How Much Road Base for a 24x70 Driveway?
A 24 by 70 foot driveway is 1,680 square feet. How much road base for a 24x70 driveway depends on depth: at 4 inches it is about 20.74 cubic yards or 31.1 tons. Suppliers usually sell by the ton, so the tonnage is the number to give them.
Volume and tonnage calculator →The math for a 24x70 driveway
- Area: 24 × 70 = 1,680 sq ft.
- Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft.
- Cubic feet: 1,680 × 0.333 = 560.0 cu ft.
- Cubic yards: ÷ 27 = 20.74 yd³.
- Tons: × 1.5 = 31.1 tons.
The volume and tonnage calculator does this for any size.
Road base needed by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons (approx.) | Tons +10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 in | 20.74 | 31.1 | 34.2 |
| 6 in | 31.11 | 46.7 | 51.3 |
| 8 in | 41.48 | 62.2 | 68.4 |
About road base
Road base is meant to be compacted at close to the right moisture. Dry base rock does not lock up well; a light spray of water before rolling helps. If the yard sells by the cubic yard instead of the ton, use the cubic-yard column directly.
Preparing the driveway
Strip sod and soft topsoil, grade for drainage and compact the subgrade before any stone goes down. Gravel drives last longer with a compacted base layer under the top stone and a slight crown so water runs off. For car and truck traffic, the depths in the table above are a reasonable starting range.
Ordering tips
- Round up. Compaction and uneven ground eat material. Adding about 10 percent is common.
- Delivery size. 34.2 tons may take more than one typical dump truck load; small loads may carry a delivery fee. See how many tons of gravel in a dump truck.
- Bulk vs bags. At this size bulk delivery is usually the practical choice.
- Where it drops. Have the truck dump as close to the driveway as firm ground allows.
Where road base fits
Best suited to:
- Base under asphalt and concrete
- Gravel roads and drives
- Equipment and shed pads
Think twice for:
- Drainage layers
- Decorative surfaces
- Surfaces that will stay uncompacted
Quick reference numbers
- Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.46 tons of road base (0.31 cubic yards).
- Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.6 tons.
- Another size for comparison: a 12x24 area at 2 inches takes about 2.7 tons.
- Weight used here: about 1.5 tons per cubic yard.
Where estimates go wrong
- Measuring only the main rectangle. Aprons, turnouts and curved edges add real square footage.
- Ordering exactly the math. Uneven ground and spillage nearly always need a little more than the flat calculation.
- Assuming every supplier uses the same weight. Two yards selling the same product name can quote different tons per yard.
- Mixing up cubic yards and tons. Yards are volume, tons are weight; convert with the product’s weight per yard.
Questions people ask
How many tons of road base for a 24x70 driveway?
About 31.1 tons at 4 inches deep, or 34.2 tons with 10 percent extra.
How many cubic yards is a 24x70 driveway at 4 inches?
About 20.74 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard of road base weigh?
Usually around 1.4 to 1.65 compacted tons, depending on stone size, fines and moisture.
How deep should road base be for a driveway?
The table above shows 4 to 8 inches. Shallower depths suit top dressing; deeper depths suit new installs and heavier use.
How many square feet is 24x70?
1,680 square feet.
Related guides
- Crushed Stone vs Gravel: Differences and Best Uses
- Tons to Cubic Yards for Gravel: Conversion Chart
- How Many Tons of Gravel in a Dump Truck? Loads and Coverage
- How Much Does a Ton of Gravel Cover? Depth Chart
- How Much Road Base for a 24x50 Driveway?
- How Much Road Base for a 24x60 Driveway?
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