The site work division of ICFHome.ca · Building since 1979 · Insured to $2,000,000 · 705-533-1633
Driveway Calculator2026Tiny, Tay, Midland, Wasaga, Collingwood
Gravel Driveway Calculator: Tonnes, Loads and Cost
A new 3 m wide, 50 m driveway with 300 mm of Granular B and 150 mm of Granular A takes about 95 tonnes of B and 47 tonnes of A, roughly 7 tri-axle loads, and usually lands in the $4,000-$9,000 installed range. Put your own length, width and soil into the calculator below and it shows the tonnes, the loads and a rough 2026 price range, with the math laid out underneath.
Updated October 2026 · Georgian Bay Siteworks, the site work division of ICFHome.ca
Insured to $2,000,000Site work division of ICFHome.caBuilding since 1979250+ projects in Simcoe County
Work out your driveway
Gravel driveway calculator
Metric first. Tap “Feet” if your survey or tape is in feet. Numbers update as you type.
Advanced: change our assumptions
All prices are rough 2026 Simcoe County figures before HST. Change them if your supplier quoted you something different.
How we calculate
- Area = length × width, in square metres. Feet are converted at 1 ft = 0.3048 m.
- Compacted volume of each layer = area × depth. Granular B and Granular A are worked out separately.
- Tonnes = compacted volume × 2.1 t per m³. Compacted granular weighs roughly 2.0-2.2 t per m³, so 2.1 is a middle number. Gravel is sold by the tonne, so ordering by compacted volume and density already covers the “it packs down” problem.
- Tri-axle loads = tonnes ÷ 22, rounded up. Half loads in March and April mean roughly twice the trips.
- Material range = tonnes of B × $14-$24 per t, plus tonnes of A × $22-$34 per t, delivered.
- Installed range = material + machine work ($6-$15 per m² for a new build, $2-$5 per m² for a top-up) + $500-$1,000 to float equipment in and out + geotextile if ticked + $1,500-$3,500 for a culvert if needed.
- Not included: tree clearing, stump removal, digging out muck, the entrance permit fee, rock, and HST.
Why two layers and not just “a load of gravel”
A driveway is a little road. The bottom layer, Granular B, is coarse pit-run material with stones up to fist size or bigger. It carries the weight and lets water get out. The top layer, Granular A, is crushed stone with fines in it, the stuff that packs into a hard, smooth surface you can plough.
Put only Granular A on soft ground and it disappears like sugar into wet sand. Put only Granular B down and you have a driveway that eats tires and grabs the plough blade. You want both, in that order.
| Situation | Granular B base | Granular A top |
|---|---|---|
| New driveway on sand, cars and the odd delivery | 200-300 mm | 100-150 mm |
| New driveway that has to carry concrete and lumber trucks during a house build | 300 mm or more | 150 mm |
| Clay or wet ground | 300-450 mm plus geotextile | 150 mm |
| Top-up of a sound driveway with potholes | None | 50-75 mm after reshaping |
Builder truth: the cheapest driveway is the one you only build once. Skimping 100 mm of base saves a few loads now and buys you a spring of ruts every year after.
What moves the price up or down
Length and width
Tonnes go up in a straight line with area. A double driveway is twice the gravel of a single, not “a bit more”.
The ground under it
Sand drains and carries load well. Clay and wet spots need more base, often geotextile, and sometimes the soft stuff dug out first. That digging is not in this calculator.
The culvert
If there is a ditch at the road, the township usually decides whether you need a culvert and what size. In Tiny the owner buys and installs it, and the entrance permit is $230.
Distance to the pit
Trucking is a big part of gravel cost. A lot near a pit pays less per tonne than one at the end of a long cottage road.
For full installed ranges by length, see our gravel driveway cost guide. The calculator above is tuned so a standard single-lane build lands inside those bands. If yours lands outside, it is almost always width, depth or a culvert.
Rules of thumb before you order
- Order by the tonne, not the yard. Pits weigh the truck, so tonnes are what you pay for.
- Crown the surface. A driveway that is 50-75 mm higher in the middle sheds water to the sides instead of down the wheel tracks.
- Compact every layer. A roller or plate packer on each lift is the difference between a driveway and a pile of loose stone.
- Do not book deliveries in half-load season. From about March 1 to April 30, trucks on most township roads are held to 5 tonnes per axle, so you pay for twice the trips or wait. Check our half-load season dates.
- Get the entrance permit before the first load. Some townships review for up to 2 weeks, and winter applications can wait for spring. See entrance permits and culverts by town.
Already have a driveway that is falling apart? A top-up only works if the base is sound. If water sits in the same holes every spring, read how to fix potholes and washouts first, because more gravel on a bad base is just a more expensive bad base.
Want a real number for your driveway?
Send us the length, the width and a few photos of the ground. We will tell you what it needs and give you a written price.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tonnes of gravel do I need for a 50 m driveway?
At 3 m wide with 300 mm of Granular B and 150 mm of Granular A, about 95 tonnes of B and 47 tonnes of A, roughly 142 tonnes or 7 tri-axle loads. A 6 m wide double driveway doubles that.
How much does a tri-axle load of gravel hold?
We use about 22 tonnes as a working number for a tri-axle in normal season. During half loads in March and April the legal load on most township roads drops to 5 tonnes per axle, so expect much smaller loads or no deliveries at all.
Granular A or Granular B for a driveway?
Both. Granular B is the coarse base that carries the load and drains. Granular A is the crushed top layer that packs hard and smooth. On a top-up of a sound driveway you usually only need Granular A.
How deep should a gravel driveway be?
For a new driveway on sand, 300 mm of Granular B and 150 mm of Granular A is a solid build that will carry construction trucks. Clay or wet ground needs more base and usually geotextile.
Do I need geotextile under my driveway?
On clean sand, usually not. On clay, silt or wet ground, a woven geotextile under the base keeps the gravel from pushing down into the mud and is cheap compared to replacing lost gravel.
Does the calculator include the culvert and permit?
It includes a rough range for a culvert supplied and set if you tick it. The entrance permit fee is separate; in Tiny Township it is 230 dollars and the Township decides whether you need a culvert and what size.