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Concrete, Masonry & Stone

Crushed Stone Calculator

Tonnage and cubic yards of crushed stone by area, depth and stone grade.

Your measurements

Depth is the compacted depth, not the loose delivered depth.

Area
Loose stone compacts by roughly a fifth, so order for the finished depth.
Stone grade
Crusher run has fines and locks up under compaction. Clean stone drains but stays loose.

Your result

Sample values

11.0

Tons

8.15

Cubic yards

220

Cubic feet

22,000

Pounds

Crusher run at 100 lb/ft³, 10% waste.

What to order

Sold as Quantity
Bulk, by the ton 11.0 tons
Bulk, by the yard 8.15 yd³
Tri-axle loads (approx 20 t) 1 load
1 ton bulk bags 11 bags

How to use this calculator

Measure the area and enter the depth you want after compaction. Crushed stone loses roughly a fifth of its loose volume when it is properly compacted, and the calculator allows for that, so enter the finished depth rather than the depth of the pile you expect to spread.

Choose the grade for the job rather than by price. Crusher run contains fines that lock together under a plate compactor and make a firm base. Clean stone such as #57 has no fines, drains freely and stays loose, which is what you want in a trench or behind a retaining wall and exactly what you do not want under pavers.

Formula

Volume = Length × Width × Depth

Weight = Volume × Density

Tons = Weight ÷ 2,000

Density
about 100 lb/ft³ for most crushed limestone
Depth
converted to feet before multiplying

Quarries sell by weight, landscape yards often by volume — the two figures describe the same pile.

Worked example

A 50 ft by 12 ft driveway base, 4 in compacted, crusher run, 10% waste.

  1. 50 ft × 12 ft = 600 ft²
  2. 4 in ÷ 12 = 0.333 ft
  3. 600 ft² × 0.333 ft = 200 ft³
  4. 200 ft³ × 1.10 = 220 ft³ with waste
  5. 220 ft³ × 100 lb/ft³ = 22,000 lb
  6. 22,000 ÷ 2,000 = 11.0 tons

11.0 tons, or 8.15 cubic yards

Understanding your results

Eleven tons is around half a tri-axle load, and most quarries have a minimum delivery and charge the same for a partial load as a full one. It is often cheaper to order the full load and stockpile the remainder than to pay twice for two half loads.

Density varies by rock type more than by grade. Limestone runs near 100 lb per cubic foot, granite and trap rock closer to 105, and lightweight aggregates far less. If you are ordering by the ton but working from a volume, a ten percent density error is a ton of stone on a job this size.

Questions

About this calculator

Ask something else

Crusher run is graded from three quarter inch down to dust, so the fines fill the gaps and it compacts into a firm, semi-impermeable base. #57 is washed to a single size with no fines, so it drains freely but never locks up. Base courses want crusher run; drainage wants #57.

About 100 square feet at 2 inches deep, or 50 square feet at 4 inches, for typical limestone. That rule of thumb is close enough for a sanity check on the calculated figure before you place the order.

Yes, in lifts of no more than four inches, with a plate compactor for paths and a roller for driveways. Stone dumped to full depth and driven over settles unevenly for years afterwards. Compacting each lift is what turns loose stone into a base that carries load.

On firm ground, yes. On soft or clay soil put a geotextile separator down first, otherwise the stone migrates down into the subgrade under load and the base thins out. The fabric is inexpensive and doubles the working life of a driveway base.

Keep going

All Concrete, Masonry & Stone tools
Estimates, not specifications. Results are based on the values you enter and on typical material properties. Densities, coverage rates and product sizes vary between suppliers, so confirm quantities against your supplier's data before ordering. Structural work must be signed off by a qualified professional and meet your local building code.