Decomposed Granite Cost, Worked for a Path and a Patio

The ladder for Decomposed Granite

At the median across the cities where we price it, Decomposed Granite costs $650 for 2 tons, $1,021 for 5 tons, $1,618 for 10 tons, $3,072 for 20 tons and $5,340 for 40 tons, all delivered.^[1]

Per ton, that runs from $325 at the bottom to $205 at 5 tons, $162 at 10 tons and $134 at the top. A small load pays most of its bill for the truck.^[1]

We carry a ladder for it in 354 cities. It is a little narrower than our stone list, and a ZIP without its own ladder is priced from the nearest city, with the site saying which one.^[1],[2]

Why two cities can differ so much

Crushed stone comes from quarries across much of the country. Decomposed Granite does not. It comes from granite that has weathered in place until it crumbles, and deposits like that are regional, so a city far from a source pays for a long haul.

The numbers show it. A 2 ton load ranges from $475 in the lowest city to $1,371 in the highest, nearly three times as much. A 10 ton load ranges from $783 to $4,685.^[1]

Compare that with #57 Crushed Stone, where 2 tons sits between $431 and $484 from one end of our list to the other. Even at the median the gap is plain, with 5 tons of the crushed stone at $615 against $1,021 for this material.^[1]

So ignore any national average for this stone until you have seen your own ladder. The median is a fair way to describe the country, and a poor way to budget one driveway in one town. Enter your ZIP first, then read the rest of these numbers as a pattern.

The lowest rate in any priced city is $49 a ton, at the large end of the ladder.^[1]

A path, 42 feet by 4 feet

Take a garden path 42 feet by 4 feet, finished 3 inches thick. The area comes to 168 square feet. Multiply by a quarter of a foot and you get 42 cubic feet, or 1.56 yards at 27 cubic feet each.^[3]

Decomposed Granite weighs 2,500 lb a yard, or 1.25 tons, so 1.56 times 1.25 comes to about 1.95 tons. That fits inside our 2 ton minimum with very little to spare.^[2],[4]

A quick check with our coverage figure agrees. Laid 3 inches deep, one ton covers 86 square feet, so 2 tons covers 172 square feet, and the path needs 168.^[4]

The median total is $650.^[1]

Do not cut the depth to save money. Two inches of this material on a walking path can work over firm ground, but it thins out quickly under feet, and once the base shows through you will be paying for a fresh delivery. Any second delivery is priced as a new order.^[2]

A patio, 17 feet by 19 feet

A seating patio needs more depth, since chairs and tables press hard on small feet. Say 4 inches across a space 17 feet by 19 feet. The area is 323 square feet, and a third of a foot makes 107.67 cubic feet, or 3.99 yards.^[3]

At 1.25 tons a yard, that is just under 5 tons, and the calculator lands on 5 tons. The median total is $1,021, or $205 a ton.^[1],[2],[4]

Check it with coverage again. Laid 4 inches deep, one ton covers 65 square feet, and 5 tons covers 325.^[4]

Now see what the base adds. On soft soil the patio wants Road Base below it, and a 3 inch layer of that across 323 square feet comes to about 4.2 tons. The calculator takes that to 4.5 tons, just under the 5 ton total of $563.^[1],[2],[4]

Firm ground may need no base at all, and that saves real money. Ground and traffic decide, so test the spot after rain. A wet spell shows you exactly where the soft patches are.

Loose or stabilized

Loose Decomposed Granite is the plain material, wetted and compacted. It sets into a firm, gritty surface with a soft look and an easy feel underfoot. Rain moves it over time, and shoes carry some of it into the house, so expect to rake and top it up every so often.

A stabilized finish adds a binder to the mix. That is either a powder blended into the granite before it is laid or a liquid applied after. Once it cures, the surface is much harder, it sheds less dust and it stands up to rain and slopes far better. It also suits wheelchairs and strollers, since the surface stays tight.

The trade-off is cost and timing. The binder is an extra purchase, mixing takes more care, and the work has to happen in the right weather so it can cure. A repair is harder to blend too.

We sell Decomposed Granite as loose bulk material, with no bags and no binder. If you want a stabilized finish, buy the binder from a landscape supply store and budget for it on top of the totals here.^[2],[4]

For a level garden path, loose is enough. A sloped path or a busy entry to a house is where a binder earns its cost.

What else belongs in the budget

Edging comes first. Decomposed Granite has fine particles, and without a firm border it spreads into the lawn. Steel, stone or timber will all hold it.

Compaction comes next. You need a plate compactor and some water, because hand tamping a whole patio is slow, hard work. A rental for a day is a small line on the budget, and it shows in the finished surface. Lay a 4 inch patio in two lifts, keep each one damp, and let it dry out before the furniture goes on.

Fabric is optional under a path. It can keep the layers apart on soft soil, and it needs a local supply store, since we sell only loose bulk.

Delivery is already covered. Each ladder total includes it, so the truck never appears as its own line.^[2]

When another surface is the better buy

In a city at the high end of the ladder, Stone Dust Screenings can deliver a similar firm path for much less. The median is $496 for 2 tons and $684 for 5 tons, and the color is gray where Decomposed Granite is gold to tan.^[1],[4]

Walkway Gravel is another choice, at $443 for 2 tons and $613 for 5 tons. It stays loose, so it will not give you the same packed finish, but it needs less preparation.^[1]

If your path is only a place to walk, those may serve you well. If the warm color is what you came for, nothing else on our list will match it.