How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
A typical single UK driveway of 5m × 3m needs roughly 1.7 tonnes of gravel at 75mm deep — that is two 850kg bulk bags. But the gravel itself is only the top layer, and ordering it without a sub-base is the most common and most expensive mistake people make.
This guide walks through the depth to use, the maths behind the tonnage, and everything else the job needs.
The depth to use
For a driveway that cars drive on, lay gravel 50–75mm deep over a compacted sub-base. Less than 50mm and the surface scuffs down to the membrane within a season. More than about 80mm and tyres start to plough through it, which makes steering heavy and pushes gravel onto the pavement.
For a footpath or a decorative border, 40–50mm is plenty. For large 50mm+ pebbles or cobbles, go deeper — around 70mm for pebbles and 100mm for cobbles, because bigger stones need more depth to sit stably.
The maths
Volume in cubic metres = area in m² × depth in metres. Then tonnes = volume × 1.5, because most UK decorative aggregates weigh about 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre loose.
So a 5m × 3m drive is 15m². At 0.075m deep that is 1.125m³, which is 1.69 tonnes — round up to two 850kg bulk bags with a little left over for topping up.
Don't forget the sub-base
A driveway needs 150mm of compacted MOT Type 1 underneath, plus a weed membrane between the sub-base and the gravel. MOT Type 1 weighs about 2.1 tonnes per m³, so that same 15m² drive needs 15 × 0.15 × 2.1 = 4.7 tonnes. That is usually more material than the gravel itself.
You also need somewhere for the dug-out soil to go. Excavating 15m² to 225mm produces about 3.4m³ of spoil, which is a 6-yard skip or a grab lorry.
Which gravel to choose
20mm angular gravel locks together and stays put, which makes it the safest choice for a drive. Rounded pea shingle looks softer but rolls under tyres and migrates towards the road. Self-binding gravel compacts to a firm surface and is good for paths but needs rolling.
Planning permission
In England and Wales you can usually lay a new front driveway under permitted development if the surface is permeable, or if rainwater is directed to a lawn or border rather than the road. Loose gravel counts as permeable. A non-permeable surface over 5m² draining to the highway needs planning permission. Rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and if you drop a kerb you will need the council's approval either way — always check with your local council first.