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Landscaping With Pebbles

One of the popular trends of the past decade is to add a rectangular strip of pavers and pebbles leading up to an entrance door. This guide will help you with these design trends, as well as any other pebble project, such as when using pebbles in garden beds. Contrary to what property owners may have thought, larger pebbles do not provide more coverage than smaller pebbles. The opposite is true. To adequately fill in gaps, more pebbles are required the larger you go, not to mention how much harder it is to distribute them by hand once they are delivered to your property. Choosing the right pebble from the beginning can save money and avoid regret. Bear in mind that smaller pebbles also fit more snugly around pavers and are easier on the feet should you wander off the pavers.

Calculate the quantity of pebbles

Properly measuring takes the stress out of ordering pebbles. To do this effectively, measure the size of the space where you will lay the pebbles, excluding space for pavers, plants, trees or other fixed objects. We are calculating rectangular shapes in this example, which result in a simple area calculation. For example, a space 8m long by 1.5m wide = 12m². To calculate other shapes, you could break it down into rectangles or triangles, or try alternate methods of calculation. An enclosed curved area could be treated as a circle for the purposes of calculation, using its circumference which may be easier to measure.

Length (m) X Width (m) = Area (m²)

Remove the area of the pavers or other features. For this example, we will use 12 rectangular pavers measuring 600mm x 300mm. The dimensions of pavers are usually given in millimetres (mm), so we just divide by 1000 to get the equivalent in metres, which are 0.6m x 0.3m. So, we calculate the area to exclude by multiplying 0.6m x 0.3m x 12 = 2.16m². Now the area left to fill with pebbles will be the total area calculated above, less the area of the pavers resulting in 12m² – 2.16m² = 9.84m².

Total Area (m²) – Paver Area (m²) = Pebble Area (m²)

What will it cost?

All 20kg bags of pebbles cost the same as the price is based on total weight, not on pebble size.

How many 20kg bags will I need?

Now comes the tricky part – depth. As we mentioned, you will require more large pebbles to fill gaps when compared to smaller pebbles. Going back to our example, we have 9.84m² to fill. So, we will use that number to figure out how many bags we need. The number of bags required to fill 1m² is shown below in the list for the recommended depth. It is straightforward that we divide 9.84m² by 1m² to give the multiplication factor of 9.84. Using the recommendation for 20 – 30mm pebbles results in 9.84 x 3 bags = 29.52 bags (round to 30 bags). Using 50 – 70mm pebbles results in 9.84 x 5.5 bags = 54.12 bags (round to 54 or 55 bags). By selecting smaller pebbles you save the difference of at least 24 bags for the same coverage area.

Not confident with maths? Go to our calculator now.

Recommended 1m² pebble coverage guide:

• 20 – 30mm pebbles: at a recommended depth of 40mm you will need 3 x 20kg bags
• 30 – 40mm pebbles: at a recommended depth of 60mm you will need 4 x 20kg bags
• 40 – 50mm pebbles: at a recommended depth of 75mm you will need 5 x 20kg bags
• 50 – 70mm pebbles: at a recommended depth of 105mm you will need 5.5 x 20kg bags
• 70 – 100mm pebbles: at a recommended depth of 150mm you will need 7 x 20kg bags
• 100mm+ pebbles = at a recommended depth of 165mm you will need 8 x 20kg bags

Please note, our pebble quantity guide is based on the ideal depth for each size. If your depth is higher or lower than the guide you may need to put some filler in (if deeper) or reduce the number of bags if shallower. There are 50 bags in a 1 tonne pallet.

Do large pebbles look more attractive?

All of our range have attractive qualities independent of their size. Pebbles come in many forms, sizes, colours and finishes, so you can find what best suits your project from any combination of pebbles. Remember, with pebbles the smaller they are the more coverage you will achieve at a lower cost. At Cape Outdoor, we only sell Premium River Pebbles.

What colours do I need to use to bring out the best in my property?

Colours of pebble are an important consideration, especially at the front of your property. As a DIY homeowner, taking on the role of designer requires taking the time to plan for colours and size to avoid disappointment. Don’t just copy a trend without consideration to design principles, or buy whatever is on sale from a nearby store. In general, you should select pebbles in the same tones of your property, with other features such as pavers or plants emphasising contrast. For example, grey tones with grey or neutral colours, warm tones for warm properties and cool tones for cool properties.