How much gravel for a 10x10 shed base?
1.2 cu yd of gravel for a 10x10 shed base, at the settings most people start with. Below the calculator are the same numbers for the alternatives you are likely to choose, and what each one does to the total.
Reviewed · Method: measured dimensions, industry coverage rates, rounded up to real package sizes · How the numbers are calculated
Values are pre-filled for this page. Change anything and hit Recalculate.
The answer, and what it is made of
The volume is 33.3 cu ft at 4 in deep, which is 1.2 cu yd, weighing about 1.7 tons. That weight is the number to check against your trailer: a cubic yard of crushed stone runs about 1.4 tons, so a one ton trailer will not take this in one trip, whatever the volume says.
Planning figure for everything on that list: $38 to $135, with $73 as the realistic middle for the products most people actually buy. These are estimates for budgeting, not quotes. Prices move by region and by season, and the middle figure assumes a mid-range product rather than the cheapest thing on the shelf.
Depth moves the number faster than area: 1.2 cu yd at 4 in depth becomes 0.6 cu yd at 2 in depth. On a footprint this size, one extra inch of depth is worth more than making it a tenth larger.
What changes if you change one thing
| Change the gravel depth | You buy |
|---|---|
| 4 in depth, shed on blocks | 1.2 cu yd |
| 6 in depth, soft ground | 1.9 cu yd |
| 2 in depth, topping up | 0.6 cu yd |
Every row is a live calculation, not an estimate. The shaded row is what this page defaults to.
What goes in the cart
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Gravel, 3/4 in crushed (bulk) | 1.2 cu yd |
| Or 0.5 cu ft bags | 67 bags |
| Landscape fabric, 3 ft roll | 4 rolls x 10 ft |
| Steel edging | 40 ft |
| Plate compactor rental | 1 day |
Order by the cubic yard, not the ton, when you can. A yard of dry 3/4 in crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons, but wet stone or a different aggregate changes that. If the yard sells by weight, confirm the conversion before you pay.
What this size actually changes
One hundred square feet at 4 in is 1.2 cubic yards loose, but a compacted base needs more like 1.5 yards of material to finish at 4 in. That 20 percent compaction factor is the difference between a base that ends up level and one that ends up an inch low at one corner.
Figure. 10x10 shed base: 10 x 10 ft. Measure the finished surface, not the room walls — the area between skirting or cabinet faces is the area you pay for.
How the quantity is worked out
Gravel is quoted in cubic yards but it compacts and settles, so the volume you order is not the volume you end up with. Crushed stone with fines compacts by roughly 20 percent under a plate compactor; clean decorative gravel barely compacts at all. A four inch layer of compactable base is therefore closer to five inches of loose material.
Weight and volume are different numbers and both matter. A cubic yard of crushed stone weighs around 1.4 tons, so a small trailer rated at one ton cannot carry a yard. If you are hauling it yourself, work backwards from the payload limit, not the volume.
How to measure this job
A shed base is measured as the footprint of the shed plus a margin, not the shed floor area. The base usually extends 4 to 6 in beyond the shed on every side so the frame sits fully supported and water runs away from the timber. A 10x12 shed therefore needs a base closer to 11x13.
Check the ground first. If the site slopes, the base has to be dug into the high side rather than built up on the low side, or the material migrates downhill. A string line and a spirit level across the corners takes ten minutes and prevents a shed that racks out of square.
Mistakes that cost real money
Forgetting compaction
A four inch base needs five inches of loose gravel if it is compacted stone. Order the compacted depth and you finish an inch low, which then needs a second delivery that costs more than the extra material would have.
Building the base on topsoil
Topsoil compacts and moves, so a base laid straight onto it settles unevenly and the shed frame racks. Strip the turf, dig down about 4 in, and compact the subsoil before anything goes down.
Ordering the compacted depth as loose volume
Crushed stone with fines compacts by roughly 20 percent under a plate compactor. Order 4 in and you finish at 3.2 in, which is not enough base for a shed. Order 5 in loose to finish at 4 in compacted.
Compacting in one thick layer
A plate compactor only reaches the top 3 to 4 in. Material laid 8 in thick and compacted once stays loose underneath and settles later. Two 3 in layers, compacted each time, is the only way it works.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.4 tons for crushed stone with fines, 1.2 to 1.3 for washed clean stone, and slightly more for wet material. Order by the ton if the supplier prices that way, and check whether their yard is a struck yard or a heaped one.
How much gravel for a 10x10 shed base?
About 1.2 cubic yards at 4 in compacted depth, or roughly 2 tons. Order loose material at 5 in to allow for compaction, and add 10 percent if the ground is uneven.
How much gravel for a 10x10 shed base?
About 1.2 cubic yards at 4 in compacted, so order 1.5 yards loose, or roughly 2 tons. Add 10 percent if the ground is uneven, because the first layer disappears into the hollows.
Do I need a membrane under a shed base?
Yes. A woven geotextile stops soil pumping into the stone and stops weeds. Without it the base silts up, drainage stops, and the shed sits on a mud layer within a couple of seasons.
What will the materials for this cost?
A planning range of $38 to $135 for everything in the shopping list, with $73 as the realistic middle. That is materials only: it excludes labour, delivery, tool hire and disposal of the old surface. Treat it as a budgeting figure, not a quote.