Gravel Cost Calculator

Why prices come as a range

Aggregate is the most freight-sensitive building material there is. The stone itself is cheap; what you are largely paying for is the diesel that moved it. That means the same #57 stone can differ by 60% or more between a region with a quarry down the road and one where it is hauled eighty miles.

The figures here are 2026 national averages presented as a low-to-high range. Use them to sanity check a quote — if a supplier comes in well above the top of the range, it is worth asking a second yard — but your local quarry is always the real number.

Delivery is per load, not per ton

This is the single most useful thing to understand about buying gravel. Haul fees are charged per trip regardless of how full the truck is, typically $60 to $150. Ordering thirteen tons when a tandem dump carries twelve means paying two full fees, so that last ton effectively costs three times what it should.

The delivery calculator shows exactly how full your final load is and flags when trimming or padding the order would save money.

Labor is roughly half a contractor quote

Spreading and grading typically runs $1.00 to $1.50 per square foot; a full install with excavation and compaction runs $2.50 to $3.00. On a typical driveway that is close to half the total, which is why DIY saves so much on gravel work specifically compared with other trades.

The work is heavy but not skilled. A rented plate compactor and a weekend covers most residential jobs.

What this calculator does not include

Excavation and haul-off of an existing surface, geotextile fabric, edging, and permits are all priced separately in the driveway cost calculator. For a bare material-and-delivery number, this page is the right tool; for a full project budget, use that one.