How Much Gravel for 500 Square Feet?
Material needed
4.63 cubic yards
500 square feet at 3 inches deep, gravel at roughly 2,800 lb per cubic yard.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Bed area500 sq ft
- Depth3 in
- MaterialGravel or stone
Material needed4.63 cubic yards
| Volume | 125 cu ft |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards | 4.63most yards sell in half yard steps |
| Order in half yards | 5 cu yd |
| 2 cu ft bags, if bagging it | 63 |
| Approximate weight | 12,963 lb (6.48 tons) |
The material list this produces
| Material, cubic yards | 5 |
|---|---|
| Landscape fabric, sq ft | 500 |
| Edging, linear ft | 90 |
Depth compared
Depth is the whole calculation. Two inches will not hold weeds down, and four starts to smother shallow roots.
| Depth | Material needed | Order in half yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 3.09 cubic yards | 3.5 cu yd |
| 3 in | 4.63 cubic yards | 5 cu yd |
| 4 in | 6.17 cubic yards | 6.5 cu yd |
| 6 in | 9.26 cubic yards | 9.5 cu yd |
What else matters here
The volume is identical to mulch, and the weight is not: 4.63 yards of gravel is about six and a half tons against under two for bark.
Ask the quarry what their material weighs per yard, because the 2,800 pounds used here is approximate.
What this calculator assumes
- Three inches is the usual mulch depth. Two is thin and will not hold weeds down, four starts to smother shallow roots and holds water against trunks.
- Weights are approximate and vary with moisture: mulch about 800 lb per cubic yard, topsoil 2200, gravel 2800, sand 2700.
- Bagged material is sold in 2 cubic foot bags, and there are 13.5 of those in a cubic yard.
Questions people ask
How many tons of gravel for 500 square feet?
About 6.5 tons at 3 inches deep, which is roughly 4.63 cubic yards. The weight is approximate, so confirm with the quarry.
How many yards in a ton of gravel?
At 2,800 pounds per cubic yard, a ton is about 0.71 cubic yards.
The mulch and gravel calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.
Other common sizes
7 more sizes are answered on the mulch and gravel calculator page