Crushed Stone Calculator

What Is Crushed Stone?

Crushed stone is a mechanically broken aggregate made from rock such as limestone, granite, trap rock, or gravel-sized quarry stone. Unlike rounded pea gravel, crushed stone has angular edges that lock together better under load, making it a common material for driveways, base layers, drainage systems, and construction fill.

Its angular shape is the main reason it performs well in structural applications. It compacts more effectively than rounded stone and creates a firmer surface for traffic, pavers, slabs, and foundation support.

If you are putting this stone under a retaining wall, or in the drain zone behind the blocks, the depth and the type of rock are explained in retaining wall blocks. This calculator is still the one that turns the trench into yards.

Common Uses of Crushed Stone

Crushed Stone Sizes and Typical Uses

Crushed Stone Density and Weight

Crushed stone typically falls around 1,600 to 1,800 kg/m³ depending on rock type, void spaces, and moisture conditions. A default density of 1,700 kg/m³ is a practical estimate for many general crushed stone applications.

Actual delivered weight can vary if the stone is wet, highly compacted, or made from heavier parent rock such as granite or basalt. If your supplier provides a specific tons-per-yard value, use the manual density override for more accurate results.

How Crushed Stone Quantity Is Calculated

Crushed stone quantity is calculated using:

Volume = Area × Depth

The calculators above estimate area based on the selected shape, including straight paths, curved paths, circles, rings, triangles, and rectangles. That volume is then converted into cubic yards, cubic feet, or cubic meters, and finally into weight using the stone density.

Typical Depth Recommendations

Crushed Stone vs Gravel

Important Tips When Ordering Crushed Stone

• Choose the stone size based on the job, not just appearance
• Add 5–10% extra for uneven grade, settling, and waste
• Use geotextile fabric beneath stone where soil mixing is a concern
• Compact in layers for base and driveway applications
• Confirm whether your supplier sells by cubic yard, ton, or bulk bag

Where Crushed Stone Should Not Be Used

• Play areas or barefoot zones unless topped with a softer material
• Loose top layers where smooth walking comfort is the main goal
• Projects needing very fine finish sand instead of angular aggregate

Crushed Gravel and Construction Aggregate

Crushed gravel is the same product as crushed stone: angular quarry rock broken to a graded size. Suppliers use both names for that material. A named size such as 3/4 inch crushed gravel belongs on the 3/4 gravel calculator, and a named grade such as #57 belongs on the #57 stone calculator. Use this page when the order is general crushed stone and you do not have a named grade.

Construction aggregate is the wider family. Coarse aggregate is the larger stone that carries the load. Fine aggregate, such as sand, fills the voids between those stones. A mixed construction aggregate is often estimated around 2,000 kg/m³, heavier than the 1,700 kg/m³ default used here for clean crushed stone. Sand, compactable crusher run, and quarry dust stay on their own calculators because the density and the job are different: sand, crusher run, and quarry dust.

FAQs

How much does crushed stone weigh per cubic yard?

It varies by material, but many crushed stones weigh roughly 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard. The exact value depends on rock type, gradation, and moisture.

Is crushed stone good for a driveway?

Yes. Crushed stone is one of the best driveway materials because its angular particles compact and interlock well under traffic.

What is the difference between crushed stone and #57 stone?

Crushed stone is a broad category. #57 stone is one specific crushed stone size commonly used for drainage, driveways, and base work.

How much extra crushed stone should I order?

Ordering 5–10% extra is common to cover compaction, uneven surfaces, and small losses during spreading.

Is crushed gravel the same as crushed stone?

Yes. Both names mean angular rock that a quarry crushed and screened. Rounded pea gravel is a different product. If the order is a specific size, such as 3/4 inch crushed gravel, use that size’s calculator so the depth and density notes match the stone.

What is the difference between coarse and fine aggregate?

Coarse aggregate is the larger crushed stone used for strength and load distribution. Fine aggregate, such as sand, fills the gaps and is used for bedding, leveling, and mixes. Estimate them separately: this page for the coarse stone, and the sand calculator for the fines.

How much crushed stone do I need for a 12 by 40 foot pad?

At 4 inches, 12 × 40 × 4 ÷ 324 = 5.93 cubic yards. Leave the straight-path density at 1,700 kg/m³ and the order line also reads 4.53 cubic meters, 8.49 short tons, 7.70 tonnes, and 320 bags of 0.5 cubic feet. Six inches on the same pad is 8.89 cubic yards.

The 5–10 percent extra named above is on top of 5.93, not inside it. A soft clay subgrade is the reason to use the higher end.

How many bags of crushed stone are in a cubic yard?

One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, or 54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet. The 12 by 40 foot pad is 160 cubic feet, so the bag line reads 320. That is a bulk delivery. A 50 pound bag at 1.43 tons per yard is about 71 bags per cubic yard (2,860 ÷ 50).

Use bags for a garden path. Use tons for a driveway.

How much does a yard of crushed stone weigh?

At 1,700 kg/m³ a cubic yard is 1.43 US tons, about 2,860 pounds, and 1.30 tonnes. The older “1.3 to 1.5 tons” range in the FAQ above still holds: 1.43 sits in it. Granite and a wet load can pass 1.5 tons. A dry limestone chip can sit nearer 1.35.

The tons figure under the result is the short ton. The t menu is the metric tonne.

How many square feet does a ton of crushed stone cover?

One yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches, 108 at 3 inches, and 81 at 4 inches. Divide by 1.43 tons per yard and a ton covers about 113 square feet at 2 inches, 76 at 3 inches, and 57 at 4 inches.

A driveway surface in the depth table is 4 to 6 inches, so a ton does not go far. A 10 by 20 foot parking pad at 4 inches is 2.47 cubic yards, about 3.54 short tons.

How deep should a crushed stone driveway be?

The depth table puts a driveway surface at 4 to 6 inches and a base layer at 4 to 8 inches. Four inches under a 12 by 40 foot drive is the 5.93 yard example, 8.49 short tons. Six inches is 8.89 cubic yards and 12.74 short tons at the same 1,700 kg/m³.

Compact in lifts no thicker than about 4 inches. A single 8 inch dump will not lock the way two compacted lifts will.

How much crushed stone do I need under a patio?

A paver base is the 4 to 6 inch row. A 16 by 20 foot patio at 4 inches is 3.95 cubic yards and 5.66 short tons. The 1 inch sand bed on top of that stone is not part of this number.

Order the sand separately. Dust or a bedding sand at 1 inch over those 320 square feet is about 0.99 cubic yards.