1980
Pebble mulch chart
Put your bed area, pebble mulch depth and waste allowance in: 6800 sq ft at 3 inches with 10% waste needs 7,480.00 sq ft, 69.26 cubic yards exact — order 70 cubic yards.
★ CONSTRUCTION · MULCH · PEBBLE MULCH CHART
Pebble Mulch Chart: 6800 Sq Ft, 3 Inches, Order 70 Yards
On the defaults — a 6800 square foot bed at 3 inches deep with a 10% waste allowance — you need 7,480.00 square feet of cover, 69.26 cubic yards exact, so order 70 cubic yards. This is the PEBBLE version — the mulch chart for pebbles, smooth rounded stones in soft grey and tan tones, spread for beds and paths, that never break down.
What does 69.26 cubic yards of pebble mulch mean?
It means a 6800 square foot bed, once the 10% waste allowance is added, needs 7,480.00 square feet of cover at 3 inches deep — 1,870.00 cubic feet, which is 69.26 cubic yards. Because mulch is sold by the whole yard, you order 70 cubic yards: the exact figure sits 0.74 yards below the next whole yard, so the order carries 0.74 yards of headroom for spillage and uneven ground. At 3 inches, one cubic yard covers 108.0 square feet, so the same bed at 2 inches would need only 46.17 yards, and at 4 inches it would need 92.35 yards.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Area needed | area × (1 + waste ÷ 100) | 7,480.00 sq ft — 6800 × 1.10. |
| Volume in cubic feet | area needed × depth ÷ 12 | 1,870.00 cubic feet — 7,480.00 × 3 ÷ 12. |
| Exact volume | area needed × depth ÷ 324 | 69.26 cubic yards — 7,480.00 × 3 ÷ 324. |
| Order quantity | round exact volume up to a whole yard | 70 cubic yards — the next whole yard above 69.26. |
| Coverage per yard | 324 ÷ depth | 108.0 sq ft per yard — 324 ÷ 3. |
| Area behind a target volume | target volume × 324 ÷ depth ÷ (1 + waste ÷ 100) | 6800 sq ft — 69.26 × 324 ÷ 3 ÷ 1.10, rounded. |
| Depth behind a target volume | area needed × depth ÷ 324, solved for depth | 3 inches — the depth that turns 7,480.00 sq ft into 69.26 yards. |
| Waste behind a target volume | target volume × 324 ÷ depth ÷ area − 1, as a percent | 10% — the allowance that turns 6800 sq ft into 7,480.00 sq ft. |
Three things to check before you trust the number
First, measure the bed honestly: length times width for each bed, added together, with L-shaped beds split into rectangles. A guessed area moves the order by the same percentage as the guess. Second, keep the depth honest: pebbles do not break down, so the layer you spread is the layer that stays — but the stones scatter onto paths and lawns when raked or walked on, so edge the bed if you want the depth to hold. Third, do not skip the waste allowance on pebbles: the stones are rounded and heavy, so they settle into place well, but spillage at the edges and uneven ground still eat into the load, so the 10% allowance is the difference between finishing the bed and running short with the truck already gone. The headline order of 70 yards carries 0.74 yards of headroom, which covers ordinary spillage on a bed like this one.
Worked example
Area 6800 sq ft, depth 3 inches, waste 10%. Area needed: 6800 × 1.10 = 7,480.00 sq ft. Exact volume: 7,480.00 × 3 ÷ 324 = 69.26 cubic yards. Order: round 69.26 up to 70 cubic yards. Drop the waste to 0% and the exact volume falls to 62.96 yards, order 63; raise the waste to 5% and it is 66.11 yards, order 67; raise it to 15% and it is 72.41 yards, order 73. Drop the depth to 2 inches and it falls to 46.17 yards, order 47; raise it to 4 inches and it climbs to 92.35 yards, order 93. Depth moves the answer faster than waste does, because every inch adds a full layer across the whole bed.
Pebble mulch lookup table
Every row below applies 10% waste to the area first, then divides by 324: yards = area needed × depth ÷ 324, rounded up to the next whole yard for the order. Find your bed size and depth, read across, and order the last column.
