Dog Run & Side Yard

The situation

The strip down the side of the house never gets sun, never dries out, grows nothing but mud and mosquitoes, and if the dog uses it, it comes back inside with them.

What to buy

Rock solves both halves of this — it drains, so the mud stops, and it gives a clean surface that does not track into the house.

If dogs use it

Pea rock. Rounded and smooth, so it is kind to paws. Angular stone is hard on pads over time, particularly for dogs that run.

It also rinses clean, which matters. A hose over pea rock washes straight through; over soil or mulch it just makes mud.

If it is drainage you are fighting

#57 rock drains harder and costs less. If the side yard actively holds water, consider a French drain down the middle of the strip under the stone — same trench, same rock, and it solves the cause rather than covering it.

How much you need

Two to three inches. One cubic yard covers about 160 square feet at 2 inches.

• A 4-foot wide strip, 40 feet long — 160 sq ft — about 1 yard at 2 inches, 1.5 at 3
• A 6 × 20 foot dog run — 120 sq ft — about 1 yard
• Both sides of a house, 4 × 50 each — about 3 yards

Not sure? Tell us the rough size of the area and how deep you want it and we will work it out with you. Nobody expects you to know this — it is our job, not yours. Or use the calculator.

How to do it

1. Clear the strip down to soil and pull the weeds.
2. Check which way it drains. If water sits, put a drain in before the rock.
3. Edge it against any grass.
4. Fabric down, then 2 to 3 inches of stone.
5. Hose it occasionally if dogs use it — that is the advantage of stone over everything else.

Materials for this job

Dog Run & Side Yard — common questions

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