Calculators · Pea Gravel Calculator

Landscaping

Pea Gravel Calculator

Enter an area and depth to get tons, cubic yards and bags of pea gravel, or see how many square feet a ton covers.

Area 1

Shape

Length

Width

Depth

Extra to add (%)

Optional. For waste or settling. Empty means 0.

Bag size (cubic feet)

Optional. Bags come in different sizes, so check your label. Empty means no bag count.

Pea gravel source and size

Sets the weight of one cubic yard. The sources do not agree, so pick the one closest to your product or choose “Custom density”.

Density

Type the density of your material.

How to calculate how much pea gravel you need

Pea gravel is sold in bags and in bulk. Bulk is priced by the ton or by the cubic yard. Start with the volume of the space, then turn it into weight with the density of your pea gravel, or into bags with the size of one bag.

Step	Formula
1. Cubic feet	length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft)
2. Cubic yards	cubic feet ÷ 27
3. Short tons	cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000
4. Bags	cubic feet ÷ cubic feet per bag, rounded up

A depth in inches must be divided by 12 before you multiply, because 3 inches is 0.25 feet. This calculator does it for you, and it also reads measurements typed like 10'6" or 10 ft 6 in. For a round area, pick “Circle” and type the diameter. Add one area for each separate piece and the total updates as you type.

The bag size box starts at 0.5 cubic feet. Hunker describes the common 50 lb pea gravel bag that way, and GoodGravel prices bagged pea gravel per half-cubic-foot bag. Fifty pounds in half a cubic foot is 2,700 pounds per cubic yard, inside the GoodGravel range. The QUIKRETE data sheet for its All-Purpose Gravel lists a 50 lb bag and a top size of about 3/8 inch, but it does not give the volume. Bags differ, so read the label and type your bag’s volume. Empty the box to hide the bag count.

Example: a patio

A patio measures 12 ft by 12 ft and you want 3 inches of pea gravel with 10% extra. The figure used here is 2,750 pounds per cubic yard, the midpoint of the 2,600 to 2,900 range that GoodGravel gives for pea gravel. Bags are 0.5 cubic feet.

Step	Operation	Result
Cubic feet	12 × 12 × (3 ÷ 12)	36.00 ft³
With 10% extra	36 × 1.10	39.60 ft³
Cubic yards	39.6 ÷ 27	1.4667 yd³
Pounds	1.4667 × 2,750	4,033 lb
Short tons	4,033 ÷ 2,000	2.02 tons
Bags	39.6 ÷ 0.5 = 79.2, rounded up	80 bags

With the GoodGravel range instead of the midpoint, the same patio weighs 1.91 to 2.13 tons. Across all the sources in the next table, from 2,410 to 3,200 pounds per cubic yard, it weighs 1.77 to 2.35 tons.

How much does a cubic yard of pea gravel weigh?

The sources we checked in October 2026 do not agree. GoodGravel is an information site and describes pea gravel as stone screened to 1/4 to 3/8 inch. Stone Centers is a stone supplier in Ohio. Rohrer’s Quarry in Pennsylvania lists 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch pea gravel. It does not say which ton its calculator uses, and as a US quarry we read it as the 2,000 lb short ton, converting tons per cubic foot × 2,000 × 27.

Source and product	Pounds per yd³	Tons per yd³
GoodGravel, pea gravel (1/4 to 3/8 in)	2,600 to 2,900	1.30 to 1.45
Stone Centers, pea gravel	2,800 to 3,200	1.40 to 1.60
Rohrer’s, 1/2 in pea gravel	2,569	1.28
Rohrer’s, 3/4 in pea gravel	2,671	1.34
Southwest Boulder & Stone, most landscape rock	2,500	1.25
Gravelshop, all its river gravel and pea gravel	2,410	1.21

Gravelshop uses the same 2,410 pounds for every product we opened, from pea gravel to limestone, and then adds 15% for compression. Southwest Boulder & Stone says one cubic yard is 1.25 tons for most landscape rock except lava rock and mulch. All of these are in the material menu. If you know the density of your product, choose “Custom density” and type it.

How many square feet does a ton of pea gravel cover?

A ton fills 2,000 ÷ (pounds per cubic yard) cubic yards, and a cubic yard spread over a surface covers 324 ÷ depth in inches square feet. The table uses the lowest figure, the midpoint of the GoodGravel range and the highest figure from the table above. The second tab of the calculator does the same for any amount and depth.

