How Much Pea Gravel for a 5x20 Walkway?

A 5 by 20 foot walkway is 100 square feet. How much pea gravel for a 5x20 walkway depends on depth: at 3 inches it is about 0.93 cubic yards or 1.3 tons. Suppliers usually sell by the ton, so the tonnage is the number to give them.

Volume and tonnage calculator →

The math for a 5x20 walkway

Area: 5 × 20 = 100 sq ft.
Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
Cubic feet: 100 × 0.250 = 25.0 cu ft.
Cubic yards: ÷ 27 = 0.93 yd³.
Tons: × 1.4 = 1.3 tons.

The volume and tonnage calculator does this for any size.

Pea gravel needed by depth

Depth	Cubic yards	Tons (approx.)	Tons +10%
2 in	0.62	0.9	1.0
3 in	0.93	1.3	1.4
4 in	1.23	1.7	1.9

About pea gravel

Pea gravel is small, rounded stone, usually around 3/8 inch. It is comfortable to walk on and drains well, but it shifts under car tires and needs a solid edge to stay put. If the yard sells by the cubic yard instead of the ton, use the cubic-yard column directly.

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. This walkway sees foot traffic, so match the depth to that load rather than to the minimum.

Ordering tips

Round up. Compaction and uneven ground eat material. Adding about 10 percent is common.
Delivery size. 1.4 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 1.3 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 pea gravel

Best suited to:

Patios, walkways and dog runs
Play areas with proper depth and edging
Drainage around foundations when sized properly

Poor fit for:

Driveways and steep paths, where it rolls and ruts
Under pavers as a base
Areas without edging

Quick reference numbers

Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.43 tons of pea gravel (0.31 cubic yards).
Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.3 tons.
Another size for comparison: a 8x16 area at 4 inches takes about 2.2 tons.
Weight used here: about 1.4 tons per cubic yard.

Mistakes that throw off the order

Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
Forgetting that compaction shrinks loose material. A loose 4-inch spread of a dense-graded stone may finish closer to 3 inches after rolling.
Measuring only the main rectangle. Aprons, turnouts and curved edges add real square footage.
Mixing up cubic yards and tons. Yards are volume, tons are weight; convert with the product’s weight per yard.

Questions people ask

How many tons of pea gravel for a 5x20 walkway?

About 1.3 tons at 3 inches deep, or 1.4 tons with 10 percent extra.

How many cubic yards is a 5x20 walkway at 3 inches?

About 0.93 cubic yards.

How much does a cubic yard of pea gravel weigh?

Usually around 1.3 to 1.5 tons, depending on stone size, fines and moisture.

How deep should pea gravel 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 5x20?

100 square feet.

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