Gravel Needed for 50 square meters at 5 cm Deep

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How much gravel do I need for 50 square meters?

Answer

Covering 50 square meters with gravel 5 cm deep takes
2.5 m³

That is 2,500 L, weighing 4,228–4,598 kg (4.23–4.6 tonnes) as it is delivered. Order 2.75 m³ to allow 10% for waste.

How the Volume Is Worked Out

Cubic metres = square metres × centimetres ÷ 100

The hundred is exact, not a fudge factor: a one-centimetre layer is a hundredth of a metre, so a cubic metre spread that thin covers exactly 100 m². No density is involved, which is why the volume is the part of this answer that is exact.

50 square meters × 5 cm

=

2.5 m³

(2,500 L)

Ordering: the WSDOT Design Manual advises adding 10% to a calculated quantity when the material is stockpiled, to allow for waste — that is 2.75 m³ here.

50 square meters at Other Depths

Depth is an input, and every row below is a page of its own — set it in the form or follow a link. Decorative gravel used as a mulch goes 2–5 cm deep; a gravel path or driveway is a different job and wants 10–15 cm over a compacted base.

Depth Gravel Litres One cubic metre covers Weight
2 cm1 m³1,000 L50 square meters1,691–1,839 kg
5 cm2.5 m³2,500 L20 square meters4,228–4,598 kg
8 cm4 m³4,000 L12.5 square meters6,764–7,356 kg
10 cm5 m³5,000 L10 square meters8,455–9,195 kg
15 cm7.5 m³7,500 L6.67 square meters12,683–13,793 kg

What This Much Gravel Weighs

2.5 m³ weigh 4,228–4,598 kg — 4.23–4.6 tonnes — at truck measure, which is the state the material arrives in and the state you pay for. The figure comes from 1,691–1,839 kg per cubic metre.

Truck measure is not compacted. The same gravel compacted in place runs 2,017–2,254 kg per cubic metre — about 20% heavier. Both figures are from the WSDOT Design Manual M 22-01.23, Exhibit 620-1, whose subject is road gravel base rather than garden pea gravel, and both are dry weights: wet material is heavier again.

See Also

Gravel Calculator

This calculator works out how much gravel an area needs: enter the area and it returns the volume in cubic metres and litres, the weight range in kilograms and tonnes, and how much ground one cubic metre covers. For example, it can help you find out how much gravel do I need for 50 square meters? (The answer is: 2.5 m³). Enter the area (e.g. 50 square meters), choose the unit and set the depth — 5 cm by default, anything from 1–60 cm is accepted and gets its own page.
Recalculate with different values ↑

Gravel by Area at 5 cm Deep

AreaGravel neededLitresWeight as delivered
5 square meters0.25 m³250 L423–460 kg
10 square meters0.5 m³500 L846–920 kg
15 square meters0.75 m³750 L1,268–1,379 kg
20 square meters1 m³1,000 L1,691–1,839 kg
25 square meters1.25 m³1,250 L2,114–2,299 kg
30 square meters1.5 m³1,500 L2,537–2,759 kg
40 square meters2 m³2,000 L3,382–3,678 kg
50 square meters2.5 m³2,500 L4,228–4,598 kg
60 square meters3 m³3,000 L5,073–5,517 kg
80 square meters4 m³4,000 L6,764–7,356 kg
100 square meters5 m³5,000 L8,455–9,195 kg
120 square meters6 m³6,000 L10,146–11,034 kg
150 square meters7.5 m³7,500 L12,683–13,793 kg
200 square meters10 m³10,000 L16,910–18,390 kg

FAQ

How much gravel do I need for 50 square meters?

Covering 50 square meters with gravel 5 cm deep takes 2.5 m³

How many tonnes of gravel is 50 square meters?

2.5 m³ of gravel weigh 4,228–4,598 kg as delivered — 4.23–4.6 tonnes. The range is the density of the material itself: truck measure runs 1,691–1,839 kg per cubic metre, and those are dry weights.

How much gravel should I order for 50 square meters?

Order 2.75 m³ rather than 2.5 m³: the WSDOT Design Manual advises adding 10% to the calculated quantity when material is stockpiled, to allow for waste.

How much area does one cubic metre cover over 50 square meters?

At 5 cm deep one cubic metre covers 20 square meters, because a cubic metre spread one centimetre thick covers 100 m². Divide 100 by the depth in centimetres to get the coverage at any other thickness.

See Also