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Decomposed granite chip chart calculator
Put your area, depth and waste allowance in: 800 sq ft at 3 inches with 10% waste needs 880.00 sq ft — 8.15 cubic yards exact, order 9 cubic yards.
★ CONSTRUCTION · LANDSCAPING · DECOMPOSED GRANITE
Decomposed Granite Chip Chart: 800 Sq Ft, 3 Inches, 9 Yards
On the defaults — 800 square feet of decomposed granite chips at 3 inches deep with a 10% waste allowance — you need 880.00 square feet of cover, which is 8.15 cubic yards exact, so order 9 cubic yards. This is the DECOMPOSED GRANITE chart — crushed granite fines for paths and patios priced by the yard — the pea-gravel-chip-chart page is the PEA GRAVEL version — small rounded stone for paths and beds priced the same way; the volcanic-rock-chip-chart page is the VOLCANIC ROCK version — dark porous stone for beds priced the same way; the terracotta-chip-chart page is the TERRACOTTA version — warm clay chips for beds priced the same way; and the crushed-glass-chip-chart page is the CRUSHED GLASS version — recycled glass chips for beds priced the same way.
What does 8.15 cubic yards of decomposed granite chips mean?
It means that 800 square feet at 3 inches deep, plus a 10% waste allowance, needs 880.00 square feet of cover — and at 108 square feet per cubic yard at this depth, that is 8.15 cubic yards exact, so 9 yards ordered. The three lines are the whole story in miniature: the waste line grows the area, the coverage line converts depth into square feet per yard, and the order line rounds up so the job is never left short. The part people get wrong is ordering the exact figure: 8.15 yards ordered as 8 leaves part of the path bare, while ordering 9 leaves a small surplus that tops up thin spots. The other part people get wrong is the reverse — measuring the loose depth off the truck instead of the settled depth, which understates the order by exactly the settling gap.
Three things to check before you trust the number
Is 800 square feet really the area? Eight hundred square feet is the path size, and it is the figure the needed area turns on: the 1000-square-foot branch needs 10.19 cubic yards against the 8.15 headline, so a 200-square-foot measuring difference is about 2 yards. Measure at the widest points, split irregular shapes into rectangles, and re-check any area paced out rather than taped — a guessed area is the fastest way to misstate the order.
Is 3 inches really the settled depth? Three inches is the finished layer, and it is the figure the coverage turns on: the 2-inch branch needs only 5.43 cubic yards against the 8.15 headline, so a 1-inch depth difference is about 2.7 yards. A depth taken loose off the truck settles thinner, so enter the depth the path should hold after compacting and rain, not the depth it holds on delivery day.
Does 10% waste fit your ground? Ten percent is the allowance, and it is the figure the needed area turns on: the 0%-waste branch needs 7.41 cubic yards against the 8.15 headline, so the allowance itself is about three quarters of a yard here. Flat, edged paths hold close to 10%; rough, sloped or unedged ground spills more, and a bigger allowance is cheaper than a second delivery fee.
Worked example
On the defaults: 800 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste.
- Needed area: 800 × 1.10 is 880.00 square feet.
- Coverage per cubic yard: 324 ÷ 3 is 108 square feet.
- Exact cubic yards: 880.00 × 3 ÷ 324 is 8.15.
- Order: 8.15 rounded up is 9 cubic yards — the adjusted area times depth, divided by 324, rounded up to order.
And the other way: the area behind 8.15 cubic yards is 800 square feet, the depth behind it is 3 inches, and the waste behind it is 10%. With 0 square feet the model honestly shows 0.00 cubic yards, because an empty path needs no stone — an edge that shows the area is entered independently of the depth.
