Estimate gravel, sand, or pea gravel by cubic yards and tons from your area and depth, with a waste factor.
yd³ = (L × W × depth) ÷ 27; tons = yd³ × 1.4
Crushed gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard; sand about 1.35; pea gravel about 1.3. Suppliers often sell by the ton.
Driveways typically need 4–6″ of gravel; pathways 2–3″. Order a little extra for an uneven base.
A 10 x 10 ft shed base at 6 inches deep is 50 cubic feet, or 1.85 cubic yards. Crushed gravel weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, so that's about 2.6 tons. With 5% waste for an uneven base, order about 2.7 tons.
Suppliers usually sell by the ton for delivery and by the bag for small jobs. A 50 lb bag holds roughly half a cubic foot, so this job would be about 100 bags — clearly a case for bulk delivery rather than bags.
Densities are industry averages and vary by material and moisture. Confirm the weight per yard with your supplier.
Gravel is calculated as a volume — length times width times depth in feet, divided by 27 for cubic yards — but suppliers usually sell by the ton. Convert using density: gravel runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard, sand about 1.35, pea gravel about 1.3. Knowing both figures lets you order in whichever unit the supplier quotes.
Depth drives the order more than anything: 2–3 in for decorative cover, 4–6 in for a car driveway, more for heavy use. A base course compacts when rolled, so add roughly 10–15% over the finished depth so the settled surface still meets target. Deep applications are built in layers, each compacted before the next.
About 1.4 tons for crushed stone, varying with material and moisture.
Multiply cubic yards by the density, about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for gravel. So 10 cubic yards is roughly 14 tons.
About 2–3 inches for decorative ground cover, 4–6 inches for a car driveway, and more in layers for heavy vehicles or poor soil.
Roughly 100 square feet at 2 inches deep, or about 70 square feet at 3 inches. Coverage falls as depth increases.