A cubic yard of gravel costs about $20–$105 for the material in 2026, depending on the type of stone, and weighs roughly 1.4 tons. One yard covers about 160 sq ft at 2 inches or 80 sq ft at 4 inches. Delivery adds a flat $50–$150 per load, which is often the biggest line on small orders.
How much is a cubic yard of gravel?
First, the unit: a cubic yard is a block of stone 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft — 27 cubic feet, roughly the loaded bed of a small pickup (though almost no pickup can carry one by weight, as we cover below). Suppliers that quote by volume price it by the yard; suppliers that weigh their trucks price it by the ton. It is the same pile either way: one yard of standard gravel ≈ 1.4 tons.
Per-yard prices track the per-ton price of each stone multiplied by 1.4. Using typical 2026 US quarry prices:
| Gravel type | Price / cubic yard | Common use |
|---|---|---|
| Crusher run (crush & run) | $28–$49 | Driveway & patio bases |
| Crushed stone #57 | $35–$63 | Driveway tops, drainage |
| Crushed limestone | $35–$56 | Paths, bases |
| Pea gravel | $42–$84 | Paths, patios, play |
| River rock | $63–$182 | Decorative, drainage |
| Colored / decorative | $70–$224 | Feature landscaping |
In practice, most homeowner orders of everyday crushed stone land between $35 and $75 per yard delivered-and-quoted. For the full picture by weight — delivery economics, spreading and savings tips — see the gravel cost per ton guide; the ton-level prices behind this table are itemized there.
How much does 2 cubic yards of gravel cost?
Two yards of gravel cost $40–$210 for the stone at the ranges above, plus one delivery fee of $50–$150 — call it $90–$360 delivered for common types. Two yards is about 2.8 tons of standard gravel, enough to cover 320 sq ft at 2 inches or 160 sq ft at 4 inches: a generous garden path, a small patio base, or a driveway top-up.
The delivery fee is the number to watch at this size. It is usually flat per load, so two yards delivered can cost barely more than one — and many suppliers' 1–3 ton minimum order sits exactly here. If your calculations put you at 1.5 yards, pricing 2 often costs almost nothing extra and leaves you a spare pile for settling.
How much area does a cubic yard cover?
Coverage shrinks fast as depth grows. Use these planning figures for standard gravel; lighter pea gravel covers a touch more, dense river rock a little less.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | ~160 sq ft | ~100 sq ft |
| 3 inches | ~108 sq ft | ~65 sq ft |
| 4 inches | ~80 sq ft | ~50 sq ft |
| 6 inches | ~54 sq ft | ~33 sq ft |
To turn your own measurements into yards (and tons and bags), enter the area and depth in the gravel calculator — it adds the 10% waste allowance and prices the order if you enter your supplier's rate.
How many tons in a cubic yard?
One cubic yard of standard or crushed gravel is about 1.4 US tons (2,800 lb); pea gravel is lighter at about 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) because its rounded stones pack less densely. The exact figure drifts with stone size, angularity, fines and moisture — wet gravel weighs several percent more than dry — which is why two suppliers can quote different tonnages for the same bucket count. When precision matters, buy by weight: the quarry weighbridge is the referee.
How many bags of gravel are in a cubic yard?
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet, so it takes 54 of the common half-cubic-foot (50 lb) bags. That is where the economics bite: at a typical $4–$6 per bag, a yard of bagged gravel costs $215–$325, against $35–$75 for the same stone bulk. Bags earn their keep only for small repairs, stairs, or spots a delivery truck cannot reach. The ton-of-gravel guide runs the same comparison by weight (one ton ≈ 40 bags).
Why weight, not bed size, limits pickup loads
A cubic yard of gravel visually fits in an 8-foot pickup bed, which is exactly how people overload trucks. The bed holds the volume, but the springs answer to the weight: a yard of gravel is up to 1.5 tons, while half-ton pickups are payload-rated near 0.5 tons of actual cargo. Overloading kills brakes, steering and axles — and quarries will happily load whatever you ask for. If you are hauling your own stone, take half-yard trips or rent a trailer with its own axle; otherwise, let the delivery truck take the load and the liability.
Delivery, spreading and the real total
Budget the job as three lines: material (the table above), one $50–$150 delivery fee per load, and spreading if you hire it (roughly $12–$25 per ton for machinery and operator, or a plate-compactor rental for DIY). Two rules keep the total down. Order the full load in one delivery — the flat fee makes three small drops three times as expensive as one big one. And order once, correctly: a 10% waste allowance is cheaper than a second delivery. The crush and run cost guide shows this math worked through for a real driveway job, and how much gravel do I need covers sizing each layer.