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Pea Gravel Cubic Yards Calculator

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Formulas verified against USGS, NRMCA & ASTM primary sources. Methodology · Last updated May 2026

Most landscape suppliers quote and deliver pea gravel by the cubic yard. Enter your project dimensions and get cubic yards, cubic feet, cubic metres, tons, and estimated cost — everything you need before calling a supplier or placing an order.

Cubic Feet
— ft³
Cubic Yards
— yd³
Cubic Metres
— m³
Weight (tons)
— tons
Bags (50 lb)
— bags
Estimated Cost
—
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What Is a Cubic Yard of Pea Gravel?

A cubic yard is a 3-foot × 3-foot × 3-foot cube — 27 cubic feet of material. Filled with dry, loose pea gravel it weighs approximately 2,700 pounds (1.35 short tons or 1,225 kg). When dumped from a truck in a driveway it forms a cone roughly 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide at the base.

Visually: a standard washing machine is approximately one cubic yard in volume. A typical pickup truck bed (5 ft × 6 ft × 1.5 ft deep) holds about 1.1 cubic yards when filled level with the sides.

How to Calculate Cubic Yards for Pea Gravel

Cubic yards = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft) ÷ 27
Convert depth from inches to feet first: Depth (ft) = Depth (inches) ÷ 12
Shortcut: Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (inches) ÷ 324

Worked Example: 15×20 ft Driveway at 4 Inches Deep

  1. Area: 15 × 20 = 300 sq ft
  2. Depth in feet: 4 ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
  3. Volume: 300 × 0.333 = 100 cubic feet
  4. Cubic yards: 100 ÷ 27 = 3.70 yd³
  5. Add 10% waste: 3.70 × 1.10 = 4.07 yd³ to order
  6. Weight: 4.07 × 1.35 = 5.49 tons
  7. At $65/yd³ delivered: 4.07 × $65 = $264.55

How Much Does One Cubic Yard Cover?

Coverage depends entirely on depth. Use this table as a quick reference:

DepthArea per cubic yardTypical application
1 inch324 sq ftTop-dressing flower beds
2 inches162 sq ftGarden paths, walkways
3 inches108 sq ftPatios, seating areas
4 inches81 sq ftResidential driveways (minimum)
6 inches54 sq ftHeavy-use driveways
9 inches36 sq ftPlayground safety surface (ASTM F1292)

Cubic Yards, Cubic Feet, and Cubic Metres — Full Conversion Table

FromTo cubic yardsTo cubic feetTo cubic metres
1 cubic yard1.000 yd³27.000 ft³0.7646 m³
1 cubic foot0.0370 yd³1.000 ft³0.0283 m³
1 cubic metre1.3080 yd³35.315 ft³1.000 m³
1 bag (0.5 cu ft)0.0185 yd³0.500 ft³0.0142 m³
54 bags (1 yd³)1.000 yd³27.000 ft³0.7646 m³

Cubic Yards by Common Project Size

All figures include 10% waste factor.

ProjectAreaDepthCubic YardsTons
Small garden path (10×3 ft)30 sq ft2 in0.19 yd³0.25 tons
Standard patio (12×14 ft)168 sq ft3 in1.71 yd³2.31 tons
Large patio (16×20 ft)320 sq ft3 in3.26 yd³4.40 tons
Small driveway (10×20 ft)200 sq ft4 in2.71 yd³3.66 tons
Two-car driveway (20×40 ft)800 sq ft4 in10.86 yd³14.66 tons
Dog run (8×12 ft)96 sq ft3 in0.98 yd³1.32 tons
Playground surface (20×20 ft)400 sq ft9 in12.22 yd³16.50 tons

Cubic Yards vs Tons — Which Unit to Use

Both measure the same material — one by volume, one by weight. Which to use depends on your supplier.

UnitBest forCommon inConvert using
Cubic yards (yd³)Volume-based orderingMidwest, West US; landscape yardsyd³ × 1.35 = short tons
Short tons (US tons)Weight-based orderingEast, South US; quarriestons ÷ 1.35 = yd³
Metric tonnesEuropean suppliers, spec sheetsUK, EU, importstonnes × 1.308 = yd³

Always confirm which unit your supplier uses before placing an order. A quote of "$65 per yard" means cubic yard — not per ton. Use the weight calculator to convert between all three units.

Calculating Cubic Yards for Circular and Irregular Areas

Circular area: Area = π × radius² = 3.14159 × (diameter ÷ 2)². Then multiply by depth in feet and divide by 27. A 14-ft diameter circle at 3 inches deep: 3.14159 × 49 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 1.43 yd³.

L-shaped area: Divide into two rectangles, calculate each separately, add the totals.

Irregular area: Divide into rectangles and triangles. Triangle area = 0.5 × base × height. Add all sections together then apply the depth calculation.

