Driveway Calculator
Estimate a driveway in the material you are actually laying: gravel by the yard and ton, asphalt by the ton, or concrete by the yard and bag.
How much material does a driveway take?
A driveway is one area and one thickness, but three different materials get laid on it — and each is sold in its own units. This calculator frames the job the way the order will actually be placed: gravel by the cubic yard and ton, asphalt by the ton, concrete by the cubic yard and the bag.
Volume = area (sq ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12 · Gravel ≈ 1.4 tons per cubic yard · Asphalt = volume × 145 lb per cu ft
Example: a 20 × 12 ft driveway at 4 inches of gravel is 240 × 4 ÷ 12 = 80 cubic feet = 2.96 cubic yards exactly — 3.26 cubic yards ≈ 4.56 tons with the 10% allowance. In asphalt at the same dimensions, the order is tons: about 6.38 tons at a full 4 inches.
Which depth for which material?
| Material | Typical depth | Sold as |
|---|
| Gravel (over prepared base) | 3–4 in top layer | Cubic yards or tons |
| Asphalt top layer (over base course) | 2–3 in compacted | Tons |
| Concrete slab | 4 in (5–6 in for heavy vehicles) | Cubic yards, or bags under ~½ yard |
The generic asphalt, concrete and gravel calculators here go deeper on each material alone — densities, bag yields, thickness advice. This one exists because most people think “driveway,” not “asphalt”: pick the material you are laying and the answer comes back in that material's buying units, waste included. One framing warning: a full asphalt driveway is two layers (base + top) that are often quoted together — if a paver's quote seems to cover double this tonnage, ask what thickness of each layer it assumes before deciding it is expensive.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the same driveway more tons in asphalt than in gravel?
Density. A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.4 tons loose; compacted asphalt runs about 1.96 tons per cubic yard. Same hole, heavier fill — which is also why asphalt is sold by weight in the first place.
My gravel driveway just needs a refresh — how deep?
2–3 inches of fresh stone over a sound existing base is the usual top-up; the calculator's default of 4 in is for a fuller resurface. If the base itself has failed (ruts to mud), no top layer will fix it — that is a dig-out and rebuild, not a resurface.
Concrete or asphalt for a DIY driveway?
Gravel is the genuinely DIY one. A small concrete slab is DIY-able — see the bag counts here and be honest about mixing volume; much above half a yard, order ready-mix. Asphalt is not a DIY material at driveway scale: it arrives hot, cools fast, and needs compaction equipment on site.
Does the waste allowance matter for a delivered load?
Yes — the truck measures loose volume and the driveway compacts it, edges spill, and no subgrade is truly flat. The 10% here is the layer between “exactly right on paper” and “short by a wheelbarrow at the far end.” Keep it.
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