Free · Works both directions
Pea Gravel Coverage Calculator
One ton of pea gravel covers about 120 square feet at 2 inches deep, 80 at 3. Start from an area to get the quantity, or start from the tons you already have to see how far they go. Volume mode is selected, so the depth field sets coverage.
The short answer
How much area does a ton of pea gravel cover?
About 120 square feet at 2 inches deep, and 80 square feet at 3 inches. A US ton of pea gravel is roughly 20 cubic feet at 100 pounds per cubic foot, and depth does the rest of the work.
A cubic yard goes further, because it holds 27 cubic feet rather than 20. That is 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 at 3.
| Depth | One US ton covers | One cubic yard covers | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in | 240 sq ft | 324 sq ft | Too thin to hold |
| 2 in | 120 sq ft | 162 sq ft | Ground cover in beds |
| 3 in | 80 sq ft | 108 sq ft | Paths and patios |
| 4 in | 60 sq ft | 81 sq ft | Driveway surface |
| 6 in | 40 sq ft | 54 sq ft | Heavy use or deep beds |
The same ton covers 240 square feet or 40, depending only on how thick you spread it. Any supplier or calculator quoting coverage without naming a depth is quoting a number you cannot use.
The other direction
How much pea gravel do I need for an area?
| Area | At 2 in | At 3 in | At 4 in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.31 yd³ · 0.42 t | 0.46 yd³ · 0.62 t | 0.62 yd³ · 0.83 t |
| 100 sq ft | 0.62 yd³ · 0.83 t | 0.93 yd³ · 1.25 t | 1.23 yd³ · 1.67 t |
| 200 sq ft | 1.23 yd³ · 1.67 t | 1.85 yd³ · 2.50 t | 2.47 yd³ · 3.33 t |
| 500 sq ft | 3.09 yd³ · 4.17 t | 4.63 yd³ · 6.25 t | 6.17 yd³ · 8.33 t |
| 1000 sq ft | 6.17 yd³ · 8.33 t | 9.26 yd³ · 12.50 t | 12.35 yd³ · 16.67 t |
Add about 10 percent to any of these before ordering. Spillage, uneven ground and the settling that happens in the first month all come out of your delivered quantity.
For a driveway that will be compacted, add 25 percent instead, which the driveway guide explains.
The lever
Depth changes everything else
Coverage is not really a property of the gravel. It is a property of the depth you choose, and everything else follows from it. Double the depth and you halve the coverage, which doubles what you pay.
That is why the single most useful thing you can do before ordering is settle the depth honestly.
| Project | Depth | One ton covers | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground cover in beds | 2 in | 120 sq ft | Enough to hide soil, cheap to refresh |
| Paths and patios | 3 in | 80 sq ft | Stays put underfoot without swallowing your shoe |
| Driveway surface | 4 to 6 in | 60 to 40 sq ft | Needs depth over a compacted base to carry weight |
| Playground fall zone | 9 to 12 in | 27 to 20 sq ft | Depth is the safety feature, per CPSC guidance |
| Dog run | 3 in | 80 sq ft | Drains well and rinses clean |
The depth guide covers the reasoning for each, and the cost guide turns the tonnage into money.
Why figures differ
Why two coverage calculators disagree
Compare three coverage charts and you will get three answers for the same ton. There are only two reasons, and both are assumptions nobody publishes.
- The depth is missing. A figure like 'one ton covers 100 square feet' is meaningless until someone says at what depth. Most charts bury it in a caption or leave it out.
- The density is different. Turning tons into volume needs a weight per cubic foot, and published pea gravel figures run from 1.21 to 1.42 tons per cubic yard. That 17 percent spread moves coverage per ton by the same amount.
This site uses 100 lb per cubic foot, 1.35 tons per cubic yard, states it on every page, and publishes the full set as open data. If your supplier quotes something different, use theirs, because they weighed it.
The weight guide works through the spread in detail.
Other materials
Coverage of other landscaping stone
| Material | Density | At 2 in | At 3 in | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 100 lb/ft³ | 120 sq ft | 80 sq ft | The baseline |
| Crushed stone #57 | 104 lb/ft³ | 115 sq ft | 77 sq ft | Heavier, so less coverage per ton |
| Crushed stone #411 | 100 lb/ft³ | 120 sq ft | 80 sq ft | Same weight, packs tighter |
| River rock | 100 lb/ft³ | 120 sq ft | 80 sq ft | Lay it deeper, so it covers less in practice |
| Decomposed granite | 104 lb/ft³ | 115 sq ft | 77 sq ft | Compacts, so figure on slightly less |
| Marble chips | 96 lb/ft³ | 125 sq ft | 83 sq ft | Lighter than it looks |
| Lava rock | 52 lb/ft³ | 231 sq ft | 154 sq ft | Roughly twice the coverage per ton |
Coverage per ton is simply the inverse of weight. Lava rock covers nearly twice the ground per ton because it is a vesicular volcanic stone full of gas holes, not because it spreads differently.
Buying by volume rather than weight removes the question entirely, since a cubic yard of anything covers 108 square feet at 3 inches. The river rock calculator handles the larger sizes, where depth rules change.
Questions
Pea gravel coverage FAQ
About 120 square feet at 2 inches deep, 80 square feet at 3 inches, 60 at 4 inches and 40 at 6 inches. A US ton is roughly 20 cubic feet of pea gravel at 100 pounds per cubic foot, and the depth decides how far that goes.
About 162 square feet at 2 inches deep, 108 at 3 inches, 81 at 4 inches and 54 at 6 inches. A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it covers 35 percent more ground than a ton.
At 2 inches deep about 0.62 cubic yards or 0.83 tons. At 3 inches it is 0.93 cubic yards or 1.25 tons, and at 4 inches 1.23 cubic yards or 1.67 tons. Add about 10 percent for waste and settling.
About 3.09 cubic yards or 4.17 tons at 2 inches deep, 4.63 cubic yards or 6.25 tons at 3 inches, and 6.17 cubic yards or 8.33 tons at 4 inches, before a waste allowance.
Two reasons. Most quote coverage without stating a depth, which makes the number meaningless, and each one assumes a different density. Published pea gravel densities run from 1.21 to 1.42 tons per cubic yard, which shifts coverage per ton by about 17 percent.
Two inches for ground cover in beds, three inches for paths and patios, four to six inches for a driveway surface over a compacted base, and nine to twelve inches for a playground fall zone. Deeper costs proportionally more, since depth drives the whole calculation.
About 80 square feet for pea gravel. Lighter stone covers more for the same weight, so a ton of lava rock covers about 154 square feet at the same depth, while heavier crushed stone covers about 77.
The area covered does not, because volume is what fills the space. What changes is the weight, since wet gravel runs about 8 percent heavier, so a ton of wet material contains less stone and covers roughly 8 percent less ground.
Transparency
Sources and methodology
- Density, 100 lb/ft³, 1.35 US tons per cubic yard. Mid-range bulk density for dry, loose, washed 3/8 inch gravel. Background on aggregate classification, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Sand and Gravel (Construction) (PDF).
- Coverage arithmetic. One US ton is 2,000 lb, which is 20 cubic feet at this density. Area covered is volume divided by depth in feet, before any waste allowance.
- Published range, 1.21 to 1.42 tons per cubic yard. Collected from widely ranked gravel calculators and supplier pages, and published in full as open data.
- Playground depth. CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook (PDF).
- Other material densities. The same set the calculator uses, listed on the density data page.
Need the full estimate?
The main calculator handles circles, L-shapes and irregular areas, with cost and bag counts.