Pea gravel calculator for Utah
Plan patios, paths, fire pits, and play areas using tons of 3/8 inch rounded stone.
Enter your project dimensions
At 3/8 inch, pea gravel is rounded stone about as large as a pea. It feels soft underfoot but weighs 2,800 lb per cubic yard, or 1.4 tons, equal to crushed gravel. Installation depth matters. Less than 2 inches can expose the ground. More than 3 inches makes walking feel like loose beach sand. This calculator converts project measurements into tons and includes set depths for play areas, the only job outside the 2 to 3 inch range.
Turn measurements into tons
- Find the square footage by using length and width, or use the diameter around a circular fire pit.
- For walking areas, use 2 to 3 inches. Keep playground fall zones at 9 to 12 inches.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply yards by 1.4 for tons.
Coverage amounts
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | ≈ 116 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | ≈ 77 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | ≈ 58 sq ft |
| 12 inches, play area | 27 sq ft | ≈ 19 sq ft |
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patio / seating area | 12 x 12 ft | 3" | 1.3 yd³ | 1.9 tons |
| Garden walkway | 25 x 3 ft | 2.5" | 0.6 yd³ | 0.8 tons |
| Fire-pit surround | 12 ft round | 3" | 1 yd³ | 1.5 tons |
| Playground fall zone | 20 x 20 ft | 12" | 14.8 yd³ | 20.7 tons |
| Dog run | 15 x 8 ft | 3" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.6 tons |
Edging keeps stone contained
Pea gravel shifts because each stone is round. A border that is absent or below the surface lets gravel work out of place. Install steel, aluminum, timber, or paver edging an inch higher than the finished gravel to hold it in; flush edging lets stone escape within a season. At grades over about 5%, foot traffic and rain can move the gravel downhill despite the edging. For those slopes, use a honeycomb grid below the gravel, or choose angular crushed stone that interlocks.
Pea gravel compared with crushed gravel and river rock
Pea gravel feels smooth under bare feet and shifts with use. Crushed walkway gravel has sharper pieces, but it holds together on slopes. River rock is larger and decorative, so it works better in planting beds than footpaths. Cost generally increases in that same order. A yard can use crushed gravel on a sloped side path, pea gravel at a fire pit, and river rock by the foundation. Use the calculators here to compare tonnage for one footprint in about a minute.
Project guidance
- Patios: Put down 2 inches of compacted screenings to support chair legs. Cover that with 2 to 3 inches of pea gravel.
- Play areas: Maintain 9 to 12 inches for the standard fall-zone specification, and review the equipment manual. At 12 inches, a ton covers only about 19 square feet. Let the calculator set the quantity.
- Fire pits: Use 3 inches. This stone will not burn and allows rainwater to drain from the seating area overnight.
- Dog runs: Apply 2 to 3 inches. The rounded pieces are easier on paws and rinse clean.
- Walkways: Level the gravel with a rake twice yearly. Add a bucket or two from stored material along the traffic line every couple of seasons.
Example: a 12-foot fire-pit circle
A circle measuring 12-foot across covers 113 square feet. At 3 inches: 113 x 0.25 = 28 cubic feet = 1.05 cubic yards, a little below 1.5 tons. Order 1.5, then use the small extra layer on the high-traffic side next spring.
Pea gravel measurements and weight
How much pea gravel is required?
What area will a ton of pea gravel cover?
What does a yard of pea gravel weigh?
What is the cost of pea gravel?
What is pea gravel made of?
What depth works for a pea gravel patio?
How deep should pea gravel go below a swing set?
For a walkway, pea gravel or crushed gravel?
Other calculators
Most patios take less than two tons.
3/8 inch natural pea gravel sold by the ton with free delivery.
