Gravel Planner
Trace your project on a satellite photo of your property. The planner turns that shape into tons and a price.
Plan your gravel project
Type your address, trace the area on a satellite photo, and see how many tons to order.
Loading the planner...
Start typing and pick your address from the list. The map jumps straight to your property.
Your satellite view shows up here
Enter an address in step 1. Then click around the edge of the spot you want to cover and the planner does the math.
How it works
Type your address
The map zooms to a satellite photo of your property.
Click around the edge
Each click drops a corner. Close the shape and the area shows up in square feet. Add a second shape if you have one.
Pick a gravel and depth
You get cubic yards, tons to order, and what that material runs. Nearby suppliers come with it.
How the Planner Turns a Satellite Photo Into Tons
Polygon to square feet. Each corner you click is a latitude and longitude. The planner projects those points onto a flat grid and runs the shoelace formula to get the enclosed area in square meters, then converts to square feet (1 square meter = 10.764 square feet). Satellite imagery at zoom 19 or 20 has a ground resolution of roughly 6 to 12 inches per pixel, so a carefully traced 500 sq ft patio lands within 15 to 25 sq ft of a tape measure.
Square feet to cubic yards. Square feet times depth in inches divided by 12 gives cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. The shortcut is square feet x inches / 324.
Cubic yards to tons. Every gravel type in our database has a density range in tons per cubic yard, measured loose. #57 stone is 1.35 to 1.55, pea gravel 1.3 to 1.45, crusher run 1.5 to 1.7, recycled asphalt 1.8 to 2.0, and mulch about 0.5. Cubic yards times density gives the tons range.
Compaction and waste. Gravel with fines shrinks when you compact it: crusher run loses about 15 percent of its loose height, decomposed granite about 12 percent, clean #57 about 8 percent, pea gravel about 5 percent. The planner adds that percentage back so the finished depth matches what you entered. It then adds a waste allowance (10 percent by default) for uneven subgrade, spillage, and the pile that never quite makes it out of the truck. Both numbers are editable in the sidebar.
Tons to dollars. The material price is the tons range times the per-ton price range for that gravel type. It does not include delivery, which runs $50 to $150 per load within 10 to 15 miles. Requesting quotes sends the estimate to nearby suppliers, and their replies include delivery.
Three Worked Examples
| Project | Area | Depth | Cubic yards | Tons to order | Material cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 x 40 ft driveway, crusher run | 480 sq ft | 4 in | 5.9 | 11.2 to 12.7 | $224 to $445 |
| 10 x 20 ft patio, pea gravel | 200 sq ft | 3 in | 1.9 | 2.8 to 3.1 | $70 to $155 |
| 50 ft French drain, 12 in wide, #57 stone | 50 sq ft | 12 in | 1.9 | 3.0 to 3.4 | $60 to $119 |
Driveway. A 12 x 40 ft driveway is 480 sq ft. At 4 inches: 480 x 4 / 324 = 5.9 cubic yards. Crusher run at 1.5 to 1.7 tons per yard, plus 15 percent compaction and 10 percent waste, comes to 11.2 to 12.7 tons. Order 13 tons, which is a short tandem load or a full single-axle plus a pickup trip. At $20 to $35 per ton the material is $224 to $445.
Patio. A 10 x 20 ft patio is 200 sq ft. At 3 inches: 200 x 3 / 324 = 1.9 cubic yards. Pea gravel at 1.3 to 1.45 tons per yard with 5 percent compaction and 10 percent waste is 2.8 to 3.1 tons. Order 3 tons. Material $70 to $155, and this size is cheaper to haul in a pickup than to have delivered.
French drain. A 50 ft trench 12 inches wide is 50 sq ft of footprint. At 12 inches deep: 50 x 12 / 324 = 1.9 cubic yards. #57 stone at 1.35 to 1.55 tons per yard with 8 percent compaction and 10 percent waste is 3.0 to 3.4 tons. Subtract about 10 percent for the volume the pipe takes up and order 3 tons. Material $60 to $119.
Planner FAQ
How accurate is the satellite measurement?
Within about 3 to 5 percent for a driveway or patio when you place corners carefully at high zoom. That is closer than most tape-measure jobs on an irregular shape. Google's imagery is orthorectified, so the scale is consistent across the photo. Tree cover and roof overhangs are the main things that hide an edge; drop a corner where the edge would be and check the square footage against a rough length x width.
How does the planner turn square feet into tons?
It multiplies the drawn area in square feet by the depth in inches, divides by 12 for cubic feet and by 27 for cubic yards, then multiplies by the density of the gravel you picked (1.3 to 1.6 tons per cubic yard for most stone). It adds the compaction percentage for that material and a waste allowance, then rounds up to the nearest half ton.
What depth should I enter?
Two inches for resurfacing an existing gravel driveway or a walkway. Three inches for a patio or garden bed. Four to six inches for a new driveway on firm ground. Eight to twelve inches for a new driveway on soft soil or a parking area for trucks. Twelve inches for a French drain trench.
Why does the planner give a range of tons instead of one number?
Gravel density varies by quarry, moisture, and how tightly the pieces pack. A cubic yard of #57 stone can weigh 2,700 pounds from one pit and 3,100 from another. The low end of the range is what you need on paper; the high end is what to order so you do not come up short.
Can I draw more than one area?
Yes. Close the first shape, then click Add another area and trace the second one. The planner adds the square footage together. Use this for a driveway plus a parking pad, or a patio plus the path to it. Everything you draw uses the same gravel type and depth, so run the planner twice if the areas need different materials.
Does the price include delivery?
No. The price range is material only, based on the per-ton price range for the gravel you picked. Delivery runs $50 to $150 per truckload within 10 to 15 miles of the supplier. Requesting quotes sends your estimate to nearby suppliers, and their replies include delivery.