LayoutWise

Driveway Calculator

Enter the driveway size and pick concrete, asphalt or gravel. You get the surface material, the crushed stone base under it, how much soil to dig out, and the joint layout for concrete.

Your driveway

1. Size
Length
ft
in
Width
ft
in
2. Surface

Concrete

6.52 yd³

order 6.75 yd

Base

10.7 t

4" crushed stone

Area

480 sq ft

40' x 12'

Dig out

11.9 yd³

8" deep

Driveway plan

Joints every 10 ft

Shopping list

  • ✓Concrete: 6.52 cu yd — order 6.75 yd of 4,000 psi air-entrained ready-mix
  • ✓Crushed stone base: 10.7 tons (4" compacted, +20% for compaction)
  • ✓Excavation: 11.9 cu yd of soil to remove
  • ✓Control joints: 3 across, every 10 ft, cut 1/4 of the slab deep
  • ✓Rebar or wire mesh (see the rebar calculator), forms, and an expansion joint at the garage and street

Driveway work often needs a permit, especially the apron at the street. Slope the surface at least 1/8″ per foot so water runs off.

How thick should a driveway be?

SurfaceTypical thicknessBase under it
Concrete4" for cars, 5"–6" for trucks and RVs4"–6" crushed stone
Asphalt2"–3" compacted6"–8" crushed stone
Gravel4"–6" crushed stone top4"–8" larger stone

Clay, wet or frost-prone soil needs a thicker base. The base matters as much as the surface — most driveway cracks start with a weak base.

Concrete driveway

Example: a 40' x 12' driveway at 4" is 160 cu ft, or about 6.5 cubic yards with 10% extra — order 6 3/4 yards. Cut control joints every 10 feet (about 2 1/2 times the thickness in feet), a quarter of the slab deep, and leave an expansion joint against the garage slab and the street.

Asphalt and gravel

Asphalt is sold by the ton: compacted hot mix weighs about 145 lb per cubic foot, so a 40' x 12' driveway at 2 1/2" takes about 7.3 tons. Crushed stone weighs roughly 1.4–1.5 tons per cubic yard, and the base needs about 20% extra because it compacts.

Reinforcing a concrete driveway? Use the rebar calculator. Topping a path with gravel? Try the gravel calculator.