Ordering driveway gravel starts with three tape measurements and a little math. Get those right and you avoid a second delivery or a pile of extra stone in the yard.
As a landscaping supply company in Auburn Hills, MI, we help homeowners and contractors choose and size materials every day.
Here's the simple way to estimate it yourself.
Measure the driveway length and width in feet. Then decide on the depth of stone you want once the job is finished.
For most gravel bases, a depth of 3 to 6 inches is common, as we covered in ordering bulk landscaping materials. Heavier traffic, soft soil or a brand new driveway usually calls for the deeper end of that range.
Multiply length by width to get square feet. Next, convert the depth from inches to feet by dividing it by 12.
Multiply the square feet by that depth to get cubic feet. Finally, divide by 27, since one cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet.
Say your driveway is 60 feet long and 12 feet wide, and you want 4 inches of stone. That is 720 square feet.
Four inches is 0.33 feet, so 720 times 0.33 comes to about 240 cubic feet. Divide 240 by 27 and you get roughly 8.9 cubic yards.
Most people round that up to 9 cubic yards. A curved driveway or a wide turnaround adds more, so measure those areas separately and add them in.
Some stone is sold by the yard and some by the ton, so it helps to know both numbers. The weight of a cubic yard depends on the material, its gradation and how much moisture it holds.
Wisconsin DOT research on found values from about 1.5 to nearly 2 tons per cubic yard. Using 1.5 tons, our 8.9 yard example is roughly 13 tons, and at 1.8 tons it is closer to 16.
Treat those figures as a planning range, not an exact order. The scale ticket at pickup or delivery is the real number.
Gravel in a truck is loose. Once it is spread, rolled, rained on and driven over, it settles into a smaller volume.
The Federal Highway Administration notes in its that ordinary compaction can shrink gravel volume by 30 percent or more on roads. A home driveway may settle less, but if your 4 inches is a finished, compacted depth, plan on ordering more loose stone than the basic math shows.
The stone you choose affects how it packs and how much you need. Our stone options include 6A limestone, a loose stone popular for refreshing driveways, and 21AA crushed concrete, which is mainly used as a driveway base.
If you are weighing recycled material, see projects suited for crushed concrete. You can also browse all of our bulk landscaping supplies or check current per yard pricing.
Either works, and State Crushing lists stone pricing per yard with tonnage pricing for recycled stone and asphalt millings. Our East Yard sells by the ton only, with a 25 ton minimum.
If you have a cubic yard estimate, our staff can convert it to tons for the material you choose. Weight per yard varies by stone, so that step is worth a quick call.
Many homeowners use 6A limestone, a ½ to 1 inch gray stone that stays loose for drainage and is popular for refreshing driveways. For the base layer, 21AA crushed concrete or compactable limestone is the usual choice.
A new driveway often uses a compactable base with a cleaner stone on top. The right mix depends on your soil, traffic and how the driveway drains.
Yes, you can pick up stone at our yards with your own truck or trailer. Our Auburn Hills and Oxford yards are open Monday through Friday from 7am to 5pm and Saturday from 7am to 1pm, weather permitting.
Our East Yard in Warren is pickup only and sells by the ton, so every load crosses the scale. Delivery is the easier route for larger driveway orders.
A crown is a slight high point down the middle that sheds rainwater to the edges so puddles do not soften the stone. Without one, water sits on the surface and potholes form faster.
The Federal Highway Administration recommends a crown of about ½ inch per foot on gravel roads. Shaping that crown uses a little more stone along the center, which is worth adding to your estimate.
There is no fixed schedule, because it depends on traffic, drainage and how well the driveway was built. Tires gradually push loose stone to the edges and into the soil, so the surface gets thinner over time.
Many homeowners top dress when ruts, bare spots or puddles start showing up. A thin layer of fresh stone and some regrading usually restores the surface.
A few measurements and a quick call are all it takes to get the right amount of stone delivered once. Our landscaping supply company in Auburn Hills, MI can check your numbers and suggest the right material.
Call State Crushing today at (248) 338-3310 or request a quote online.