Pea gravel calculator
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 2 inches deep needs 0.62 cubic yards of pea gravel, about 0.88 tons at 2,840 lb per cubic yard. The calculator uses 2,840 lb per cubic yard, published as “Gravel ¼–2 in” by New Mexico EMNRD.
0 uses the published 2,840 lb/yd³
Optional; 0 leaves cost out
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 2 inches deep needs 0.62 cubic yards of pea gravel, about 0.88 tons at 2,840 lb per cubic yard.
- Cubic yards
- 0.62
- Cubic feet
- 16.7
- Tons
- 0.88
- Pounds
- 1,753
- Tons at the published range, same condition
- 0.75–0.88
- Rounded up to the next half yard
- 1 yd³
How it is calculated
- Area = 10 ft × 10 ft = 100 sq ft.
- Volume = 100 sq ft × 2 in ÷ 12 = 16.67 cu ft.
- Cubic yards = 16.67 ÷ 27 = 0.617 yd³.
- Weight = 0.617 yd³ × 2,840 lb/yd³ = 1,753 lb; ÷ 2,000 lb per ton = 0.88 tons.
How to calculate pea gravel in cubic yards and tons
The worked numbers use the calculator's defaults: a 10 ft by 10 ft area 2 inches deep, the calculator's default depth for pea gravel.
Step 1: area in square feet
Rectangle: length × width
Circle: π × diameter² ÷ 4
Triangle: base × height ÷ 2
Example 10 ft × 10 ft = 100 sq ft
Split an irregular area into rectangles, circles and triangles and add their areas.
Step 2: cubic feet from area and depth
Cubic feet = area in sq ft × depth in inches ÷ 12
Example 100 × 2 ÷ 12 = 16.67 cu ft
Step 3: cubic yards from cubic feet
Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27
Example 16.67 ÷ 27 = 0.617 cubic yards
Step 4: tons from cubic yards
Tons = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
Example Pea gravel at 2,840 lb per cubic yard, published as “Gravel ¼–2 in” by New Mexico EMNRD: 0.617 × 2,840 ÷ 2,000 = 0.88 tons
Pea gravel for common areas
| Area, sq ft | 1 inch deep | 2 inches deep | 9 inches deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 0.15 yd³ · 0.22 t | 0.31 yd³ · 0.44 t | 1.39 yd³ · 1.97 t |
| 100 | 0.31 yd³ · 0.44 t | 0.62 yd³ · 0.88 t | 2.78 yd³ · 3.94 t |
| 200 | 0.62 yd³ · 0.88 t | 1.23 yd³ · 1.75 t | 5.56 yd³ · 7.89 t |
| 500 | 1.54 yd³ · 2.19 t | 3.09 yd³ · 4.38 t | 13.89 yd³ · 19.72 t |
| 1,000 | 3.09 yd³ · 4.38 t | 6.17 yd³ · 8.77 t | 27.78 yd³ · 39.44 t |
How much does a yard of pea gravel cover?
One cubic yard of pea gravel covers 162 sq ft at 2 inches deep; one ton at 2,840 lb per cubic yard covers 114 sq ft at the same depth.
| Depth, in | 1 cubic yard covers, sq ft | 1 ton covers, sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 324 | 228 |
| 2 | 162 | 114 |
| 3 | 108 | 76 |
| 4 | 81 | 57 |
| 6 | 54 | 38 |
| 8 | 41 | 29 |
| 12 | 27 | 19 |
- 1 cubic yard
- 1 ton
Recommended pea gravel depth by use
Published depths for pea gravel run from 1 inch to 9 inches, depending on the use; each row names its document.
| Use | Depth, in | 1 cubic yard covers, sq ft | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden gravel path (river run such as pea gravel), practical minimum | 2 | 162 | University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Contra Costa Master Gardeners |
| Landscape mulch layer (gravel, pebbles, stones) | 1 | 324 | Mississippi State University Extension |
| Playground loose-fill pea gravel, minimum compressed depth | 9 | 36 | U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission |
Pea gravel weight per cubic yard
A cubic yard of pea gravel weighs about 2,840 lb (1.42 tons), published as “Gravel ¼–2 in” by New Mexico EMNRD. One ton of pea gravel is about 0.7 cubic yards.
| Pounds per cubic yard | 2,840 |
|---|---|
| Published as | “Gravel ¼–2 in”, 1.42 ton/yd³, New Mexico EMNRD; condition: not stated. No document found prints a weight under the name pea gravel. |
| Published range, same condition, lb | 2,430–2,840 |
| Tons per cubic yard | 1.42 |
| Cubic yards per ton | 0.7 |
Every published value with its source, and tables of weight by volume and yards by tons: Pea gravel weight.
Pea gravel compared with other gravel and stone
| Material | Condition | Pounds per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crusher run | compacted | 3,770 | 0.53 |
| Pea gravel | not stated | 2,840 | 0.7 |
| Sand | loose | 2,795 | 0.72 |
| River rock | not stated | 2,650 | 0.75 |
| Rock | loose | 2,570 | 0.78 |
| Gravel | loose | 2,565 | 0.78 |
Pea gravel questions
How much pea gravel do I need?
A 10 ft by 10 ft area covered 2 inches deep needs 0.62 cubic yards of pea gravel, about 0.88 tons at 2,840 lb per cubic yard. One cubic yard of pea gravel covers 162 sq ft at 2 inches deep, so divide the area in square feet by 162 for the cubic yards at that depth.
Why the pea gravel you need can differ from the result
The weight of pea gravel changes with the source, the moisture and how tightly it is packed, so published values differ (here from 2,430 to 2,840 lb per cubic yard across all conditions). Before ordering, ask the supplier for the weight per yard of their own material and enter it as your own density under More options.
No document gives a compacted weight or a compaction factor for pea gravel: a compacted layer takes more than the tons shown, so ask the supplier.