How Much Gravel for a 16×20 Area?
A 16 × 20 ft area (320 ft²) at 3″ deep needs 4.4 tons of gravel — 2.96 yd³ net plus 5% waste. Order 4.50 t — quarries sell by the ton (some by the ½ ton); a tri-axle carries about 20 tons.
16×20 at other depths
| Depth | Volume | Order (tons) | 50 lb bag (0.5 ft³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2″ | 1.98 yd³ | 2.9 tons | 112 |
| 3″ (this page) | 2.96 yd³ | 4.4 tons | 168 |
| 4″ | 3.95 yd³ | 5.8 tons | 224 |
| 6″ | 5.93 yd³ | 8.7 tons | 336 |
Other area sizes
Order 4.50 t — quarries sell by the ton (some by the ½ ton); a tri-axle carries about 20 tons.
- Area
- 320 ft²
- Volume (80.0 ft³)
- 2.96 yd³
- Net weight @ 1.40 t/yd³
- 8,296 lb · 4.15 t
- Waste / settling 5%
- + 0.21 t
- Order quantity
- 4.36 tons
- Truckloads
- 1 × tri-axle dump (≈20 t)
- Metric
- 2.27 m³ · 3.95 tonnes
- 50 lb bag (0.5 ft³)
- 168 bags
- Materials + delivery$25–$60 / ton · Aug 2026
- $198 – $355
- Installed (with labor)typ. $374
- $263 – $529
Different size or depth?
Open the full gravel calculator to change every input, pick a material and see truckloads.
How to calculate gravel by hand
Tons = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × density (t/yd³)
Worked example
- Area: 20 ft × 10 ft = 200 ft².
- Volume: 200 ft² × (3 in ÷ 12) = 50 ft³ = 1.85 yd³.
- Weight: 1.85 yd³ × 1.4 t/yd³ (#57 stone) = 2.59 tons.
- Waste 5%: 2.59 × 1.05 = 2.72 tons → order 2.75 tons.
- Bagged instead: 52.5 ft³ ÷ 0.5 ft³ = 105 × 50 lb bags.
- 1 ton of #57 at 3″ deep
- ≈ 77 ft²
- 1 ton of #57 at 4″ deep
- ≈ 58 ft²
- 1 yd³ of #57 stone
- ≈ 2,800 lb · 1.4 t
- 1 yd³ crusher run
- ≈ 3,000 lb · 1.5 t
Questions crews ask
How many tons of gravel do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet, then × depth in inches, then divide by 324 for cubic yards. Multiply yards by the material’s density — 1.4 tons per yard for #57 stone or pea gravel, 1.5 for crusher run. A 10 × 10 ft area at 3″ is 0.93 yd³ ≈ 1.3 tons.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
Loose, dry gravel weighs 2,700–3,000 lb per cubic yard — 1.35 to 1.5 tons. #57 stone is about 2,800 lb; crusher run with fines is heavier at 3,000 lb; wet material adds 5–10%. Ask the quarry for their conversion — they sell by the ton but you measure in yards.
How much area does a ton of gravel cover?
About 100 ft² at 2″ deep, 77 ft² at 3″, 58 ft² at 4″ and 39 ft² at 6″ for #57 stone. The rule of thumb is 1 ton ≈ 0.7 yd³ ≈ 19 ft³ of loose stone.