How much does a gravel driveway cost? (per square foot and by size, 2026)
A 12 x 25 ft single driveway with a 4 in compacted crusher run base under 3 in of 3/4 in stone takes 6.1 tons of base and 3.7 tons of top stone, about $407 in gravel delivered at HomeGuide's low 2026 prices ($1.36 per square foot) and $493 with a crew spreading it. HomeGuide's installed range for the same single-car driveway is $300 to $900. The tables give tons, yards and cost for seven sizes, bought and spread, and what a top-up of an existing driveway costs.
Open the gravel cost calculator
Gravel for a driveway: base and top by size
Every row is a 4 in compacted base of crusher run (1.7 t/m³, 15% extra for compaction) under 3 in of 3/4 in crushed stone (1.5 t/m³, 5% extra), priced at HomeGuide's low 2026 figures of $24 and $30 a ton with a $75 delivery for each layer. Grading, fabric and edging are not included. Change any price or depth in the gravel cost calculator.
| Driveway | Area | Base (tons) | Top (tons) | Material | Delivery | Total | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short single, 20 x 10 ft | 200 sq ft | 4.1 | 2.5 | $171 | $150 | $321 | $1.61 |
| Single car, 25 x 12 ft | 300 sq ft | 6.1 | 3.7 | $257 | $150 | $407 | $1.36 |
| Single, long, 50 x 12 ft | 600 sq ft | 12.2 | 7.4 | $514 | $150 | $664 | $1.11 |
| Double, short, 50 x 20 ft | 1,000 sq ft | 20.3 | 12.3 | $857 | $150 | $1,007 | $1.01 |
| Country lane, 100 x 10 ft | 1,000 sq ft | 20.3 | 12.3 | $857 | $150 | $1,007 | $1.01 |
| Long single, 100 x 12 ft | 1,200 sq ft | 24.4 | 14.7 | $1,028 | $150 | $1,178 | $0.98 |
| Long double, 100 x 20 ft | 2,000 sq ft | 40.7 | 24.6 | $1,714 | $150 | $1,864 | $0.93 |
| Driveway | Yards (base + top) | Spreading | Total | Per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short single, 20 x 10 ft | 4.8 yd³ | $57 | $379 | $1.89 |
| Single car, 25 x 12 ft | 7.2 yd³ | $86 | $493 | $1.64 |
| Single, long, 50 x 12 ft | 14.4 yd³ | $172 | $836 | $1.39 |
| Double, short, 50 x 20 ft | 23.9 yd³ | $287 | $1,294 | $1.29 |
| Country lane, 100 x 10 ft | 23.9 yd³ | $287 | $1,294 | $1.29 |
| Long single, 100 x 12 ft | 28.7 yd³ | $344 | $1,523 | $1.27 |
| Long double, 100 x 20 ft | 47.8 yd³ | $574 | $2,438 | $1.22 |
What HomeGuide says a finished driveway costs
HomeGuide's 2026 figures, quoted: bulk gravel $10 to $50 per ton and $15 to $75 per cubic yard; road base $18 to $30 a ton; crusher run $24 to $34; pea gravel $28 to $45; delivery $10 to $25 a ton or free over 5 tons within about 5 miles; spreading $12 a yard or $46 an hour for a crew and tractor that lays about 12 yards an hour; grading $1 to $3 per square foot; a 12 x 25 ft single-car gravel driveway $300 to $900 installed 4 to 8 in deep. The 12 x 25 ft row above lands inside that range before grading.
Before you order
- Order the base and the top as two loads a few days apart: the base goes down, gets wetted and compacted, then the top stone is spread so it stays clean.
- A 10-yard dump truck is about 13 tons of 3/4 in stone; ask how many tons the truck carries and order to the load.
- Tons and yards for any other size, and per ton or per yard prices, are in the yards to tons guide; what a yard costs by stone type in how much is a yard of gravel. The gravel for a driveway guide has single-layer quantities in metric.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a gravel driveway cost per square foot?
- $1.36 to $0.98 per square foot for the gravel delivered (base and top, 7 in in all) at HomeGuide's low prices per ton, $1.64 to $1.27 with spreading at $12 a yard; grading the ground first is $1 to $3 per square foot more (HomeGuide). Bigger driveways cost less per foot because the delivery is spread over more tons.
- How much gravel for a 12 x 50 ft driveway?
- 12.2 tons of crusher run for a 4 in compacted base (8.5 yards with 15% for compaction) and 7.4 tons of 3/4 in stone for 3 in on top (5.8 yards), 20 tons in all. HomeGuide's rule of 60 to 80 square feet per ton at 4 in gives 7.5 to 10 tons for a single 4 in layer over the same 600 square feet.
- How much is a truckload of gravel for a driveway?
- A 10-yard truck carries about 13 tons of 3/4 in stone, $379 to $480 of stone at $30 to $38 a ton plus the delivery, which HomeGuide puts at $10 to $25 a ton or free over a 5-ton minimum within about 5 miles. The 12 x 25 ft single driveway is 7.2 yards of base and top together, under one truck by volume, but two materials means two deliveries or a split load.
- What does it cost to add gravel to an existing driveway?
- A 3 in top-up of 12 x 50 ft is 7.4 tons (5.8 yards) of 3/4 in stone, $296 delivered at $30 a ton with a $75 delivery. Rake it out yourself and that is the whole bill; a crew adds about $12 a yard.
- Why two layers?
- Crusher run or road base has fines that lock together under a plate compactor and stop the top stone from sinking into the soil; clean 3/4 in stone on top drains, does not track mud and looks the part. Landscape fabric between the soil and the base keeps the two apart. A single layer of 3/4 in stone on soft ground disappears in a season.
- How does the material cost compare with a contractor's price?
- The stone is the smaller part. HomeGuide's installed range for a 12 x 25 ft single driveway is $300 to $900 against $407 of gravel delivered here; for the long double the gravel is $1,714 plus delivery, and grading alone at HomeGuide's $1 to $3 per square foot adds $2,000 to $6,000 before fabric, edging and labor. Ask the contractor's quote to list the tons so the stone can be compared.
More guides
- How many yards in a ton of gravel? (and tons in a yard, by stone)
0.79 yards in a ton of crushed stone, 1.26 tons in a yard: yards to tons and back for 1 to 30 of each by stone type, the supplier ranges behind the figures, and metric.
- How much is a yard of gravel? (and a ton) Prices by stone, 2026
Bulk gravel is 15 to 75 per cubic yard and 10 to 50 per ton, US 2026 (HomeGuide): the price by stone, what 1 to 20 yards or tons cost delivered, and bags against bulk.
- How much does a ton of gravel cover? (at 2, 3 and 4 inches, by stone)
A ton of 3/4 in crushed stone is 0.79 cubic yards: about 85 sq ft at 3 in, 128 at 2 in, 64 at 4 in. Coverage by stone, tons for 100 to 1,000 sq ft, price.
- How much does a cinder block garage cost? (blocks, mortar, grout and slab for 1, 2 and 3 car)
Blocks, mortar and grout for 1 to 3 car block garages, 12x20 to 36x24 ft, 8 ft walls, doors and windows taken off, plus the 4 in slab, at 2026 prices.
Last updated 2026-09-15. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.