Weight of a cubic yard	2 in	3 in	4 in
2,410 lb (1.21 tons)	134	90	67
2,750 lb (1.38 tons)	118	79	59
3,200 lb (1.60 tons)	101	68	51

Pea gravel for common sizes

Cubic yards, short tons at 2,750 pounds per cubic yard, and bags of 0.5 cubic feet, without any extra.

Area	Depth	Cubic yards	Tons	Bags
10 ft × 10 ft	2 in	0.62	0.85	34
10 ft × 10 ft	3 in	0.93	1.27	50
12 ft × 12 ft	2 in	0.89	1.22	48
12 ft × 12 ft	3 in	1.33	1.83	72
10 ft × 20 ft	2 in	1.23	1.70	67
10 ft × 20 ft	3 in	1.85	2.55	100
20 ft × 20 ft	2 in	2.47	3.40	134
20 ft × 20 ft	3 in	3.70	5.09	200

Where pea gravel works and where it does not

GoodGravel calls pea gravel the most popular gravel for patios, walkways, play areas and garden beds because it is smooth underfoot. The rounded stones do not lock together, so it needs rigid edging and a firm base, and it does not suit a driveway unless it sits in a stabilizing grid. GoodGravel also advises skipping it on slopes of more than about 5 percent. For surfaces that have to hold, see the crushed stone calculator. For decorative rock in beds, see the river rock calculator, and for several materials at once, the stone calculator.

Tips for ordering pea gravel

Bags suit small jobs and bulk suits large ones. Compare the bag count and the tons in the result with what your supplier quotes.
Check the volume printed on your bag and type it in the bag size box. Bags are not all the same size.
Measure irregular areas as several rectangles and circles and add them with “Add another area”.
Use the extra box for the allowance your supplier or contractor recommends. It raises the volume, the weight and the bags together.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate how much pea gravel I need?

Multiply length by width by depth, all in feet, then divide by 27 to get cubic yards. Turn inches of depth into feet by dividing by 12. Multiply the cubic yards by the weight of one cubic yard of pea gravel and divide by 2,000 to get short tons. For bags, divide the cubic feet by the volume of one bag. A 10 ft by 10 ft area at 3 inches deep is 10 × 10 × 0.25 = 25 cubic feet, which is 0.93 cubic yards.

How much area does a 50 lb bag of pea gravel cover?

It depends on how much a bag holds. Hunker describes the common 50 lb bag as 0.5 cubic feet, GoodGravel prices bagged pea gravel per half-cubic-foot bag, and the QUIKRETE data sheet lists a 50 lb bag but gives no volume, so check your label. A 0.5 cubic foot bag covers 6 square feet at 1 inch, 3 at 2 inches, 2 at 3 inches and 1.5 at 4 inches. Type the volume of your bag in the bag size box.

How much pea gravel do I need for a 10x10 area?

At 3 inches deep you need 25 cubic feet, which is 0.93 cubic yards. At 2,750 pounds per cubic yard, the midpoint of the GoodGravel range, that is 1.27 short tons, or 50 bags of 0.5 cubic feet. At 2 inches deep you need 0.62 cubic yards, 0.85 tons or 34 bags. Across the sources we checked, the 3 inch layer weighs between 1.12 and 1.48 tons.

How many square feet will 1 ton of pea gravel cover?

At 2,750 pounds per cubic yard, one ton covers about 118 square feet at 2 inches, 79 at 3 inches and 59 at 4 inches. Across the sources we checked, from 2,410 to 3,200 pounds per cubic yard, it covers 101 to 134 square feet at 2 inches. GoodGravel gives a rule of thumb of about 100 square feet at 2 inches and 65 at 3 inches, which is a little lower than this arithmetic.

How many bags of pea gravel are in a ton?

A ton is 2,000 pounds, so it is 40 bags of 50 lb. If your bags hold another weight, divide 2,000 by that weight. Hunker describes the common 50 lb bag as 0.5 cubic feet, and GoodGravel prices bagged pea gravel per half-cubic-foot bag.

How deep should pea gravel be?

GoodGravel recommends 2 to 3 inches over a compacted base for a patio and 2 inches for a path, since deeper than that it feels like walking in sand. It also says 2 inches over fabric in garden beds. Stone Centers says at least 2 inches for decorative areas. GoodGravel says rigid edging is not optional with pea gravel. Follow your contractor if you have one.

Can I use pea gravel for a driveway?

GoodGravel advises against it unless the gravel sits in a plastic stabilizing grid. Rounded pea gravel does not lock together, so tires push it into ruts and throw it into the lawn. For a driveway surface, see the crushed stone calculator.