How much pea gravel for a 10×10 play area?

Data checked October 2026

Short answer

A 10×10 ft play area at 12 in needs 3.7 cubic yards in place — order about 5.7 tons of pea gravel (4.07 cu yd loose) including 10% extra.

Volume: 100 sq ft × 12 in ÷ 12 = 100 cu ft = 3.7 cu yd.
Weight: at 1.4 t per loose cu yd that is 5.7 tons; quarry factors for pea gravel put it anywhere from 5.5 to 6.5 tons.
Bags: 220 bags of 0.5 cu ft (about $1,313) versus about $283 for bulk delivered.
Hauling: 1 tandem load from the yard, or 12 trips in a half-ton pickup (1,000 lb payload) — a yard of stone weighs 2,800 lb.
CPSC rates 9 in of pea gravel for falls up to 5 ft — fine for low play sets, not for tall towers.

Adjust it to your exact job

What's it for?

Project

CPSC: fill 12 in so it never compresses below 9 in. 9 in of pea gravel protects falls up to 5 ft.

Size

Shape

Length

= 10' · 3.05 m

Width

= 10' · 3.05 m

Material & depth

Material

Paths, play areas, patios set in gravel, and ground cover. Rounded stones roll underfoot and migrate — edge it. Also sold as: pea pebbles, #89-size rounded stone.

Depth

Exact depth

How you'll buy it

“Cheapest” compares bulk delivered with 0.5 cu ft bags at the prices below.

Order

5.7tons of pea gravel

4.07 cu yd loose · 5.7 tons · 220 × 0.5 cu ft bags · incl. 10% extra

Loose volume to order: 4.07 cu yd3.7 cu yd in place
Weight range: 5.5–6.5tonssame volume across published quarry factors
Area: 100 sq ft
1 ton of pea gravel covers: 19 sq ftat 12 in

Weight factors vary by quarry

Pea gravel (3/8 in): 1.4 t per loose cu yd (published 1.35–1.6).Your yard's scale ticket is the final word — enter its factor under “Weight factor”.

Bulk or bags?

220 × 0.5 cu ft bags

$1,313

materials, before tax

5.7 tons delivered

$283

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

At these prices bulk is cheaper from about 0.4 tons (15 bags). Bagged pea gravel costs 6.3× the bulk price per yard here; bags make sense for small patches or where a truck can't reach. Your plan (delivered): $283.

Getting it home

Total weight: 5.7 tons · 11,407 lb
Dump truck: 1 tandem load
Your pickup: 12 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 9% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Fall height

9 in of pea gravel protects falls up to 5 ft (CPSC). For taller equipment, wood chips (10 ft) or shredded rubber (10 ft at 6 in) protect more — see the playground mulch mode.

Shopping list

5.8 tons Pea gravel (3/8 in) — 12 in$208
1 load Delivery$75.00
100 sq ft Landscape fabricplus overlap at seams
40 ft Landscape edgingkeeps gravel out of the lawn

Estimated total$283

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

pea gravel, bulk
5.8 tons × $
$212
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00

Materials total$287

Bulk prices are typical 2026 yard and national-guide prices (American Rock Supply, Mulch Pros, Roseville Rock Supply); bag prices are retail snapshots. Tap any price to use your yard's.

Did this answer your question?

Compare

10×10 ft of pea gravel at other depths

Depth	Order (cu yd)	Tons	0.5 cu ft bags	Bulk delivered
2 in	0.68	1	37	$110
3 in	1.02	1.4	55	$127
4 in	1.36	1.9	74	$144
6 in	2.04	2.9	110	$179
12 in	4.07	5.7	220	$283

How this was worked out

100 sq ft × 1 ft = 100 cu ft, ÷ 27 = 3.7 cu yd. × 1.10 extra = 4.07 cu yd, × 1.4 t/yd³ = 5.7 tons.

With bags at $5.97 and bulk at $36.50 per ton plus $75 delivery, bulk beats bags from about 0.39 tons. At 5.7 tons bulk is clearly the cheaper way to buy — bags only make sense if a truck can't reach the spot.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main gravel calculator page.

