Gravel Calculator for Shed Bases
A shed base needs 4–6 inches of compacted gravel extending about a foot past the shed on every side — a 10×12 shed works out near 1.8 cubic yards.
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 — gravel after heavy rain runs to about 105% of its dry weight. The delivered range starts from a published $25–80 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 shed base? The gravel guide covers every other job.
Why 4–6 inches for a shed base
The pad has to be wider than the shed or water runs off the roof straight onto the edge of the base and undercuts it.
What goes wrong
Level matters more here than depth. A shed on a base that falls half an inch across its length will not close its own doors by the second year.
Washed stone with the fines screened out never binds. It looks cleaner in the yard and rolls out from under the tyres on the first hill.
Gravel 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 | $25–80 per cubic yard |
Road-base gravel carries fines that bind when compacted, which is what makes a driveway hold rather than scatter.