Missouri Gravel Calculator: Measure Any Shape, Then Order
Enter your project dimensions
Few Missouri jobs come in neat rectangles. Ozark lanes bend around rock outcrops, and prairie yards have a pond corner or a garden in the way. Get the measuring right and the gravel calculator does the rest, handing back cubic yards, tons and cubic feet. So measuring comes first here.
Measuring a Lane That Bends Around a Hill
If the area is an L or a T, split it into rectangles that don't overlap, then enter each one under multiple areas. The tool holds up to 5 pieces and adds them up.
If it's round or close to it, such as a turnaround or a play circle, use the circle shape and enter the widest distance across as the diameter.
If it's a curve, like a lane bending around a hill, run the tape down the center line for length and average three or four widths.
If it's a triangle, it's half a rectangle. Enter the base as length and half the height as width. A corner 30 ft along the base and 18 ft deep goes in as 30 x 9, which is 270 sq ft.
If something sits in the middle, like a shed, a tree ring or raised beds, measure the whole area, run the obstacle as a second calculation, and subtract.
If the ground slopes, keep the tape on the ground rather than holding it level. The stone covers the surface you walk on.
If the pieces add up to more than five, run two batches and add the totals.
Keying In a Hobby Farm Layout
- Pick rectangle, circle or multiple areas.
- Put in length and width, or diameter, in feet.
- Put in depth in inches. The tool accepts 0.25 up to 24.
- Pick your material from the list.
- Tick "add 5% extra for compaction & spillage" if the stone gets packed.
- Hit calculate. Use Email my quote if you want the numbers sent to you.
Depths for Ozark Chert and Northern Clay
If it's a garden path or walkway, use 2 to 3 inches of walkway gravel.
If you're topping an old drive, about 2 inches of fresh surface rock is enough.
If it's a new drive or lane, lay 3 to 4 inches of compacted base rock first, then 2 to 3 inches of driveway gravel on top. Missouri quarries also sell that surface grade as road rock.
If the ground is northern clay, water perches on the subsoil from late fall into spring. Take the deeper end of each range and crown the surface.
If you're on rocky Ozark ground, chert and rock slow the digging more than mud does. Scrape to a firm surface rather than digging deep, and send runoff away from sinkholes.
If it's a French drain or wet spot, use 12 inches or more of 1 inch clean, which has no fines to clog. The stone calculator handles that sizing.
Frost reaches about 24 to 36 inches depending on the local code, deeper in the north than in the southern Ozarks. No stone layer goes that deep, so drainage does the protecting. Base work runs from spring into late fall.
Base Rock Weight per Yard
Cubic yards come from (length ft x width ft x depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27. Tons are those yards times the weight of the stone you picked:
| Material list option | Pounds per yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| Driveway / walkway gravel | ~2,800 | 1.40 |
| Pea gravel | ~2,800 | 1.40 |
| Crushed stone (#57, 3/4") | ~2,800 | 1.40 |
| Crusher run / road base | ~3,000 | 1.50 |
| River rock | ~2,700 | 1.35 |
Base rock carries fines, so it goes on the 1.50 line. The 1 inch clean is washed #57 and goes on 1.40. Tons are what you order. Yards tell you whether the pile fits the dump spot. Cubic feet are for the small stuff.
Garden Beds, a Swing Set and an RV Pad
These are examples with made-up sizes, not customer jobs.
Raised vegetable beds. Four 4 x 8 ft beds sit inside a 20 x 24 ft garden, with 2 inches of walkway gravel around them.
- Whole garden: 480 sq ft x 2 ÷ 12 = 80 cu ft → 2.96 yd³ → 4.15 tons
- The beds: 4 x 32 = 128 sq ft → 21.3 cu ft → 0.79 yd³ → 1.11 tons
- Gravel to order: 2.17 yd³, about 3.0 tons
Playground surface. A 20 x 25 ft play area under a swing set, with pea gravel at 9 inches as this example's depth. Check the play set maker's guidance for your own depth.
- 500 x 0.75 = 375 cu ft → 13.9 yd³ → 19.4 tons at 1.40
RV or boat parking pad. A 12 x 40 ft pad beside the shop.
- Base rock, 6 in: 480 x 0.5 = 240 cu ft → 8.89 yd³ → 13.3 tons (14.0 with the 5% box)
- Driveway gravel, 2 in: 480 x 2 ÷ 12 = 80 cu ft → 2.96 yd³ → 4.1 tons
A loaded camper sits in one place for months, so compact the base in lifts before the top goes on.
Getting Rock Up a Steep or Soft Lane
Once you have tonnage, go to the product page, pick the quantity and a delivery date. Delivery is arranged at checkout by ZIP code, and the truck needs solid ground and a clear path, which matters on a steep or soft lane. If you want a second opinion on a lane or pad, Missouri Rock Supply answers questions through the contact page.
Common questions
The results show my rock in yards and in tons. What's each one for?
Rock is sold by weight, so tons are your order number. Yards are volume, which tells you how big the pile will be on the ground. The two are linked by the material's weight per yard.
My lane runs downhill. Do I measure it flat?
No. Measure along the ground itself. If the bottom stretch needs a heavier base, enter it as its own area with more depth.
Is it worth keeping what's left over?
Yes. Spare base rock or driveway gravel fills washouts and ruts after spring storms, and a little clean rock is handy around downspouts.
How do I put an L-shaped parking area into the tool?
Pick multiple areas and enter the two legs so they don't overlap. For example, 16 x 40 ft plus 12 x 20 ft at 3 inches is 880 sq ft, 220 cu ft, 8.15 yd³ and about 11.4 tons at 1.40.
Do I count the edging in my measurement?
Measure to the inside of the edging if the rock stops there. If the rock runs over a flat border strip, include the strip.
Related calculators
That tonnage ships free.
Driveway gravel, #57, crusher run: priced by the ton, delivered across Missouri.
