Pea gravel calculator for Minnesota
Figure material for patios, paths, fire pits, and play spaces in tons of 3/8 inch rounded stone.
Enter your project dimensions
At 3/8 inch, pea gravel is rounded stone near the size suggested by its name. It weighs 2,800 lb per cubic yard, or 1.4 tons, matching crushed gravel despite its softer feel. Depth controls the result. Below 2 inches, the ground can show through; over 3 inches, walking feels loose. Use this calculator to convert site dimensions to tons, including the two uses outside the usual 2 to 3 inch range: play areas and nothing else.
Turn measurements into tons
- Find length and width for a rectangular area; use the diameter when measuring a circular fire-pit surround.
- Walking areas need 2 to 3 inches; playground fall zones require 9 to 12 inches of maintained material.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply yards by 1.4 for tons.
Material coverage
| 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 |
Keep it contained with edging
Pea gravel moves because the stones are round. When gravel escapes, the usual cause is no border or one that has settled too low. Set steel, aluminum, timber or paver edging an inch above the finished surface to hold it in place. A flush border allows stones to work their way out over a season. On slopes above about 5%, rainfall and foot traffic can still move gravel downhill. For those grades, place a honeycomb stabilizing grid beneath the gravel or choose angular crushed stone, which interlocks.
Comparing pea gravel, crushed gravel and river rock
Pea gravel suits bare feet and informal sitting areas. Crushed walkway gravel interlocks on slopes but has sharper edges. River rock is larger and decorative, typically used in planting beds instead of walking surfaces. Cost generally rises in that same order. A site may use crushed gravel on a sloped path, pea gravel at a fire pit, and river rock near a foundation. Use the calculators here to compare tonnage for an identical footprint in about a minute.
Field notes for common projects
- Patios: Put down 2 inches of compacted screenings first to support chair legs, then cover it with 2 to 3 inches of pea gravel.
- Play areas: Keep loose material at 9 to 12 inches for the fall-zone specification, and consult the equipment manual. At 12 inches, a ton covers about 19 square feet, so use the calculator rather than estimating by eye.
- Fire pits: Use 3 inches. The stone does not burn, and it lets rain drain from the seating area overnight.
- Dog runs: Install 2 to 3 inches. Rounded gravel is gentler on paws and rinses off easily.
- Walkways: Level the surface with a rake twice yearly. Keep a bucket or two for adding gravel back to the traffic line every couple of seasons.
Example calculation: a 12-foot fire-pit circle
For a 12-foot diameter circle, the area is 113 square feet. With 3 inches of depth: 113 x 0.25 = 28 cubic feet = 1.05 cubic yards, slightly below 1.5 tons. Order 1.5 and use the small extra amount on the busy edge next spring.
Pea gravel quantity and weight
What quantity of pea gravel is needed?
What area does one 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 is right for a pea gravel patio?
What depth of pea gravel goes below a swing set?
For a walkway, pea gravel or crushed gravel?
Other calculators
Most patios need less than two tons.
3/8 inch natural pea gravel sold by the ton with free delivery.
