How Much Pea Gravel for a 24×24 Patio?
A 24 × 24 ft patio (576 ft²) at 2″ deep needs 5.2 tons of pea gravel — 3.56 yd³ net plus 5% waste. Order 5.25 t — sold by the ton bulk; a pickup carries about ½ ton.
24×24 at other depths
| Depth | Volume | Order (tons) | 50 lb bag (0.5 ft³) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2″ (this page) | 3.56 yd³ | 5.2 tons | 202 |
| 3″ | 5.33 yd³ | 7.8 tons | 303 |
| 4″ | 7.11 yd³ | 10.5 tons | 404 |
Other patio sizes
Order 5.25 t — sold by the ton bulk; a pickup carries about ½ ton.
- Area
- 576 ft²
- Volume (96.0 ft³)
- 3.56 yd³
- Net weight @ 1.40 t/yd³
- 9,956 lb · 4.98 t
- Waste / settling 5%
- + 0.25 t
- Order quantity
- 5.23 tons
- Truckloads
- 1 × tri-axle dump (≈20 t)
- Metric
- 2.72 m³ · 4.74 tonnes
- 50 lb bag (0.5 ft³)
- 202 bags
- Materials + delivery$30–$70 / ton · Sep 2026
- $243 – $453
- Installed (with labor)typ. $478
- $347 – $714
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What will this pea gravel job cost?
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Different size or depth?
Open the full pea gravel calculator to change every input, pick a material and see truckloads.
How to calculate pea gravel by hand
Tons = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × 1.4 t/yd³
Worked example
- Area: 12 ft × 10 ft = 120 ft².
- Volume: 120 ft² × (2 in ÷ 12) = 20 ft³ = 0.74 yd³.
- Weight: 0.74 yd³ × 1.4 t/yd³ = 1.04 tons.
- Waste 5%: 1.04 × 1.05 = 1.09 tons → order 1.25 tons.
- Bagged: 21 ft³ ÷ 0.5 ft³ = 42 × 50 lb bags.
- 1 ton of pea gravel at 2″
- ≈ 115 ft²
- 1 ton of pea gravel at 3″
- ≈ 77 ft²
- 1 yd³ pea gravel
- ≈ 2,800 lb · 1.4 t
- 50 lb bag at 2″
- ≈ 3 ft²
Questions crews ask
How much pea gravel do I need?
Square feet × depth in inches ÷ 324 gives cubic yards; × 1.4 gives tons. A 12 × 10 ft patio at 2″ needs 0.74 yd³, about 1.1 tons, or 42 × 50 lb bags. Order 1.25 tons bulk.
How many bags of pea gravel in a ton?
About 40 — a 50 lb bag holds roughly 0.5 ft³. Bags cost $4–$7 each ($160–$280 per ton), so bulk at $30–$70 per ton plus delivery wins above about half a ton.
How deep should pea gravel be?
2 inches over a compacted base for paths and patios; more than 3″ gets hard to walk on because the round stones roll. Play areas 3″ over fabric. Drainage trenches and French drains fill the full trench depth around the pipe.