Keep pea stone at 2–3 inches deep on a patio — no more. That's the sweet spot where the stones settle against each other and feel firm underfoot. Pile it 4–5 inches deep and every step sinks like dry beach sand.
Patio build order
- Base — compacted ground or a dense-graded base layer, graded flat
- Fabric — keeps stone and soil from trading places
- Pea stone — 2–3 inches, raked level, contained by edging
At that depth one cubic yard covers roughly 110–160 sq ft, so an average patio needs a yard or two. Walkways follow the same 2–3 inch rule; driveways are a different animal and want angular stone instead. Order Pea Stone (Riverbed ⅜") by the yard and check your dimensions with the material calculator.
