Shed-Pad Gravel Weight
A shed pad is a compacted base, not a decorative sprinkle. The rectangular and circular calculators on this page start at 1,920 kg/m³, which is 1.62 US tons per cubic yard and 1.92 tonnes per cubic meter. That sits in the range of a crushed-stone-and-fines blend after it is placed loose and before it is fully packed. Crusher run can be quoted closer to 1.7–1.9 tons per yard. The triangle and polygon tools still open at 1,600 kg/m³ (1.35 tons per yard). Type 1920 into those if you want the same pad as the table. The size chart below uses 1,920 kg/m³. How that pad compares with a concrete slab of the same footprint, including frost, is the shed base guide.
| Pad material | Tonnes / m³ | US tons / yd³ | Under a shed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Table and rectangle/circle default | 1.92 | 1.62 | Yes. Compactable crushed base. |
| Triangle and polygon default | 1.60 | 1.35 | Change it to 1920 to match the table. |
| Pea gravel or river rock | 1.4–1.6 | 1.2–1.35 | No. Round stone will not lock. |
Common Shed Sizes
Volumes are the shed footprint at a uniform depth. Cubic yards = length × width × inches ÷ 324. Tons use 1,920 kg/m³. A 4 inch pad is the usual small storage shed. Use 6 inches for a workshop, a shed on clay, or anything with a mower and a workbench. The pad in the table is the same size as the floor. Add a border in the calculator if you want gravel past the walls.
| Shed | 4 in yd³ | 4 in tons | 6 in yd³ | 6 in tons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8×10 | 0.99 | 1.60 | 1.48 | 2.40 |
| 8×12 | 1.19 | 1.92 | 1.78 | 2.88 |
| 10×12 | 1.48 | 2.40 | 2.22 | 3.60 |
| 10×16 | 1.98 | 3.20 | 2.96 | 4.79 |
| 12×16 | 2.37 | 3.84 | 3.56 | 5.75 |
| 12×20 | 2.96 | 4.79 | 4.44 | 7.19 |
| 12×24 | 3.56 | 5.75 | 5.33 | 8.63 |
Every one of these fits in a single 5 to 7 ton landscape truck except the 12×20 and 12×24 pads at 6 inches, which need a tandem or a second trip. Half-cubic-foot bags are a last resort: the 10×12 at 4 inches is 80 bags.
Worked Example: 10×12 at 4 Inches
- Cubic yards = 10 × 12 × 4 ÷ 324 = 1.48 yd³
- Cubic meters = 1.13 m³
- At 1,920 kg/m³: 2.40 US tons and 2.17 tonnes
- 0.5 ft³ bags = 80
- The same floor at 6 inches is 2.22 cubic yards and 3.60 tons.
Enter 10 ft, 12 ft, and 4 in on the rectangular shed calculator. It already uses 1,920 kg/m³, so the order lines should show 1.48 cubic yards, 1.13 cubic meters, 2.40 tons, and 2.17 tonnes. A hexagon or octagon shed uses side length, not length and width. For a regular polygon the area is (1/4) × n × side² × cot(π/n). An irregular outline should be split into triangles on the triangle calculator and added up.
Building the Pad
Strip sod and topsoil until you are on firm ground. The gravel replaces that soft layer. It does not sit on top of lawn. Lay nonwoven fabric if the subgrade is silty, then place the stone in two lifts and compact each one. Four inches is one afternoon with a plate compactor. Six inches should be two lifts, not one dump. Edge the pad with timber or blocks if the stone can kick out, especially on a circle or a polygon where the corners are easy to lose.
Make the gravel a few inches larger than the floor if the walls will overhang or you want a drip edge. A 10×12 floor with a 6 inch border all around is an 11×13 pad, which is more stone than the table. Measure the gravel, not the catalog size of the shed, when those differ.
Use angular crushed stone or crusher run. River rock and pea gravel look tidy and then shift under the skids. Sand holds water against the floor joists. If the shed is really a workshop slab, the gravel here is only the sub-base and the concrete is a different calculator.
Shed Foundation Questions
How much gravel for a shed foundation?
Most small sheds need 4 inches under the floor. A 10×12 at that depth is 1.48 cubic yards, or 2.40 tons at 1,920 kg/m³. An 8×10 is 0.99 cubic yards. A 12×16 is 2.37 cubic yards.
How deep should shed foundation gravel be?
Four inches for a light storage shed on firm ground. Six inches for clay, a workshop, or a shed that will hold a mower and a workbench. Compact in lifts of about 2 to 3 inches.
How much gravel for a 10×12 shed?
At 4 inches, 1.48 cubic yards, 1.13 cubic meters, 2.40 US tons, and 2.17 tonnes at 1,920 kg/m³. At 6 inches, 2.22 cubic yards and 3.60 tons.
How much gravel for a 12×16 shed?
At 4 inches, 2.37 cubic yards and 3.84 tons. At 6 inches, 3.56 cubic yards and 5.75 tons. Both still fit a single landscape truck if that truck can carry about 6 tons.
What gravel is best under a shed?
Angular crushed stone or crusher run that compacts. The rectangle tool’s 1,920 kg/m³ default is that kind of base. Pea gravel and river rock do not lock, so the skids settle unevenly.
Should the pad be bigger than the shed?
The table matches the floor. Add a border when you want gravel past the walls or a drip edge. A 6 inch border on a 10×12 turns the pad into 11 by 13. Enter those larger dimensions.
Do I need landscape fabric under a shed?
Use nonwoven fabric on silty or weedy ground so the stone does not disappear into the soil. It is optional on a clean, firm subgrade you have already stripped. Fabric is not a substitute for removing topsoil.
How much does a yard of shed-base gravel weigh?
At 1,920 kg/m³, one cubic yard is 1.62 US tons and 1.92 tonnes. The triangle and polygon calculators start lighter, at 1.35 tons per yard, until you set the density to 1920.