Gravel Calculator for Shed Bases

Estimate a gravel pad base for a shed.

A shed sits best on a compacted gravel pad about 4 inches deep, extending a foot past the shed on each side for drainage. The calculator starts at 4 inches and reports tons for ordering by weight.

Gravel Calculator

Estimate how much you need — and the cost.

Area shape
You need
1.23 cubic yards
67 bags
Also equals
  • cubic feet 33.33
  • cubic meters 0.944
  • tons (US) 1.85
  • tonnes 1.68

Tip: Make the gravel pad about 2 ft longer and wider than the shed so rain drains away from the floor.

How it's calculated

1 cubic yard covers about 324 sq ft at 1 in / about 162 sq ft at 2 in deep; about 1.5 US tons per cubic yard (typically 1.4–1.7).

See the full Gravel Calculator for the complete how-to, unit conversions, and data sources.

Gravel Calculator for Shed Bases FAQ

How deep should a gravel shed base be?

About 4 inches of compacted crushed stone, extended a foot beyond the shed on all sides for drainage.

How much gravel for a shed base?

Size the pad a foot larger than the shed each way, then use a 4-inch depth. A 10 × 12 ft pad sized to 12 × 14 ft needs about 2.1 cubic yards.

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