Estimate gravel for a shed pad using the full prepared footprint.
Get the preparation sheet for your exact shed and installation method. Record three different boundaries: the shed footprint, the aggregate pad and the crew's working clearance. Clearance space is not automatically space to fill with gravel.
For example, Apex Shed Company's preparation sheet specifies crushed rock and discusses working clearance separately from pad extension. These are that supplier's instructions, not a universal specification for every shed. Confirm the current requirements for your model before using its dimensions or material description.
An original measurement example: a 10 × 12 ft shed with a confirmed 1 ft extension on each side needs a 12 × 14 ft footprint, or 168 sq ft. Adding only 1 ft to each overall dimension gives 11 × 13 = 143 sq ft. At an illustrative 4 in layer, that misunderstanding omits 25 × 4 ÷ 324 = 0.308642 cu yd before any conversion or allowance. The example is geometry, not a recommended pad extension or thickness.
Ask the installer to mark the four extensions on a sketch. Enter the resulting full pad length and width below. Keep measured depth zones separate on sloping ground; a rectangular footprint alone does not define the required fill.
Use the multi-area planner for the confirmed pad and the quote checklist for the excluded work. Only use the fabric planner if a suitable separator is actually specified.
Material-choice review: November 2, 2026. These are planning choices, not a site inspection or a drainage specification.
These are independent worksheets. Inputs do not transfer between them. Use the download button beside the result you want to keep.
Whole packages round up. Prices include only the items you enter. Delivery, tax and installation may be extra.
Use the prepared footprint and measured fill zones supplied for the pad. A shallow-edge reading does not describe deeper portions.
This example uses a 14 × 12 ft prepared rectangle. Compare a uniformly measured 3 in loose layer with two 14 × 6 ft zones measured at 3 and 6 in. The zones partition the pad; their areas must not overlap. They are simplified survey scenarios, not a recommendation to build on a slope.
Original hypothetical scenarios for checking the arithmetic. Depths, conversion factors and buying increments are editable assumptions, not construction or product recommendations. The two cases are alternatives, not quantities to add.
Factor 1; extra 10%; bag yield 0.5 cu ft; bulk increment 0.25 cu yd; individual bags.
Factor 1; extra 10%; bag yield 0.5 cu ft; bulk increment 0.25 cu yd; individual bags.
Loading a case replaces the multi-area worksheet’s measurements and resets its prices to unknown. Save your own worksheet first. These buttons require JavaScript; all example quantities remain readable above.
The footprint stays 168 sq ft while the second scenario requires 50% more raw material. The final bulk purchase also reflects quarter-yard rounding. This quantity worksheet cannot establish foundation bearing, retaining needs, finished elevation or the shed manufacturer’s support requirements.
Attach the shed supplier’s prepared-pad footprint and foundation specification. Confirm fill grade, finished level, access, compaction basis and whether a retaining border or excavation is priced separately.
Record the separate foundation and delivery scope before comparing pad quotes.
Combine non-overlapping rectangles at different depths, subtract exclusions and round bags once for the total. All rows must use the same material. This worksheet is independent of the quick calculator above.
How to split an irregular area · How to compare a bulk quote with bags
Enter the pad dimensions including the extension specified by your shed installer. Use a loose-order depth or convert the compacted volume with your supplier.
Length (ft): 14 · Width (ft): 12 · Material depth (in): 4 · Bag yield (cu ft): 0.5 · Extra material (%): 10.
These inputs produce 2.28 cubic yards to order. Change the measurements above to match your project.
Use the entire prepared pad footprint specified by the shed supplier, including any required extension. Divide a sloping or stepped area into measured depth zones. The shed floor dimensions alone may not describe the material footprint.
A 14 × 12 ft pad at an illustrative 4 in depth occupies 2.0741 cu yd. With 10% extra and factor one, the order is 2.2815 cu yd. A second 4 × 3 ft area at the same depth adds 0.1481 cu yd before allowance; combine the raw volumes before converting to bags.
An average depth must be measured, not guessed from one corner. On a slope, using the shallow end for the entire pad underestimates fill, but using the deepest end throughout can overestimate it. Material quantity does not verify bearing or retention requirements.
Confirm the shed manufacturer’s foundation specification, material grade, drainage, finished elevation and site preparation. If a perimeter retains fill, its structural suitability is a separate design issue. Ask whether delivery equipment can reach the pad.
No. The calculator covers gravel volume only. Border, anchors, fabric and any concrete work are separate.
Yes, if you also use a supplier-confirmed loose-volume factor. The tool does not prescribe that factor or the compacted depth.
This worksheet uses the geometry and editable assumptions shown above. Product specifications and local quotes determine the inputs.
YardTakeoff · Revised October 21, 2026 · Formula checks and scope · Report a calculation error