Coverage per Cubic Yard
One cubic yard of any material covers the same area at a given depth — volume doesn't care about density. The rule of thumb: a cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch deep, and coverage scales down proportionally as depth increases.
| Depth | Coverage per Cubic Yard |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft |
| 5 inches | 65 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft |
| 8 inches | 40 sq ft |
| 10 inches | 32 sq ft |
| 12 inches | 27 sq ft |
Coverage per Ton (by Material)
Tonnage coverage depends on density. Lighter materials like pea gravel and river rock cover more area per ton; heavier compacting materials like crusher run cover less. The figures below use standard industry densities.
| Depth | Pea Gravel (1.4 t/yd³) | #57 Crushed Stone (1.5 t/yd³) | Crusher Run (1.6 t/yd³) | River Rock (1.35 t/yd³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 116 sq ft | 108 sq ft | 101 sq ft | 120 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 77 sq ft | 72 sq ft | 68 sq ft | 80 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 58 sq ft | 54 sq ft | 51 sq ft | 60 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 39 sq ft | 36 sq ft | 34 sq ft | 40 sq ft |
Gravel Weight Reference
| Material | Tons per Cubic Yard | Lbs per Cubic Foot | Lbs per Cubic Yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| River rock | 1.35 | ~100 | ~2,700 |
| Pea gravel | 1.40 | ~104 | ~2,800 |
| #8 crushed stone | 1.45 | ~107 | ~2,900 |
| #57 crushed stone | 1.50 | ~111 | ~3,000 |
| Sand & gravel mix | 1.55 | ~115 | ~3,100 |
| Crusher run / road base | 1.60 | ~119 | ~3,200 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.60 | ~119 | ~3,200 |
| Rip rap | 1.70 | ~126 | ~3,400 |
Common Project Quick Answers
| Project Size | Depth | Cubic Yards | Tons (crushed stone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 ft (100 sq ft) | 3" | 0.93 | 1.4 |
| 10 × 20 ft (200 sq ft) | 3" | 1.85 | 2.8 |
| 12 × 25 ft (300 sq ft) | 4" | 3.70 | 5.6 |
| 12 × 50 ft driveway (600 sq ft) | 4" | 7.41 | 11.1 |
| 16 × 60 ft driveway (960 sq ft) | 4" | 11.85 | 17.8 |
| 20 × 100 ft driveway (2,000 sq ft) | 4" | 24.69 | 37.0 |
For any size not listed here, the gravel calculator gives an exact answer in seconds, the driveway calculator handles layered builds, and material-specific tools cover pea gravel and crushed stone grades.
How These Figures Were Calculated
Coverage per cubic yard is pure geometry: 27 cubic feet spread at depth d inches covers 27 ÷ (d ÷ 12) square feet. Coverage per ton divides that by the material's density in tons per cubic yard, using the standard industry densities in the weight table above. Real-world results vary a few percent with moisture content, stone size distribution, and compaction — which is why every guide on this site recommends ordering 5–10% above the calculated quantity.