Decomposed granite chip lookup table
Every row below is the same formula at 10% waste: needed area is area × 1.10, exact cubic yards are needed area × depth ÷ 324, and the order is the exact figure rounded up. Find your area row and depth column, or use the calculator above for any size the table does not list.
| Area (sq ft) | Depth (inches) | Needed area (sq ft) | Exact cubic yards | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | 2 | 440.00 | 2.72 | 3 cubic yards |
| 400 | 3 | 440.00 | 4.07 | 5 cubic yards |
| 400 | 4 | 440.00 | 5.43 | 6 cubic yards |
| 400 | 6 | 440.00 | 8.15 | 9 cubic yards |
| 700 | 2 | 770.00 | 4.75 | 5 cubic yards |
| 700 | 3 | 770.00 | 7.13 | 8 cubic yards |
| 700 | 4 | 770.00 | 9.51 | 10 cubic yards |
| 700 | 6 | 770.00 | 14.26 | 15 cubic yards |
| 900 | 2 | 990.00 | 6.11 | 7 cubic yards |
| 900 | 3 | 990.00 | 9.17 | 10 cubic yards |
| 900 | 4 | 990.00 | 12.22 | 13 cubic yards |
| 900 | 6 | 990.00 | 18.33 | 19 cubic yards |
| 1200 | 2 | 1,320.00 | 8.15 | 9 cubic yards |
| 1200 | 3 | 1,320.00 | 12.22 | 13 cubic yards |
| 1200 | 4 | 1,320.00 | 16.30 | 17 cubic yards |
| 1200 | 6 | 1,320.00 | 24.44 | 25 cubic yards |
Every branch, checked
- 800 square feet, 3-inch depth, 0% waste: 800 square feet, 3-inch depth, 0% waste: 7.41 cubic yards exact — order 8 cubic yards.
- 800 square feet, 2-inch depth, 10% waste: 800 square feet, 2-inch depth, 10% waste: 5.43 cubic yards exact — order 6 cubic yards.
- 1000 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste: 1000 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste: 10.19 cubic yards exact — order 11 cubic yards.
- 400 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste: 400 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste: 4.07 cubic yards exact — order 5 cubic yards.
The reverses, worked backwards
- Area behind 8.15 cubic yards: 800 sq ft — at 800 sq ft the figures are 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 7.64 cubic yards exact — order 8 cubic yards.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 8.66 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards..
- Depth behind 8.15 cubic yards: 3 inches — at 3 inches the figures are 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 6.79 cubic yards exact — order 7 cubic yards.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 9.51 cubic yards exact — order 10 cubic yards..
- Waste behind 8.15 cubic yards: 10% waste — at 10% waste the figures are 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards.; at the lower neighbor the figures are 7.78 cubic yards exact — order 8 cubic yards.; at the upper neighbor the figures are 8.52 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards..
What the defaults assume
The defaults are 800 square feet at 3 inches with 10% waste, so the headline is one path or patio with a common working depth and a standard allowance for spillage and uneven ground. The model is a multiplication, a division and a round-up: the needed area is area times one plus waste, the exact yards are needed area times depth divided by 324, and the order is the exact figure rounded up to the next whole yard. The area reverse is checked at 50 square feet either side, because 50 square feet at 3 inches with waste is about half a yard; the depth reverse is checked at half an inch either side, because half an inch over 880 square feet is about 1.4 yards; the waste reverse is checked at 5 points either side, because 5 points on 800 square feet at 3 inches is about 0.4 of a yard. The model does not include delivery fees, edging, landscape fabric, or compaction beyond the settled depth — price those separately, and re-check the order when the path size or the depth changes.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Needed area | area × (1 + waste ÷ 100) | 880.00 sq ft — 800 × 1.10. |
| Coverage per cubic yard | 324 ÷ depth in inches | 108 sq ft — 324 ÷ 3. |
| Exact cubic yards | needed area × depth ÷ 324 | 8.15 — 880.00 × 3 ÷ 324. |
| Order | exact cubic yards, rounded up | 9 cubic yards — 8.15 rounded up. |
| 800 square feet, 3-inch depth, 0% waste | same model | 7.41 cubic yards exact — order 8 cubic yards. |
| 800 square feet, 2-inch depth, 10% waste | same model | 5.43 cubic yards exact — order 6 cubic yards. |
| 1000 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste | same model | 10.19 cubic yards exact — order 11 cubic yards. |
