How Much Decomposed Granite for a 4x20 Walkway?
A 4 by 20 foot walkway is 80 square feet. How much decomposed granite for a 4x20 walkway depends on depth: at 3 inches it is about 0.74 cubic yards or 1.0 tons. Suppliers usually sell by the ton, so the tonnage is the number to give them.
Volume and tonnage calculator →The math for a 4x20 walkway
- Area: 4 × 20 = 80 sq ft.
- Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
- Cubic feet: 80 × 0.250 = 20.0 cu ft.
- Cubic yards: ÷ 27 = 0.74 yd³.
- Tons: × 1.35 = 1.0 tons.
The volume and tonnage calculator does this for any size.
Decomposed granite needed by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons (approx.) | Tons +10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 0.49 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 3 in | 0.74 | 1.0 | 1.1 |
| 4 in | 0.99 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
About decomposed granite
DG should be laid in thin lifts, wetted and compacted. Loose DG at a deep depth stays soft and tracks onto shoes. Ask your supplier for their own tons-per-yard figure, since stone source and moisture shift it.
Preparing the walkway
Dig the path a few inches below grade, compact the bottom, add fabric if needed and install edging on both sides so the material stays on the walk. For foot traffic, the depths in the table above are a reasonable starting range.
Ordering tips
- Round up. Compaction and uneven ground eat material. Adding about 10 percent is common.
- Delivery size. 1.1 tons fits in a single typical dump truck load; small loads may carry a delivery fee. See how many tons of gravel in a dump truck.
- Bulk vs bags. At about 1.0 tons this job is small enough that bagged material could work; a 0.5 cubic foot bag holds about 1/54 of a yard, so compare the bag count with a bulk minimum.
- Where it drops. Have the truck dump as close to the walkway as firm ground allows.
Good and poor uses for decomposed granite
Best suited to:
- Garden paths and patios with a natural look
- Around trees and in xeriscape designs
- Stabilized DG for accessible paths
Think twice for:
- Steep grades without a stabilizer
- Areas right outside doors, since fines track in
- Driveways with heavy turning traffic
Quick reference numbers
- Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.42 tons of decomposed granite (0.31 cubic yards).
- Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.2 tons.
- Another size for comparison: a 20x25 area at 4 inches takes about 8.3 tons.
- Weight used here: about 1.35 tons per cubic yard.
Mistakes that throw off the order
- Mixing up cubic yards and tons. Yards are volume, tons are weight; convert with the product’s weight per yard.
- Ignoring the base. A thin surface layer over soft soil fails early no matter how much material is on top.
- Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
- Assuming every supplier uses the same weight. Two yards selling the same product name can quote different tons per yard.
Questions people ask
How many tons of decomposed granite for a 4x20 walkway?
About 1.0 tons at 3 inches deep, or 1.1 tons with 10 percent extra.
How many cubic yards is a 4x20 walkway at 3 inches?
About 0.74 cubic yards.
How much does a cubic yard of decomposed granite weigh?
Usually around 1.25 to 1.45 tons, depending on stone size, fines and moisture.
How deep should decomposed granite be for a walkway?
The table above shows 2 to 4 inches. Shallower depths suit top dressing; deeper depths suit new installs and heavier use.
How many square feet is 4x20?
80 square feet.
Related guides
- Crushed Stone vs Gravel: Differences and Best Uses
- Tons to Cubic Yards for Gravel: Conversion Chart
- How Many Tons of Gravel in a Dump Truck? Loads and Coverage
- How Much Does a Ton of Gravel Cover? Depth Chart
- How Much Decomposed Granite for a 4x10 Walkway?
- How Much Decomposed Granite for a 4x15 Walkway?
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