How Much Gravel for a Driveway? Tons to Top It Up Before Winter

After a year, the wheel tracks in your gravel driveway have sunk and puddles sit in them. A 10 × 20 ft driveway takes 1.23 cubic yards of gravel for a 2-inch top-up, about 1.9 tons; a 12 × 50 ft driveway takes 3.7 cubic yards, about 5.6 tons. Tons use Penn State's average of 1.5 tons per cubic yard for #57 stone.

The other half of the job is timing. Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies notes that freeze-thaw swells and breaks apart an unpaved surface, and that water held in puddles or potholes makes the surface and base soft and weak. That is why we'd fill holes and fix the crown before the first freeze. Below: tons for driveways up to 12 × 100 ft, how much crown to build, the order to do the work, and how many cart loads a top-up really is.

Free calculator: our free gravel calculator turns driveway length, width and depth into cubic yards, tons and truck trips. No sign-up.

How much gravel for a driveway

Each figure is one even layer across the whole driveway. Tons use 1.5 tons (3,000 lb) per cubic yard.

10 × 20 ft, 2 in — 33.3 cu ft; 1.23 cu yd; 1.85 tons

10 × 20 ft, 4 in — 66.7 cu ft; 2.47 cu yd; 3.70 tons

10 × 40 ft, 2 in — 66.7 cu ft; 2.47 cu yd; 3.70 tons

10 × 40 ft, 4 in — 133.3 cu ft; 4.94 cu yd; 7.41 tons

12 × 50 ft, 2 in — 100 cu ft; 3.70 cu yd; 5.56 tons

12 × 50 ft, 4 in — 200 cu ft; 7.41 cu yd; 11.11 tons

12 × 100 ft, 2 in — 200 cu ft; 7.41 cu yd; 11.11 tons

12 × 100 ft, 4 in — 400 cu ft; 14.81 cu yd; 22.22 tons

The depths are examples, not a spec. A top-up only needs to cover what has worn away. A new driveway needs a deeper base, so ask your supplier what their stone needs.

Heavier stone weighs more per yard. Penn State lists Driving Surface Aggregate (DSA) at 1.65 tons per cubic yard, so a 12 × 50 ft top-up at 2 inches is about 6.1 tons of DSA instead of 5.6 tons of #57.

Shape the crown so water runs off

Penn State says an unpaved surface needs a steeper side slope than pavement: 4% to 6%, or 1/2 to 3/4 inch of fall for every foot of width.

Example: a 12 ft driveway crowned in the middle has 6 ft on each side. At 1/2 to 3/4 inch per foot, the center sits 3 to 4.5 inches higher than the edges.

Penn State's "W" warning: wheel tracks sink and loose stone piles up at the center and edges, so water gets trapped on the surface. Pull the stone from the edges back into the tracks before you add new gravel.

How to top up a gravel driveway before winter

Fill the potholes first. Penn State says to loosen (scarify) each pothole at least 1 inch below its bottom before the surface is regraded and filled.

Use quality aggregate. When you re-gravel, Penn State says to reapply quality aggregate so you don't contaminate the stone that is already there.

Work when it is damp. Moisture helps compaction. Penn State suggests grading after wet weather and compacting before the surface dries.

Compact it. Penn State says compacting after grading helps the surface keep its crown longer, and that even small rollers add to its life.

Keep ditch dirt out. Ditch material is often full of organic debris and makes poor driveway stone.

Fabric and a cart for driveway gravel (#ad)

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BILT HARD 900 lb Poly Garden Dump Cart — 10-inch pneumatic tires, a quick-release dump and a 900 lb rating, with a 400 lb maximum when dumping, per the maker. At 400 lb a load, the 5.56 tons for a 12 × 50 ft top-up is about 28 trips, so it suits patching more than a full re-gravel. See it on Amazon

Super Geotextile 4 oz Non Woven Fabric, 6 × 50 ft — a nonwoven geotextile that the maker lists for underlayment, erosion control and construction projects and calls UV and rot resistant. Useful under new gravel where you widen a driveway or add a parking pad. See it on Amazon

Driveway gravel FAQ

How much gravel do I need for a small driveway? A 10 × 20 ft driveway takes 1.23 cubic yards for 2 inches (about 1.9 tons) or 2.47 cubic yards for 4 inches (about 3.7 tons).

How many tons of gravel for a 100 ft driveway? For a 12 ft wide driveway, 11.1 tons at 2 inches and 22.2 tons at 4 inches, at 1.5 tons per cubic yard.

How many cubic yards in a ton of gravel? At 1.5 tons per cubic yard, one ton is about 0.67 cubic yards, or 18 cubic feet.

How much crown does a gravel driveway need? Penn State's Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies recommends 4% to 6% on unpaved surfaces, or 1/2 to 3/4 inch of fall per foot of width.

When should I add gravel to my driveway? A University of Maryland Extension answer on Ask Extension says timing doesn't matter much for weeds. For the surface itself, Penn State points to freeze-thaw and standing water as the damage, so filling potholes and restoring the crown before winter helps.

Free calculator: enter your driveway length, width and depth in the free gravel calculator. Set the weight to 3,000 lb per cubic yard to match this chart, or use your supplier's number.

Watch Curb Calc on YouTube: youtube.com/@curbcalc

Sources: Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, Crown and Cross-Slope; Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, Surface Maintenance for Unpaved Roads; Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, DGLVR Materials Calculator; University of Maryland Extension via Ask Extension, Best time to put fresh gravel in driveway.