How much gravel for a 12×16 shed base?
A 12 × 16 ft shed needs about 6.13 tons of crusher run for a 14 × 18 ft pad 4 inches deep once it is compacted: 3.11 cubic yards in place, 3.89 cubic yards loose, plus 5% waste. The 12 × 16 is the shed; the pad is a foot wider on every side.
How to work it out
- 18 ft × 14 ft = 252 sq ft
- 252 sq ft × 4 in ÷ 12 = 84 cu ft ÷ 27 = 3.11 cu yd
- 3.11 cu yd compacted × 1.25 = 3.89 cu yd loose × 1.5 tons/cu yd = 5.83 tons
- + 5% waste = 6.13 tons
- Effective rate: ≈ 1.97 tons per cu yd compacted
- Bulk: 6.13 tons rounded up to the next ½ ton = 6.5 tons
At 192 sq ft, a 12 × 16 shed is a workshop or a small barn, often with a loft and a ramp for a mower or motorbike. That weight on a point load (a riding mower wheel, a workbench leg) is why this example uses crusher run — crushed stone mixed with its own dust — compacted hard with a rented plate compactor, instead of loose stone. The pad is 14 × 18 ft, 252 sq ft. For a smaller shed, see how much gravel for a 10×12 shed base.
Adjust for your project
More options: Compaction · Waste · Price …
- Loose volume (as delivered)
- 4.08 cu yd (110 cu ft)
- Bulk order (rounded up)
- 6.5 tons
- Quarries and landscape yards sell by the ton or half ton and deliver in full loads — ask about minimum orders and short-load fees.
Crusher run for a 14×18 pad, 4 in deep, by how much it compacts
| Compaction (loose → compacted) | Gravel to order | Loose volume (as delivered) |
|---|---|---|
| 15% | 5.64 tons | 3.76 cu yd |
| 20% | 5.88 tons | 3.92 cu yd |
| 25% | 6.13 tons | 4.08 cu yd |
| 30% | 6.37 tons | 4.25 cu yd |
What to know about a 12×16 shed base
Six tons is a full load for a small dump truck, so have it tipped as close to the pad as the driveway allows and put a tarp down first. Spread it in two lifts of about 2 in, wet each lift lightly and run the plate compactor over it until it stops moving. Crusher run shrinks as the dust fills the gaps — about a fifth of its loose volume — which is why the order is so much bigger than the pad’s 3.11 cubic yards suggests.
Make sure the pad is level in both directions before the shed goes on: a 16 ft long floor that is an inch out makes doors bind. A laser level or a long straightedge on a screed board is worth borrowing.
If your shed will sit on concrete blocks or runners rather than directly on the stone, some builders use clean #57 stone instead, because it drains faster and does not need a plate compactor. Either way, avoid pea gravel under a building this heavy.
Working in metres? The metric version of a pad like this is how much gravel for 20 m² at 10 cm.
Different size? Use the full Gravel Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Bow rake / landscape rakeBudget price
Steel tines for spreading gravel and soil and leveling it flat. The flat back of a bow rake doubles as a leveling tool.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Heavy-duty tarpBudget price
Put it down where the truck dumps: it protects the driveway and makes the last shovelfuls easy to scoop up.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Hand tamper (8 × 8 in or 10 × 10 in)Budget price
Compacts gravel in small areas and along edges where a rented plate compactor won’t reach. For a whole patio base, rent the plate compactor.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How much gravel for a 12×16 shed base 6 inches deep?
About 9.19 tons of crusher run for the 14 × 18 ft pad, compacted to 6 in, with 5% waste. Most people go to 6 in on clay or wet ground.
How much #57 stone for a 12×16 shed pad?
About 4.8 tons of #57 stone for a 14 × 18 ft pad 4 inches deep, with 5% waste. Clean stone barely shrinks when tamped, so it takes noticeably less tonnage than crusher run for the same pad.
How much gravel if the 12×16 pad is the same size as the shed?
A pad exactly 12 × 16 ft at 4 inches takes about 4.67 tons of crusher run once compacted, but the shed walls then sit right on the crumbly edge. A foot of margin all round is the usual advice.
Other common sizes
- How much gravel for a 10×12 shed base — 3.2 tons
- How much gravel for a 10×10 area — 1.91 tons
- How much pea gravel for a 3×30 ft garden path — 1.26 tons
- How much gravel for 20 m² at 10 cm — 3.66 tonnes
Sources
- FHWA — Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide (2015) (opens in a new tab) — Why crushed, fractured stone holds under load better than rounded stone
- Wisconsin DOT research report 0092-22-05 — Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates (2024) (opens in a new tab) — WisDOT conversion factors for compacted dense-graded base: 1.75–2.1 tons per cubic yard (Table 1.2); measured 1.78–1.98 (Table E2)
- FHWA-HRT-15-034 — Strength Characterization of Open-Graded Aggregates for Structural Backfills (opens in a new tab) — No. 57 stone: minimum (loosest) 95.4 pcf, maximum (vibrated) 108.7 pcf dry unit weight (Table 7)
- Gravel Monkey — How many tons of gravel in a dump truck? (opens in a new tab) — Typical payloads: single-axle about 6–10 tons, tandem 12–16, tri-axle 18–25; gravel hits the weight limit before the bed is full.