An 8 × 10 ft shed needs a 10 × 12 ft gravel pad, and at 4 inches deep that pad takes about 1.7 cubic yards of crushed stone, or about 2.4 tons, with 15% extra for compaction. At 6 inches it is about 2.6 cubic yards (3.6 tons). Enter your own pad size in the QtyLab gravel calculator to get cubic yards and tons.
Step 1: size the pad, not the shed
A gravel shed base is usually built about 1 foot wider than the shed on every side, so water drips onto stone instead of soil and you have room to work around the walls. That makes the pad 2 feet longer and 2 feet wider than the shed: an 8 × 10 shed sits on a 10 × 12 pad, and a 10 × 12 shed sits on a 12 × 14 pad.
Depth is commonly 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone. Your shed maker’s foundation instructions come first, so check them before you order.
The shed base gravel formula
- Pad size = shed length + 2 ft by shed width + 2 ft
- Cubic feet = pad length (ft) × pad width (ft) × depth (in) ÷ 12
- Cubic yards = cubic feet ÷ 27, then × 1.15 for 15% extra (compaction and leveling)
- Tons = cubic yards × about 1.4 (a planning weight for crushed stone)
- Bags = cubic feet (with extra) ÷ 0.5 for the common 0.5 cu ft bag, rounded up
Worked example: an 8 × 10 shed
- Pad: 8 + 2 = 10 ft by 10 + 2 = 12 ft
- Volume at 4 in: 10 × 12 × 4 ÷ 12 = 40 cubic feet
- Add 15%: 40 × 1.15 = 46 cubic feet
- Cubic yards: 46 ÷ 27 = 1.70 yd³
- Tons: 1.70 × 1.4 = about 2.4 tons
- Bags instead of bulk: 46 ÷ 0.5 = 92 bags of 0.5 cu ft
Same pad at 6 inches: 69 cubic feet, 2.56 yd³, about 3.6 tons. Open the 6 in version in the calculator.
Gravel for common shed sizes
Pad = shed + 1 ft on each side. Crushed stone at 1.4 tons per cubic yard, 15% extra included. Click a number to open it in the calculator.
| Shed | Gravel pad | 4 in deep | 6 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 × 8 ft | 8 × 10 ft | 1.14 yd³ / 1.59 t | 1.7 yd³ / 2.39 t |
| 8 × 10 ft | 10 × 12 ft | 1.7 yd³ / 2.39 t | 2.56 yd³ / 3.58 t |
| 8 × 12 ft | 10 × 14 ft | 1.99 yd³ / 2.78 t | 2.98 yd³ / 4.17 t |
| 10 × 12 ft | 12 × 14 ft | 2.39 yd³ / 3.34 t | 3.58 yd³ / 5.01 t |
| 10 × 16 ft | 12 × 18 ft | 3.07 yd³ / 4.29 t | 4.6 yd³ / 6.44 t |
| 12 × 16 ft | 14 × 18 ft | 3.58 yd³ / 5.01 t | 5.37 yd³ / 7.51 t |
| 12 × 20 ft | 14 × 22 ft | 4.37 yd³ / 6.12 t | 6.56 yd³ / 9.18 t |
On soft or uneven ground, or if you are filling low spots to get the pad level, plan on about 20% extra instead of 15%. Ordering a little over is cheaper than a second delivery fee.
What kind of gravel to use
Use angular crushed stone, roughly ½ to ¾ inch (often sold as ¾ in clean crushed stone or #57 stone). The sharp edges lock together when you tamp them, so the pad stays flat. Avoid pea gravel for a shed base: the round stones roll and shift under load and are hard to keep level.
Crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard for planning, but it varies by rock type and moisture. Ask your supplier what their stone weighs per yard if they sell by the ton.
Bags vs bulk delivery
A 0.5 cubic foot bag of gravel weighs about 50 lb, and it takes 54 of them to make one cubic yard. Even the smallest pad in the chart (8 × 10 at 4 in) is about 62 bags. For most shed pads, bulk crushed stone from a landscape supply yard is cheaper and far less lifting; bags make sense when a truck can’t reach the spot or you are topping up an existing pad.
Common mistakes
- Sizing the pad to the shed footprint. Add about 1 ft on every side, or the walls end up right at the edge of the stone.
- Forgetting compaction. Loose stone settles when you tamp it. Order 15–20% more than the raw volume.
- Leaving depth in inches. Multiply length × width × (inches ÷ 12), not length × width × inches.
- Using round stone. Pea gravel and river rock shift. Crushed, angular stone packs.
- Skipping the instructions. Some sheds call for blocks, skids or a slab. Check the maker’s foundation guide and any local permit rules first.
Shopping list for an 8 × 10 shed (10 × 12 pad, 4 in)
- About 1.7 cubic yards (2.4 tons) of ¾ in crushed stone — buy locally from a landscape supply yard, or 92 bags of 0.5 cu ft
- Landscape fabric for about 120 sq ft plus overlap: shop landscape fabric
- Hand tamper to compact the stone in layers: shop hand tampers
- Landscape rake to spread it flat: shop landscape rakes
- 4 ft level (or a long straight board and a level) to check the pad: shop 4 ft levels
- Optional frame: about 44 ft of pressure-treated timber around the edge to hold the stone in — lumber yard or home center
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More on gravel by the yard and ton: how much gravel do I need. Doing a driveway too? See how much gravel for a driveway. Building a patio instead? See how much paver base for a 10×10 patio, or price out a slab with the concrete calculator.
FAQ
How much gravel do I need for an 8 × 10 shed?
About 1.7 cubic yards (2.4 tons) of crushed stone for a 10 × 12 pad at 4 inches deep, with 15% extra for compaction. At 6 inches it is about 2.6 cubic yards (3.6 tons).
How big should a gravel pad be for a shed?
About 1 foot bigger than the shed on every side, so 2 feet longer and 2 feet wider overall. A 10 × 12 shed sits on a 12 × 14 pad.
How deep should gravel be under a shed?
Commonly 4 to 6 inches of compacted crushed stone. Follow your shed maker’s foundation instructions if they give a different depth.
What is the best gravel for a shed base?
Angular crushed stone about ½ to ¾ inch, often sold as ¾ in clean or #57 stone. It locks together when tamped. Avoid round pea gravel.
How many bags of gravel for a shed base?
About 92 bags of 0.5 cu ft for a 10 × 12 pad at 4 inches, with 15% extra. For most pads, bulk stone from a supply yard is cheaper.
Sources: LP Outdoor Building Solutions, “Prepare your yard” (gravel pad at least 4 in deep, about 1 ft past the shed on each side, ½–¾ in crushed stone); SitePrep (4–6 in of ¾ in clean crushed stone, pad 12 in wider than the shed on each side). Estimates for planning only; confirm with your supplier and your shed maker’s instructions.