Decomposed Granite Calculator for Pathways
A decomposed granite path needs 2–3 inches of DG compacted over a prepared base, which is about one cubic yard per 100 square feet at 3 inches.
Work out what you need
Measure the area, set the depth, and this converts it to cubic yards, what it weighs on the truck, how many bags that replaces, and roughly what it should cost delivered.
Weight is quoted as a band because moisture moves it more than grade does — decomposed granite after heavy rain runs to about 110% of its dry weight. The delivered range starts from a published $25–70 per cubic yard and is scaled by how your region's material prices compare with the national average, so treat it as a sanity check and not a quote.
Get a real price from yards near youNot a pathway? The landscape rock guide covers every other job.
Why 2–3 inches for a pathway
The fines are the point. Compacted, DG sets to a firm surface; screened clean of its fines it behaves like loose grit and never binds at all.
How to lay decomposed granite for a pathway
- Mark the path and dig out 4–5 inches of soil, sloping the bed slightly to one side or crowned in the middle so water sheds off rather than sitting on the surface.
- Set a solid edge — steel, stone or paver — before anything goes in. Without one, DG spreads into the beds and the path loses depth every season.
- On soft or clay ground, lay and compact 2 inches of crushed stone as a base. On firm, well-drained soil you can compact the native ground and skip it.
- Spread the DG an inch to an inch and a half at a time, mist each layer until damp but not muddy, and compact it with a plate compactor or hand tamper before the next.
- For a surface that has to stand up to heavy foot traffic or slopes, use stabilised DG — premixed or with a binder added — and follow the maker’s cure time before walking on it.
What goes wrong
It has to be rolled, not raked flat. Laid loose it tracks indoors on every shoe and washes out in the first real storm.
Laid loose and left uncompacted it tracks indoors on every shoe and washes out in the first storm. It is a material that has to be rolled.
Decomposed Granite by the numbers
| Weight per cubic yard | 2,800–3,000 lb dry |
|---|---|
| Tons per cubic yard | about 1.5 |
| Bags in a cubic yard | 54 × 0.5 cu ft bags |
| Half-ton pickup, one trip | about 0.25 cubic yards |
| Usually priced by the | cubic yard |
| Typical delivered price | $25–70 per cubic yard |
Granite weathered down to grit and fines. Compacted, it sets to a firm surface; the fines are the whole point and screening them out ruins it.