How much pea gravel for a walkway?

2 inches is the right depth for the pea gravel layer; deeper than that it rolls underfoot. On a 3 ft path that is 0.49 tons (21 bags of 0.5 cu ft) for 20 ft and 1.23 tons for 50 ft, with a compacted base underneath. Pea gravel alone, with no base, wanders into the lawn within a season.

How many bags of gravel for a 3x20 walkway?

32 bags of 0.5 cu ft at 3 inches deep, 42 at 4 inches, with 5% extra. Bagged gravel makes sense up to about a ton; beyond that a bulk bag or a loose delivery is far cheaper per ton, and the 79 bags for a 50 ft path at 3 inches weigh about 3,687 lb, more than a half-ton pickup should carry in one trip.

How deep should a gravel path be?

4 to 5 inches in total: 3 inches of compacted crushed stone (3/4 inch minus, road base or similar, which locks together) and 2 inches of the pea gravel or decorative stone you see. A 3 inch single layer of crushed stone works for a utility path behind a shed; pea gravel on its own does not.

How many tons of gravel for a 4 ft wide path?

1.97 tons for 30 ft at 4 inches, 3.28 tons for 50 ft; with the full 5 inch build-up a 50 ft path 4 ft wide is 4.1 tons (3.24 cubic yards). Loose gravel is sold by the ton or the yard; a ton is about 0.79 cubic yards at this density.

Do I need landscape fabric under a gravel path?

Under the crushed stone base on soft or weedy ground, yes: it keeps the stone from sinking into the soil and slows weeds. Skip it under the pea gravel layer itself; the top layer should lock into the base, and fabric between them makes the gravel skate. Edging (steel, timber or pavers) matters more than fabric for keeping the path where you put it.

How wide should a garden path be?

3 ft for a secondary path one person uses, 4 ft for the main route to the door or where two people pass, and 5 ft if a wheelbarrow and a person need to pass each other. Widen it 6 inches on the tables and the tonnage goes up by the same proportion; the calculator takes any width.

How much gravel do I need for a walkway or path?

A 3 ft wide, 20 ft long gravel path at 3 inches deep takes 0.58 cubic yards of gravel, about 0.74 tons, or 32 bags of 0.5 cu ft with 5% extra for settling. Built properly, as 3 inches of compacted crushed stone with 2 inches of pea gravel on top, the same 20 ft path is 0.97 cubic yards in all: 0.74 tons of base and 0.49 tons of pea gravel. A 50 ft path 3 ft wide at 3 inches is 1.84 tons, which is where a bulk delivery beats bags. The tables cover 3 and 4 ft widths, 10 to 50 ft, and 1 m metric paths.

Open the gravel calculator

3 ft wide paths

Cubic yards, US tons and 0.5 cu ft bags with 5% extra for compaction and settling, at the gravel preset of about 1.5 tonnes per cubic metre. Single layer of one material at 3 and 4 inches.

3 ft wide, 5% extra
Path	Area (sq ft)	3 in (cu yd)	3 in (tons)	3 in (bags)	4 in (cu yd)	4 in (tons)	4 in (bags)
3 x 10 ft	30	0.29	0.37	16	0.39	0.49	21
3 x 20 ft	60	0.58	0.74	32	0.78	0.98	42
3 x 30 ft	90	0.87	1.11	48	1.17	1.47	63
3 x 40 ft	120	1.17	1.47	63	1.56	1.97	84
3 x 50 ft	150	1.46	1.84	79	1.94	2.46	105

4 ft wide paths

4 ft wide, 5% extra
Path	Area (sq ft)	3 in (cu yd)	3 in (tons)	3 in (bags)	4 in (cu yd)	4 in (tons)	4 in (bags)
4 x 10 ft	40	0.39	0.49	21	0.52	0.66	28
4 x 20 ft	80	0.78	0.98	42	1.04	1.31	56
4 x 30 ft	120	1.17	1.47	63	1.56	1.97	84
4 x 40 ft	160	1.56	1.97	84	2.07	2.62	112
4 x 50 ft	200	1.94	2.46	105	2.59	3.28	140

Base plus top layer: what to order of each

The build-up that lasts: 3 inches of crushed stone, compacted, then 2 inches of pea gravel or decorative stone. Two materials, two orders.

3 in crushed stone base + 2 in pea gravel, 5% extra
Path	Base (tons)	Base (cu yd)	Pea gravel (tons)	Pea gravel (bags)	Total (cu yd)
3 x 10 ft	0.37	0.29	0.25	11	0.49
3 x 20 ft	0.74	0.58	0.49	21	0.97
3 x 30 ft	1.11	0.87	0.74	32	1.46
3 x 40 ft	1.47	1.17	0.98	42	1.94
3 x 50 ft	1.84	1.46	1.23	53	2.43
4 x 10 ft	0.49	0.39	0.33	14	0.65
4 x 20 ft	0.98	0.78	0.66	28	1.3
4 x 30 ft	1.47	1.17	0.98	42	1.94
4 x 40 ft	1.97	1.56	1.31	56	2.59
4 x 50 ft	2.46	1.94	1.64	70	3.24

How the numbers are worked out

Width x length x depth in feet, divided by 27: 3 x 20 x 0.25 / 27 = 0.56 cubic yards, plus 5% for the settling that happens when you compact it. Tons are cubic metres x density; bags are the volume divided by 0.5 cu ft. The gravel calculator takes any width, length, depth and density, and the weight of a cubic yard guide explains why pea gravel, crushed stone and river rock weigh differently. Bigger areas are in the driveway guide.

