A US ton (2,000 lb) of common gravel at 105 lb/ft³ loose is about 19 cubic feet of stone. Spread thinner, it goes further — coverage scales inversely with depth, so halving the depth doubles the footage. The table gives the straight geometric numbers; the popular “100 ft² per ton at 2 inches” rule of thumb is simply the 2-inch row with a built-in settling margin.

Coverage per US ton of common gravel (105 lb/ft³ loose). Divide your area by the coverage figure to get tons.
Depth	Coverage per ton	Where that depth belongs
1 inch	≈ 229 ft²	Refresh top-ups onlyToo thin for new cover — the fabric shows
2 inches	≈ 114 ft²	Decorative cover over fabricRule of thumb: 100 ft² after allowance
3 inches	≈ 76 ft²	Paths, patios, pet areas
4 inches	≈ 57 ft²	One compacted driveway lift
5 inches	≈ 46 ft²	Heavy-traffic single lift
6 inches	≈ 38 ft²	Base course, drainage beds

These figures assume common gravel. Lighter and heavier types shift them — the density chart has the unit weight for every type, and the last section below shows what that does to coverage.

What a cubic yard covers

Per-yard coverage is friendlier than per-ton coverage because it ignores density entirely: a cubic yard is 27 ft³ of any material, so the same table works for pea gravel, crusher run and river rock alike. That makes yards the safer unit when you are still choosing the gravel type.

Coverage per loose cubic yard — identical for every gravel type, since a yard is a volume, not a weight.
Depth	Coverage per cubic yard	Note
1 inch	324 ft²	27 ft³ ÷ (1/12 ft)
2 inches	162 ft²	≈ 1.42 tons of common gravel
3 inches	108 ft²	The all-purpose landscaping depth
4 inches	81 ft²	One driveway lift
5 inches	65 ft²
6 inches	54 ft²	Two 3-inch lifts compact better than one 6-inch

Worked example: sizing a parking pad

Worked example

A 20 × 24 ft gravel parking pad topped with 3 inches of common gravel over an existing compacted base.

1
Area
20 × 24 = 480 ft²
2
Tons from the coverage table
480 ÷ 76 ft²/ton = 6.3 tons
3
Cross-check in yards
480 × 0.25 ft = 120 ft³ ÷ 27 = 4.4 yd³ (× 1.42 = 6.3 tons ✓)
4
Add 10% for settling and edges
6.3 × 1.10 = 6.9 tons

Result: Order 7 tons (about 5 loose cubic yards). The two routes to 6.3 tons agreeing is your arithmetic check.

Coverage questions

What shrinks real-world coverage

Charts describe gravel resting loose on a perfectly flat plane. Real sites take three predictable bites out of that number, and experienced estimators price them in rather than hoping they won't happen.

Irregular subgrade is the second thief. A subgrade that undulates by an inch means your “3-inch” layer is really 2–4 inches — and the low spots must be filled to reach the target surface, consuming stone the flat-plane math never counted. Grading before delivery is cheaper than the extra tonnage it saves. Waste takes the last cut: spillage at the edges, stone trodden into soft ground during spreading, and the material that never quite leaves the truck bed. The standard remedy for all three is a 10% allowance, raised to 15% for compacted crusher run or rough ground — the same allowance built into the five-step calculation method.

Coverage by gravel type

Coverage per ton at 2 inches deep, by type

Pea gravel (96 lb/ft³)125ft²

#57 stone (100 lb/ft³)120ft²

Common gravel (105 lb/ft³)114ft²

Crusher run, loose (125 lb/ft³)96ft²

Crusher run, compacted (140 lb/ft³)86ft²

The spread is worth money: a ton of pea gravel covers 45% more area than a ton of compacted crusher run at the same depth. When comparing per-ton quotes across types, convert to cost per covered square foot — the weight chart has the per-yard weights that make the conversion quick.

Get tons and yards for your exact dimensions

Keep estimating

How to Calculate Gravel Gravel Weight Chart Gravel Measurement Guide

Sources & references

[1]ASTM C29/C29M: Bulk Density (Unit Weight) and Voids in Aggregate — ASTM International, 2017
[2]Gravel Roads Construction & Maintenance Guide — FHWA / South Dakota LTAP, 2015
[3]The Aggregates Handbook, 2nd ed. — National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, 2013