| 400 square feet, 3-inch depth, 10% waste | same model | 4.07 cubic yards exact — order 5 cubic yards. |
| Area behind 8.15 cubic yards | reverse | 800 sq ft: 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards. |
| Depth behind 8.15 cubic yards | reverse | 3 inches: 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards. |
| Waste behind 8.15 cubic yards | reverse | 10% waste: 8.15 cubic yards exact — order 9 cubic yards. |
| 0 square feet | same model | 0.00 cubic yards exact — order 0 cubic yards. |
| Negative area | same model | Area — 0 or more. |
| Zero depth | same model | Depth — more than 0. |
| Negative waste | same model | Waste allowance — 0 or more. |
| 324 square feet, 0% waste | same model | 3.00 cubic yards exact — order 3 cubic yards. |
Who uses this
- A gardener dressing a path with decomposed granite chips — 800 square feet at 3 inches is 9 yards ordered, with the lookup table covering the common path sizes at a glance before the calculator is touched.
- A landscaper quoting a granite chip job — the branches price a larger path or a thinner layer at once, so a quote can be adjusted on site without redoing the arithmetic.
- A homeowner checking a delivery ticket — the reverses recover the area, depth or waste behind any quoted yardage, so a short delivery can be spotted against the measured path.
- A garden center clerk answering a coverage question — the coverage figure of 108 square feet per cubic yard at 3 inches converts any path size into yards in one division.
Accuracy & limitations
Figures are the model’s own arithmetic on the numbers you type, computed from unrounded values and displayed rounded HALF_UP to 2dp, with the order rounded up to the next whole yard. The main limitation is the inputs, not the arithmetic: whether the area is measured at the widest points, whether the depth is the settled layer, and whether the waste allowance fits the ground are all judgement calls, and this page prices the figures you enter without checking them. This page is a calculation tool, not landscaping advice.
Cite this calculator
800 sq ft of decomposed granite chips at 3 inches with 10% waste needs 880.00 sq ft: 8.15 cubic yards exact, order 9 yards. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/decomposed-granite-chip-chart/, accessed 29 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Why 324 in the formula?
Because a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, and a square foot times an inch is one twelfth of a cubic foot: 27 × 12 is 324, so area in square feet times depth in inches divided by 324 gives cubic yards directly. The constant is unit conversion, not a property of decomposed granite.
Why round up instead of rounding to nearest?
Because a short path cannot be finished with a fraction of a delivery: 8.15 yards ordered as 8 leaves 0.15 yards of path bare, while ordering 9 leaves a small surplus that tops up thin spots. Rounding up is the only direction that never leaves the job unfinished.
What if my path is an irregular shape?
Split it into rectangles and triangles, work out each piece, and add the areas before typing the total in: a curved path measured as one big rectangle overstates the order, while a winding path measured at its widest points alone does the same. Measure twice, order once.
Does decomposed granite settle after delivery?
Yes — a loose layer compacts under foot traffic and rain, so the depth to enter is the finished, settled depth, not the fluffy depth straight off the truck. If you order for 3 inches loose and it settles to 2.5, the path ends up thin; the waste allowance helps, but it does not replace measuring the settled layer.
How deep should decomposed granite be for a path?
Three inches is the usual working depth for a garden path: deep enough to stay put and drain, shallow enough to walk on without wading. Driveways and heavy-use areas go deeper, and anything under 2 inches tends to scatter and expose the ground beneath within a season.
Can I use the table instead of the calculator?
Yes, when your size is listed: every row is the same formula at 10% waste, so find your area and depth and read the order straight off. For any size the table does not list, or any waste allowance other than 10%, use the calculator above — it runs the identical arithmetic on your exact numbers.