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Pea Gravel Calculator

Work out exactly how much pea gravel you need for paths, play areas, patios and ground cover. Enter your area and depth to get cubic yards, tons and bags instantly.

Pea Gravel Calculator

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cubic yards
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tons
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bags (0.5 ft³)
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est. cost
Pea Gravel Calculator, live preview
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Enter values to see your estimate.

How to Calculate Pea Gravel

Change the calculator above and watch every figure and the diagram below update live.

Top-down view (area × depth)

W L depth 4"

Step 1 · Area

20 ft × 10 ft = 200 ft²

Step 2 · Volume (× depth, ÷ 27)

200 ft² × 0.33 ft ÷ 27 = 2.47 yd³

3.46
tons (× 1.4)
134
bags (÷ 0.5 ft³)

These figures update automatically as you change the calculator above.

Pea gravel coverage at a glance

Approximate coverage of one cubic yard of gravel at common depths.

Approximate coverage of one cubic yard of gravel at common depths.
DepthCoverage per yd³Relative coverage
1" 324 sq ft
100%
2" 162 sq ft
50%
3" 108 sq ft
33%
4" 81 sq ft
25%
6" 54 sq ft
17%
3 in
3"

At 3 inches deep, one cubic yard of gravel covers 108 sq ft.

Pea Gravel FAQs

How much pea gravel do I need?
Multiply your area (length × width in feet) by depth in feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards. One cubic yard of pea gravel covers about 100 sq ft at 3 inches deep.
How deep should pea gravel be?
Use 2–3 inches for paths and ground cover, and about 2 inches over a compacted base for patios. Deeper than 3 inches makes walking unstable.
How many bags of pea gravel do I need?
A standard 0.5 cu ft bag covers roughly 2 sq ft at 3 inches deep. One cubic yard equals about 54 bags.
How much does pea gravel weigh?
Pea gravel weighs about 1.3–1.4 tons per cubic yard, so multiply your cubic yards by ~1.4 to estimate tonnage.

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