Dump Truck Capacities — How Much Is Delivered

Truck typeTypical capacityBest for
Landscape delivery truck3–5 yd³Patios, paths, small driveways
Single-axle dump truck8–12 yd³Medium driveways, large patios
Tandem-axle dump truck14–18 yd³Large driveways, commercial
Tri-axle dump truck18–22 yd³Bulk commercial orders

Most residential pea gravel orders use a landscape delivery truck or single-axle dump. Confirm access requirements before ordering — some trucks need a 10-ft wide gate and 14-ft overhead clearance.

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What People Get Wrong

Four cubic yards calculation mistakes that cause short orders or expensive over-orders.

Forgetting to convert depth from inches to feet
This is the most common error by far. 100 sq ft × 3 inches is not 300 cubic feet. It is 100 × (3÷12) = 25 cubic feet. Skipping the divide-by-12 step gives a result 12 times too large. Always convert depth to feet before multiplying.
Confusing cubic feet and cubic yards
Length × Width × Depth in feet gives cubic feet, not cubic yards. Divide by 27 to convert to cubic yards. Ordering in the wrong unit means you receive either 27 times too much or too little material — both expensive mistakes.
Not adding the 10% waste and compaction factor
Pea gravel delivered loose settles by 10–15% after spreading and foot traffic. A project requiring 2.50 yd³ installed needs 2.75 yd³ ordered. Order the raw calculation figure and you will run short before finishing the edges.
Comparing cubic yard and ton quotes without converting
Supplier A quotes $65/yd³. Supplier B quotes $48/ton. These sound different but are almost identical — $65/yd³ ÷ 1.35 tons/yd³ = $48.15/ton. Always convert to the same unit before comparing supplier prices.

Related Calculators

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Coverage Calculator

Know your area but not the volume? Start here — returns cubic yards, tons, and bags together.

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Weight Calculator

Convert cubic yards to pounds, short tons, kilograms, and metric tonnes.

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Cost Calculator

Multiply your cubic yard figure by your supplier's price to get the total project cost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate cubic yards for pea gravel?
Multiply length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft), then divide by 27. Convert depth from inches to feet first by dividing by 12. For a 10×10 ft area at 2 inches deep: 10 × 10 × (2÷12) ÷ 27 = 0.62 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a cubic yard?
27 cubic feet. A cubic yard is a 3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft cube. Divide any cubic feet figure by 27 to get cubic yards.
How many cubic yards do I need for a 200 sq ft area?
At 2 inches deep: 1.24 cubic yards. At 3 inches: 1.85 cubic yards. At 4 inches: 2.47 cubic yards. Add 10% waste to each figure before placing your order.
What is the difference between cubic yards and tons?
Cubic yards measure volume. Tons measure weight. Pea gravel converts at approximately 1.35 tons per cubic yard for dry, loose material. Use 1 yd³ = 1.35 tons to convert between supplier quotes that use different units.
How big is a cubic yard of pea gravel visually?
A cubic yard is a 3-foot cube — about the size of a standard washing machine. Dumped from a truck it forms a pile roughly 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. A standard pickup truck bed filled level holds approximately 1 cubic yard.
Can I order half a cubic yard of pea gravel?
Most landscape suppliers have a minimum order of 1 cubic yard or 1 ton. Some offer half-yard minimums with a small-order surcharge. For projects under half a cubic yard — roughly a 10×5 ft path at 3 inches — bagged gravel from a home improvement store is the practical option.
How do I calculate cubic yards for a circular area?
Calculate the area first: π × (diameter ÷ 2)². Then multiply by depth in feet and divide by 27. For a 10-ft diameter circle at 3 inches: 3.14159 × 25 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 0.73 cubic yards.
How many cubic yards fit in a dump truck?
Landscape delivery trucks carry 3–5 yd³. Single-axle dump trucks carry 8–12 yd³. Tandem-axle trucks carry 14–18 yd³. Most residential pea gravel orders arrive by landscape truck or single-axle dump.
How does compaction affect cubic yards ordered?
Pea gravel is delivered loose and compresses 10–15% after spreading and settling. One cubic yard delivered yields approximately 0.85–0.90 cubic yards of finished installed volume. The 10% waste factor in this calculator accounts for this difference.
Should I order in cubic yards or tons?
Order in whichever unit your supplier uses. Midwest and West US suppliers often quote by the cubic yard. East and South suppliers more often quote by the ton. Use 1 cubic yard = 1.35 tons to convert between quotes.
Why does my contractor's figure differ from the calculator?
Contractors typically add 15–20% overage to account for site irregularities and measurement error. This calculator adds 10%. Both approaches are valid — the contractor's larger buffer reduces the risk of running short on complex shaped areas.
How do I convert square feet to cubic yards?
Multiply square feet by depth in feet, then divide by 27. Example: 300 sq ft × 0.25 ft (3 inches) ÷ 27 = 2.78 cubic yards. The calculator above handles this automatically — just enter the length, width, and depth.

Sources & Methodology

Formula: Cubic yards = (L ft × W ft × D ft) ÷ 27. Shortcut: (L ft × W ft × D in) ÷ 324. Density used: 1.35 short tons per cubic yard (loose, dry pea gravel).

Verified against:

Last reviewed: May 12, 2026 · Full methodology