How Much Area Does a Ton of Gravel Cover?
At Penn State's loose weight for #57 stone, one ton covers 54 ft² spread 4 in deep, and 108 ft² at 2 in deep. Other cited weights move that, so ask the yard for theirs.
Estimates for planning, not professional advice. Read the full notice.
Work it out for your own sizes
Turn your area into tons of gravelExample to try: Area 500 ft², Depth 4 in
Square feet one ton of #57 stone covers, by depth
Area one ton of #57 stone covers at four depths, at each loose weight a source prints
| Depth | Penn State, AASHTO #57 stone, loose | Ohio DOT, #57 gravel, loose | Ohio DOT, #57 limestone, loose | MoDOT, granite or limestone, loose, lightest row | MoDOT, granite or limestone, loose, heaviest row |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 108 ft² | 130 ft² | 135 ft² | 134 ft² | 125 ft² |
| 3 in | 72 ft² | 86 ft² | 90 ft² | 90 ft² | 83 ft² |
| 4 in | 54 ft² | 65 ft² | 68 ft² | 67 ft² | 63 ft² |
| 6 in | 36 ft² | 43 ft² | 45 ft² | 45 ft² | 42 ft² |
Estimate for planning, from what you entered and the product data shown. Check product labels and your supplier before you buy.
Each cell is one ton divided by the source's weight per volume, spread over the depth in the row. Every column is a loose weight, as the source states it. Ask the yard for the weight of the stone you are buying.
Tons of #57 stone for an area, by depth
Tons of #57 stone to spread over three areas at three depths, at Penn State's loose weight and before any extra for waste
| Area | 2 in deep | 4 in deep | 6 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft × 10 ft (100 sq ft) | 0.93 tons | 1.85 tons | 2.78 tons |
| 10 ft × 50 ft (500 sq ft) | 4.63 tons | 9.26 tons | 13.89 tons |
| 12 ft × 60 ft (720 sq ft) | 6.67 tons | 13.33 tons | 20 tons |
The reverse reading of the first table: area times depth gives the volume, and the volume times Penn State's weight gives the tons. The calculator lets you change the weight and adds an allowance you can set.
What changes at one ton, a pickup load and a dump truck load
One ton of #57 stone at Penn State's weight is 0.67 yd³ of stone (18 ft³). A pickup bed 5 ft by 8 ft filled level holds 2.22 yd³[1] by the Town of Conway's graphic, which is 3.33 tons of the same stone by weight. A single-axle dump truck normally carries 6 yd³[2] of aggregate by TxDOT's manual, which is 9 tons of it.
A job of 10 tons is 6.67 yd³. By volume alone that is 4 loads in a level-full pickup bed of that size and 2 loads in a single-axle dump truck. A truck's own payload can cut a load short of its bed volume; the payload is on the label in the door jamb.
Questions
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
It depends on the depth and on the weight of the stone. The first table gives the area for one ton at four depths and at each loose weight a source prints for #57 stone.
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Multiply the area by the depth to get a volume, then by the weight per volume. The second table does that for three areas and three depths, and the gravel calculator does it for your own sizes.
Does a ton cover the same area for every kind of stone?
No. The sources' weights for #57 stone differ, and the table has a column for each. River rock, pea gravel and decomposed granite have no cited weight here, so ask your supplier for theirs.
Calculate it for your project
Enter your own sizes to get the amount to buy or the layout figures, with the working shown and a page to print.
Enter your area and depth in the gravel calculatorSources (2)
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Combined bulky waste pricing and truck size graphic (created by Cedar Grove Composting) (opens in new tab), Cedar Grove Composting (Washington) produced this graphic; it is posted on the Town of Conway, Massachusetts, website, bulky waste pricing effective January 1, 2025.
Code or government.
“Compact Pickup: 4'x6' bed filled to top of bed = 1.33 Cu Yd ... Compact Pickup: 4'x7' bed filled to top of bed = 1.56 Cu Yd”
“Full-Size Pickup: 5'x7' filled to top of bed = 1.94 Cu Yd ... Full-Size Pickup: 5'x 8' filled to top of bed = 2.22 Cu Yd”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 1) -
Seal Coat and Surface Treatment Manual, Section 5: Haul Trucks, Size (opens in new tab), Texas Department of Transportation, web manual page, undated.
Code or government.
“The single-axle trucks normally carry 6 cubic yards of aggregate. The bed capacity for tandem-axle trucks is usually 12 or 14 cubic yards.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 2)
These are summaries of what the sources say, not professional advice. Codes and product data change. Check with your building department and the product label about your own project.