Building the path

Dig out 5 to 6 inches so the finished gravel sits just below the lawn, and set the edging first; the edging holds the shape, the gravel does not.
Lay fabric on soft ground, spread the crushed stone in one lift, water it lightly and compact it with a plate compactor or a hand tamper until it is hard to walk on.
Spread the pea gravel to 2 inches, no more; rake it level and walk it in. Keep a few bags back to top up the low spots after the first winter.
Under pavers or stepping stones the base is the same but the top layer is sand; the paver base guide has those figures.

Metric: 1 m and 1.2 m wide paths

Tonnes and bulk bags (850 kg) or 25 kg bags for a single layer at 75 and 100 mm, 5% extra.

Metric paths, 5% extra
Path	Depth	Volume (m³)	Tonnes	Bulk bags	25 kg bags
1 x 5 m	75 mm	0.39	0.59	1	24
1 x 10 m	75 mm	0.79	1.18	2	48
1 x 20 m	75 mm	1.58	2.36	3	95
1.2 x 10 m	75 mm	0.95	1.42	2	57
1.2 x 20 m	75 mm	1.89	2.84	4	114
1 x 5 m	100 mm	0.53	0.79	1	32
1 x 10 m	100 mm	1.05	1.58	2	63
1 x 20 m	100 mm	2.1	3.15	4	126
1.2 x 10 m	100 mm	1.26	1.89	3	76
1.2 x 20 m	100 mm	2.52	3.78	5	152

Frequently asked questions

How much pea gravel for a walkway?: 2 inches is the right depth for the pea gravel layer; deeper than that it rolls underfoot. On a 3 ft path that is 0.49 tons (21 bags of 0.5 cu ft) for 20 ft and 1.23 tons for 50 ft, with a compacted base underneath. Pea gravel alone, with no base, wanders into the lawn within a season.
How many bags of gravel for a 3x20 walkway?: 32 bags of 0.5 cu ft at 3 inches deep, 42 at 4 inches, with 5% extra. Bagged gravel makes sense up to about a ton; beyond that a bulk bag or a loose delivery is far cheaper per ton, and the 79 bags for a 50 ft path at 3 inches weigh about 3,687 lb, more than a half-ton pickup should carry in one trip.
How deep should a gravel path be?: 4 to 5 inches in total: 3 inches of compacted crushed stone (3/4 inch minus, road base or similar, which locks together) and 2 inches of the pea gravel or decorative stone you see. A 3 inch single layer of crushed stone works for a utility path behind a shed; pea gravel on its own does not.
How many tons of gravel for a 4 ft wide path?: 1.97 tons for 30 ft at 4 inches, 3.28 tons for 50 ft; with the full 5 inch build-up a 50 ft path 4 ft wide is 4.1 tons (3.24 cubic yards). Loose gravel is sold by the ton or the yard; a ton is about 0.79 cubic yards at this density.
Do I need landscape fabric under a gravel path?: Under the crushed stone base on soft or weedy ground, yes: it keeps the stone from sinking into the soil and slows weeds. Skip it under the pea gravel layer itself; the top layer should lock into the base, and fabric between them makes the gravel skate. Edging (steel, timber or pavers) matters more than fabric for keeping the path where you put it.
How wide should a garden path be?: 3 ft for a secondary path one person uses, 4 ft for the main route to the door or where two people pass, and 5 ft if a wheelbarrow and a person need to pass each other. Widen it 6 inches on the tables and the tonnage goes up by the same proportion; the calculator takes any width.

How much gravel do I need for a driveway?
Cubic metres, tonnes and bulk bags of gravel for typical driveway sizes at 50, 75 and 100 mm depth, with the imperial equivalents in cubic yards and tons.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
A cubic yard of gravel weighs about 1.2 to 1.4 US tons; sand and topsoil differ. Pounds and tons per yard, yards per ton, and tonnes per cubic metre for each material.
How much gravel for a shed base? 6x8 to 12x16 ft
Cubic yards, tons and bags of gravel for 6x8, 8x10, 10x12 and 12x16 ft shed bases at 4 and 6 inches, why the base runs past the shed, and metric sizes in tonnes.
How much sand and gravel do I need under pavers?
Gravel base at 4 or 6 inches and 1 inch of bedding sand for 100 to 500 sq ft of pavers: cubic yards, tons and bags, plus the metric patio in tonnes and bulk bags.

Last updated 2026-09-13. Figures are planning estimates from typical product data: check the yield, size or coverage printed on what you buy and round up.