| Area (sq ft) | Depth (inches) | Area needed (sq ft, 10% waste) | Exact (cubic yards) | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250 | 2 | 275.00 | 1.70 | 2 cubic yards |
| 250 | 3 | 275.00 | 2.55 | 3 cubic yards |
| 500 | 2 | 550.00 | 3.40 | 4 cubic yards |
| 500 | 3 | 550.00 | 5.09 | 6 cubic yards |
| 750 | 3 | 825.00 | 7.64 | 8 cubic yards |
| 750 | 4 | 825.00 | 10.19 | 11 cubic yards |
| 1000 | 2 | 1,100.00 | 6.79 | 7 cubic yards |
| 1000 | 3 | 1,100.00 | 10.19 | 11 cubic yards |
| 1200 | 2 | 1,320.00 | 8.15 | 9 cubic yards |
| 1400 | 3 | 1,540.00 | 14.26 | 15 cubic yards |
| 1500 | 3 | 1,650.00 | 15.28 | 16 cubic yards |
| 1500 | 4 | 1,650.00 | 20.37 | 21 cubic yards |
| 1750 | 2 | 1,925.00 | 11.88 | 12 cubic yards |
| 2000 | 3 | 2,200.00 | 20.37 | 21 cubic yards |
| 2500 | 3 | 2,750.00 | 25.46 | 26 cubic yards |
| 3000 | 2 | 3,300.00 | 20.37 | 21 cubic yards |
Every branch, checked
A 6800 square foot bed at 3-inch depth with 0% waste gives 62.96 cubic yards exact, order 63 cubic yards. The same bed at 2-inch depth with 10% waste gives 46.17 cubic yards exact, order 47 cubic yards. A 6500 square foot bed at 3-inch depth with 10% waste gives 66.20 cubic yards exact, order 67 cubic yards. A 7100 square foot bed at 3-inch depth with 10% waste gives 72.31 cubic yards exact, order 73 cubic yards. Each branch changes exactly one input, so the difference from 69.26 isolates that input.
The reverses, worked backwards
The area behind 69.26 cubic yards is 6800 sq ft: at 6500 sq ft the figures are 66.20 cubic yards exact, order 67 cubic yards, and at 7100 sq ft they are 72.31 cubic yards exact, order 73 cubic yards. The depth behind 69.26 cubic yards is 3 inches: at 2 inches the figures are 46.17 cubic yards exact, order 47 cubic yards, and at 4 inches they are 92.35 cubic yards exact, order 93 cubic yards — one inch either way moves the order by about 23.1 yards. The waste behind 69.26 cubic yards is 10%: at 5% the figures are 66.11 cubic yards exact, order 67 cubic yards, and at 15% they are 72.41 cubic yards exact, order 73 cubic yards.
What the defaults assume
The defaults assume a flat 6800 square foot bed, a uniform 3-inch layer, and a 10% waste allowance. Real pebble beds are rarely flat: slopes shed stones downhill, paths and tree trunks eat into the area, and loose stones wander into the lawn, so measure the planted area only and keep the waste allowance on sloped ground. Zero square feet is the honest edge: 0.00 cubic yards exact, order 0. A depth of zero or below, a negative area, or a negative waste allowance is rejected, because none of them describes a real bed.
Who uses this
A gardener dressing beds with pebbles: the 6800 square foot headline is a large garden bed, and the table covers everything from a 250 square foot border to a 3000 square foot yard. A landscaper quoting a pebble job: the waste column protects the quote, and the order column is the number given to the supplier. A homesteader spreading bulk pebbles on paths: the 3-inch rows are the bed depths, and the 2-inch rows are the path depths. A community garden coordinator splitting a bulk delivery: each plot reads its own row, and the orders add up to the truckload.
Accuracy & limitations
The arithmetic is exact for the inputs entered; the judgement is in the inputs. A guessed area, a depth measured before the stones scatter, or a skipped waste allowance will each move the answer by exactly the amount of the error, every load. The model does not include stones scattering into lawns, delivery minimums, or compaction — a supplier may sell only in whole yards or charge extra below a minimum, so confirm the order quantity with the supplier. This page is a calculation tool, not landscaping advice.
Cite this calculator
Pebble mulch 6800 sq ft at 3-inch depth with 10% waste needs 7,480.00 sq ft, 69.26 cubic yards exact, order 70 yards. Free calculator, plus 16-row table. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/pebble-mulch-chart/, accessed 31 October 2026 (2026-10-31).
Frequently asked questions
Why does the table apply waste to the area first?
Because waste is lost cover: spillage, scattering and uneven ground mean you need more covered area than the bed measures. Adding 10% to the area, then converting to yards, keeps the waste in the same units as the bed. Applying it after the conversion gives the same number here, but the area-first order keeps the table readable.
How deep should pebble mulch really be?
Three inches is the standard bed layer on this page, and 2 inches suit paths and top-ups. Pebbles do not break down, so a 3-inch spread stays 3 inches; if stones shift or scatter, rake them back or top up the thin spots.
Does pebble mulch introduce weed seeds?
Pebble is mineral, so it carries no weed seeds at all; weeds can still root in the dust and debris that collects on top of it, so use fabric underneath and clear the debris. This calculator prices volume only and does not judge the gardening choice.
What if my bed is not a rectangle?
Split it into rectangles, measure each, and add the areas before entering the total. A circle uses radius times radius times 3.14. Guessing one number for an irregular bed is the most common reason orders come up short.
Why order 70 yards when the exact figure is 69.26?
Because mulch is sold by the whole yard, and 69.26 rounds up to 70 — the order carries 0.74 yards of headroom for spillage and uneven ground. That headroom is the buffer the exact figure does not have.
Can I use this chart for other mulch types?
The volume math is the same for any loose mulch — area, depth and waste convert the same way — but settling and coverage differ by material. Pebbles do not settle like bark, so use the pebble rows for pebbles and the matching chart for bark or wood chips.