Crushed Stone Calculator

The Heavy Lifting: Ordering Aggregate Correctly

Whether you are building a new driveway, creating a patio base, or fixing a drainage issue, ordering crushed stone can be confusing. You measure your project in feet and inches, but the quarry sells the product by the ton. If you order too little, you pay for an extra delivery fee. Order too much, and you have a pile of rocks in your lawn forever.

How to Calculate Needs

The math happens in three steps:
1. Find Cubic Feet: `Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft)`. Note: Always convert depth from inches to feet by dividing by 12 (e.g., 4 inches = 0.33 feet).
2. Convert to Cubic Yards: There are 27 cubic feet in 1 cubic yard. Divide your total cubic feet by 27.
3. Convert to Tons: Multiply Cubic Yards by the material's Density Factor.
Standard Gravel Factor: 1.4 Tons per Cubic Yard.

Choosing the Right Stone

• #57 Stone (Clean Stone): The most common drainage and driveway stone. Roughly 3/4" to 1" in size. Water flows through it easily. Density: ~1.4 tons/cy.
• Crusher Run (ABC / QP): A mix of stone and stone dust. It packs down very hard. Perfect for driveway bases or pavers. Density: ~1.5 tons/cy.
• #2 or #4 Stone (Ballast): Large rocks (2-3 inches). Used for construction entrances ("mud mats") or heavy drainage. Hard to walk on.
• Stone Dust (Screenings): Very fine. Used for the final leveling layer under pavers or as a walkway surface.

Truck Capacities

Knowing how it will arrive is crucial for site access:
Single Axle Dump Truck: Hauls approx 5 - 10 tons. Maneuverable in tight driveways.
Tandem / Tri-Axle Dump Truck: Hauls approx 15 - 22 tons. Very heavy; can crack thin concrete driveways.