Driveway cut/fill calculator
How many cubic yards of dirt does your rural driveway need moved? Plug in length, width, elevation gain, and target grade — we'll estimate the earthwork volume.
Result
- Cut
- Fill
- Net
- Within grade?
M9 estimator (USGS 3DEP elevation profile is M9.1 follow-up). Enter your manual ground delta for now.
What the result means. Cubic yards of cut + fill is the rough total volume of earth you'll move to get from the existing terrain to your target grade. Cut and fill should roughly balance on a well-designed road, so you don't have to import or export dirt.
Cost rules of thumb. AZ rural: rough grading runs $15-$30/yd³ if your soil is normal. Caliche or rock can double that. On a 200ft × 14ft × 10ft-rise driveway you're typically looking at $5K-$15K just for grading, before gravel surfacing.
Recommended gear
Affiliate links — Plotnode may earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.
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AmazonSuper Geotextile woven driveway fabricStops base gravel from sinking into native soil. Doubles driveway lifespan over caliche.
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AmazonBOSCH GRL900 rotary laser level kitSelf-leveling H/V rotary laser with tripod, grade rod, receiver. Lay grade like a pro.
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AmazonLAND 100ft open-reel fiberglass tapeSurvey-grade tape for driveway layout, length verification, and grade stake spacing.
See this on your actual property in 3D
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