Gravel Patio Calculator
A 12 ft by 16 ft gravel patio at 3 inches is 1.78 cubic yards and 2.40 short tons at 1,600 kg/m³.
Last updated . This is the stone surface, one layer, at the clean-gravel default of 1,600 kg/m³ (1.35 short tons and 1.22 tonnes per yard). The existing patio page remains the paver base plus sand tool.
Building pavers on a gravel base and a sand bed: patio calculator. Clean 3/4 stone: 3/4 gravel calculator.
Gravel patio surface
Clean stone start: 1,600 kg/m³, the same default as 3/4 inch and pea gravel. One layer only. A paver base plus sand is the other patio page.
Volume and weight
Finished cubic yards
0.00
Order cubic yards
0.00
Order short tons
0.00
Order tonnes
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Gravel surface, not a paver system
The patio calculator already on this site answers a different question. It splits a 16 by 20 foot pad into 6 inches of gravel and 1 inch of sand. This page is the patio whose finished surface is gravel: length, width, and one depth. A 12 by 16 foot example is used so the two pages do not share a worked example.
| Job | Page | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel wearing surface | This page | 12×16 ft, 3 in, 1.78 yd³, 2.40 short tons |
| Paver base plus bedding sand | Patio calculator | 16×20 ft, 6 in gravel and 1 in sand |
| Base under the surface | 304 or crusher run | Separate layer, different density |
Weight
One cubic yard at 1,600 kg/m³ is 1.35 short tons, 2696.89 lb, and 1.22 tonnes. The 1.78 yard patio is 2.40 short tons and 2.17 tonnes. That is the full-volume product, not 1.78 × 1.35 rounded again.
Coverage
One cubic yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches and 162 at 2 inches. The 12 by 16 patio is 192 square feet. At 3 inches the order is 1.78 cubic yards and 48.00 cubic feet.
Worked example
Leave length at 12 ft, width at 16 ft, depth at 3 in, and density at 1600. Finished and order cubic yards both read 1.78. Order short tons read 2.40. Order tonnes read 2.17. The formula line shows 48.00 ft³, 1.36 m³, allowance 0.00 percent, and 2.40 short tons at 1600 kg/m³.
Frequently asked questions
How much gravel for a 12 by 16 patio?
At 3 inches of surface stone the patio is 1.78 cubic yards, 48.00 cubic feet, and 1.36 cubic meters. At 1,600 kg/m³ that is 2.40 short tons and 2.17 tonnes. The area is 192 square feet. One yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches, and 192 ÷ 108 = 1.78. Allowance is 0.00 percent.
Is this the same as the patio calculator?
No. The patio calculator is a two-layer paver system. Its example is 16 by 20 feet with 6 inches of gravel base and 1 inch of bedding sand, both at 1,600 kg/m³: 5.93 cubic yards of gravel and 0.99 cubic yards of sand. This page is a single gravel wearing surface, the patio you walk on when the top is stone. It does not repeat that 16 by 20 example.
How much does a yard of patio gravel weigh?
The start is 1,600 kg/m³, the clean 3/4 and #57 default. One cubic yard is 1.35 short tons, 2696.89 lb, and 1.22 tonnes. One short ton is 0.74 cubic yards. Pea gravel uses the same 1,600. If the surface is river rock, switch to that calculator at 1,525 kg/m³. A compacted base under the surface is 304 or crusher run, not this layer.
How deep should a gravel patio be?
Three inches is the surface depth filled in here. Two inches is thinner and covers more per yard: one yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches. A soft subgrade still wants a compacted base under the decorative stone. Calculate that base on its own page and add the tons. This tool will not stack a second layer.
What gravel is a typical surface?
Clean 3/4 inch, pea gravel, and river rock are the usual wearing surfaces. This default matches clean 3/4 and pea at 1,600 kg/m³. Crusher run and 411 pack into a base and track into the house if you use them as the surface. Use them under the patio, then come back here for the top stone.
How many tons is 1.78 yards?
At 1,600 kg/m³ the unrounded weight is what the tool rounds to 2.40 short tons and 2.17 tonnes. Do not multiply the rounded 1.78 by 1.35 and expect a new number. The widget multiplies the full volume. The cost calculator can take 2.40 tons only after you type your own price. This page does not publish a local gravel price.
Can I enter meters?
Yes. A 3.66 m by 4.88 m patio at 7.62 cm is the 12 ft by 16 ft by 3 in example, and it stays 1.78 cubic yards, 1.36 cubic meters, and 2.40 short tons.