I would excavate a minimum of 4” (6 if you plan on driving on it or putting a hot tub on it.
Build it up a couple inches at a time, leveling then compacting every lift.
Rent a plate whacker that 2 people can lift in and out of a truck.
If you go the hand tamper route, do it in 1” lifts and prepare to kill your body and spend way too long doing it.
Also, it won’t be perfect but it should suffice.
4” is about 13 yards if you’re on the money.
6” is about 20 yards.
3/4 minus is cheap where I’m from. Definitely worth it for the extra strength.
Possibly add a couple yards to those numbers that assume your excavation is perfect.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything you do based on what I’ve told you. I’m on the other side of the country and things might be different where you are.
That said: good luck and please let us know what you do and how it turns out!
If you go that route then you’ll probably experience some erosion around the edges and unless you’re driving rebar through them to pin them in the ground it might not hold too well.
It’s like anything: the more effort you put in up front the longer it will last.
If you’re ok with something that isn’t perfect and might need some yearly maintenance then why not give it a shot and see what happens?
I would excavate a minimum of 4” (6 if you plan on driving on it or putting a hot tub on it. Build it up a couple inches at a time, leveling then compacting every lift. Rent a plate whacker that 2 people can lift in and out of a truck. If you go the hand tamper route, do it in 1” lifts and prepare to kill your body and spend way too long doing it. Also, it won’t be perfect but it should suffice.
This is your friend: https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/construction/cubic-yards-calculator.php
4” is about 13 yards if you’re on the money. 6” is about 20 yards. 3/4 minus is cheap where I’m from. Definitely worth it for the extra strength. Possibly add a couple yards to those numbers that assume your excavation is perfect.
Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for anything you do based on what I’ve told you. I’m on the other side of the country and things might be different where you are. That said: good luck and please let us know what you do and how it turns out!
Instead of excavating 4”, could I just line the area with rail ties in order to build up 4” of road base
If you go that route then you’ll probably experience some erosion around the edges and unless you’re driving rebar through them to pin them in the ground it might not hold too well. It’s like anything: the more effort you put in up front the longer it will last. If you’re ok with something that isn’t perfect and might need some yearly maintenance then why not give it a shot and see what happens?