Similar jobs

Other sizes people check

Sources

Data behind this answer

Mulch Pros — material weight & coverage (scale weights) — 2,600–2,900 lb per yd³ of stone; 1 yd³ covers 162 sq ft at 2 in and 108 at 3 in; pine straw bale ≈ 40 sq ft; single-axle ≈ 5 t, tandem up to 18 t · checked October 2026
Martin Marietta product calculator — material density table — coarse stone 1.32 t/yd³, base 1.90–1.95 t/yd³ (compacted basis), crushed-concrete base 1.47 · checked October 2026
Vulcan Materials construction aggregates calculator — screenings 110–124 lb/ft³, sand 100–110 lb/ft³, coarse 90–102 lb/ft³ by geology · checked October 2026
Penn State Center for Dirt & Gravel Roads — DSA Tech Bulletin (Apr 2025) — 8 in loose compacts to 6 in (factor 1.33); 0.04 t per sq ft; crown 1/2–3/4 in per ft · checked October 2026
American Rock Supply — how much does gravel cost (2026) — #57 $35–$55/ton, pea gravel $28–$45/ton, crusher run $24–$34/ton (material only); delivered per-ton prices · checked October 2026
Mulch Pros price list (October 22, 2026) — bag and bulk prices for mulch, soil, compost, #57, crush & run, pea gravel, sand; delivery $7/mi ($60 min) · checked October 2026
Roseville Rock Supply — calculator & reference table — DG ~3,000 lb/yd³, mulch 400–800 lb, topsoil 2,000–2,200 lb; order 5–10% extra; base materials up to 15% for compaction · checked October 2026
Roseville Rock Supply — aggregates, sands, topsoil & delivery rates — DG $106.95/yd³, concrete sand $68.95/yd³, screened topsoil $51.95/yd³; free delivery from 4 yd within 14 mi · checked October 2026
Stone Center (Ohio) material calculator — pea gravel 1.4–1.6 t/yd³; 2 in minimum for decorative pea gravel and river rock; 10% waste · checked October 2026
Nebraska DOT — Estimating Material Quantities (July 2024) — stockpiled crushed concrete 1.35 t/yd³; soil compacted in place 110 lb/ft³ · checked October 2026
The Pricer — crushed concrete cost (updated July 2026) — $9–$25 per ton at recycling yards; 1.2–1.4 t per yd³ · checked October 2026
Kokosing Materials (Ohio) tonnage calculator — factors 1.5 (sand), 1.65 (#57/#8), 1.75 (304/411/screenings) — the high end of published values · checked October 2026
Quikrete — how to build a patio — place about 5 in of compactible gravel, tamp to 4 in; extend the base at least 6 in beyond the edges · checked October 2026
Unilock Basic Tech Guide (Jan 2024) — base 6–8 in patios & walks, 6–12 in pool decks, 10–14 in driveways; 1 in bedding; compact in 2–3 in layers; edge restraints spiked into the base · checked October 2026
CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook (Pub. 325) — Table 2 depths and fall heights; loose fill compresses at least 25%; 12 in initial fill for 9 in · checked October 2026

Short answer

A 10×10 ft play area at 12 in needs 3.7 cubic yards in place — order about 5.7 tons of pea gravel (4.07 cu yd loose) including 10% extra.

Volume: 100 sq ft × 12 in ÷ 12 = 100 cu ft = 3.7 cu yd.

Weight: at 1.4 t per loose cu yd that is 5.7 tons; quarry factors for pea gravel put it anywhere from 5.5 to 6.5 tons.

Bags: 220 bags of 0.5 cu ft (about $1,313) versus about $283 for bulk delivered.

Hauling: 1 tandem load from the yard, or 12 trips in a half-ton pickup (1,000 lb payload) — a yard of stone weighs 2,800 lb.

CPSC rates 9 in of pea gravel for falls up to 5 ft — fine for low play sets, not for tall towers.

Adjust it to your exact job

What's it for?

Project

CPSC: fill 12 in so it never compresses below 9 in. 9 in of pea gravel protects falls up to 5 ft.

Size

Shape

Length

= 10' · 3.05 m

Width

= 10' · 3.05 m

Material & depth

Material

Paths, play areas, patios set in gravel, and ground cover. Rounded stones roll underfoot and migrate — edge it. Also sold as: pea pebbles, #89-size rounded stone.

Depth

Exact depth

How you'll buy it

“Cheapest” compares bulk delivered with 0.5 cu ft bags at the prices below.

Order

5.7tons of pea gravel

4.07 cu yd loose · 5.7 tons · 220 × 0.5 cu ft bags · incl. 10% extra

Loose volume to order: 4.07 cu yd3.7 cu yd in place
Weight range: 5.5–6.5tonssame volume across published quarry factors
Area: 100 sq ft
1 ton of pea gravel covers: 19 sq ftat 12 in

Weight factors vary by quarry

Pea gravel (3/8 in): 1.4 t per loose cu yd (published 1.35–1.6).Your yard's scale ticket is the final word — enter its factor under “Weight factor”.

Bulk or bags?

220 × 0.5 cu ft bags

$1,313

materials, before tax

5.7 tons delivered

$283

Cheaper ✓ · incl. 1 delivery fee

Getting it home

Total weight: 5.7 tons · 11,407 lb
Dump truck: 1 tandem load
Your pickup: 12 trips at 1,000 lb payload · about 9% of the order per trip

Pickup payload

Payload is on the Tire & Loading sticker in the driver's door jamb. Single-axle dump trucks carry about 5 tons; bigger orders come on a tandem (up to 18 tons).

Fall height

9 in of pea gravel protects falls up to 5 ft (CPSC). For taller equipment, wood chips (10 ft) or shredded rubber (10 ft at 6 in) protect more — see the playground mulch mode.

Shopping list

5.8 tons Pea gravel (3/8 in) — 12 in$208
1 load Delivery$75.00
100 sq ft Landscape fabricplus overlap at seams
40 ft Landscape edgingkeeps gravel out of the lawn

Estimated total$283

Cost estimate

Tap a price to use your store's

pea gravel, bulk
5.8 tons × $
$212
Delivery
1 load × $
$75.00

Materials total$287

Bulk prices are typical 2026 yard and national-guide prices (American Rock Supply, Mulch Pros, Roseville Rock Supply); bag prices are retail snapshots. Tap any price to use your yard's.

Depth

Order (cu yd)

Tons

0.5 cu ft bags

Bulk delivered

2 in

0.68

$110

3 in

1.02

1.4

$127

4 in

1.36

1.9

$144

6 in

2.04

2.9

110

$179

12 in

4.07

5.7

220

$283

How this was worked out

100 sq ft × 1 ft = 100 cu ft, ÷ 27 = 3.7 cu yd. × 1.10 extra = 4.07 cu yd, × 1.4 t/yd³ = 5.7 tons.

The full method, material data and tips are on the main gravel calculator page.