One ton of gravel covers about 116 square feet at 2 inches deep, 77 square feet at 3 inches, and 58 square feet at 4 inches. A cubic yard covers 162, 108, and 81 square feet at those same depths — enter your amount to get exact coverage.
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Gravel Coverage Calculator Guide
Sometimes the quantity is fixed and the question flips: you have three tons coming, or half a stockpile left from last year, and you need to know how far it will go. This calculator works in that direction — amount of gravel in, square feet of coverage out — using gravel at 1.4 tons per cubic yard and whatever spreading depth you choose.
Coverage math has a single moving part: depth. The formula is 324 divided by depth in inches for square feet per cubic yard, then divided by density for square feet per ton. Everything that follows is that formula at different depths.
How Many Square Feet Does a Ton of Gravel Cover?
| Depth | 1 ton covers | 1 cubic yard covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 inch | 231 sq ft | 324 sq ft |
| 2 inches | 116 sq ft | 162 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 77 sq ft | 108 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 58 sq ft | 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 39 sq ft | 54 sq ft |
Scale up for full deliveries: a 10-ton single-axle load spreads about 1,160 square feet at 2 inches, and a 20-ton tri-axle covers roughly 1,160 square feet at 4 inches — enough for a 12-foot-wide driveway just under 100 feet long.
Spreading Gravel to the Depth You Planned
- Mark target depth on a stick and probe as you rake — eyeballed gravel almost always goes down thicker than planned.
- Dump in multiple small piles spaced across the area rather than one mountain; you lose less to over-thick spots around the pile.
- Spread from the piles outward with the back of a landscape rake, which floats over the surface instead of digging in.
- Expect the first inch to vanish on soft or grassy ground as material seats into the surface — fabric underneath prevents exactly this loss.
- Hold back 5% of the load for the walk-through at the end; thin patches always show once the light changes.
When you would rather start from the area and compute the tonnage, the gravel calculator runs the standard direction, and the stone coverage calculator extends this same coverage logic across every material from pea gravel to riprap.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a ton of gravel cover?
At 1.4 tons per cubic yard, one ton of gravel covers roughly 116 square feet at 2 inches deep, 77 square feet at 3 inches, and 58 square feet at 4 inches. Halving the depth doubles the coverage, and vice versa.
How much area will 5 tons of gravel cover?
About 580 square feet at 2 inches deep, or around 290 square feet at 4 inches. Coverage scales linearly, so multiply the one-ton figure by your tonnage.
Does the type of gravel change the coverage?
Somewhat. Lighter pea gravel at 1.35 tons per cubic yard stretches to about 120 square feet per ton at 2 inches, while denser crushed stone at 1.5 covers about 108. The differences are real but rarely more than 10%.
What depth should I plan gravel coverage at?
Use 2–3 inches for paths and decorative beds, and at least 4 inches for surfaces that carry vehicles. Planning coverage at 2 inches and then spreading 3 is the classic way to run out a third short.