Crushed Stone Calculator
Tons and cubic yards of #57, 3/4-inch, crusher run and stone dust – with compaction built in so the base layer never comes up short.
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Crushed stone is the workhorse of landscaping and construction – under driveways, patios, slabs and sheds, inside French drains and behind retaining walls. This calculator tells you how many tons and cubic yards of crushed stone you need, with the right density for each size (#57, 3/4″, crusher run, stone dust) and a compaction allowance for base layers.
How to use the crushed stone calculator
- Measure the area
Enter the length and width in feet. For a driveway with a bend, split it into straight sections and use “Add another area”. For a trench (French drain) enter the trench length and width.
- Enter the compacted depth
Type the finished depth in inches. Driveway and patio bases are 4–6″, driveways carrying vehicles 8–12″, a shed pad 4–6″. For a trench, enter the full trench depth minus any pipe and soil cover.
- Pick the stone
#57 is clean 3/4″ stone for drainage and pads; crusher run (#411, ABC, road base) is the dense mix for compacted bases; stone dust is for the final leveling layer under pavers or as a hard path surface. The density changes with each choice.
- Set the compaction allowance
Dense-graded stone like crusher run loses 15–20% of its loose volume when it is rolled or plate-compacted. The default 10% is a middle figure – raise it to 20% for a properly compacted base, lower it to 5% for clean stone that is just raked level.
- Add your price
Enter the supplier’s price per ton (most quarries sell crushed stone by the ton) and the delivery charge to get a total.
Crushed stone formula
Volume (yd³) = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Depth (ft) ÷ 27Loose volume = compacted volume × (1 + compaction %)Tons = loose volume (yd³) × tons per yd³ (1.4 for #57 · 1.7 for crusher run)
Example: shed pad 12 ft × 16 ft, 6″ of #57 stone
- Area = 12 × 16 = 192 sq ft
- Volume = 192 × 0.5 ft = 96 ft³ = 3.56 yd³
- Clean stone, light compaction: add 10% → 3.9 yd³
- Weight = 3.9 × 1.42 = 5.5 tons of #57 stone
Crushed stone sizes explained
Crushed stone is sold by gradation number or by the top size of the pieces. Names vary by region – the same product may be “#411” in Ohio, “ABC” in the Carolinas, “crusher run” in the Northeast and “road base” in the West – but the table below covers the common types and what each is for.
| Stone | Size | Fines? | Best for | Tons / yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #57 stone | 3/4″ – 1″ | No (clean) | Drainage, French drains, shed & hot-tub pads, driveway top, under slabs | 1.42 |
| 3/4″ clean | 3/4″ | No | Same uses as #57 – often the same product | 1.42 |
| #8 / 3/8″ chip | 3/8″ | No | Paver bedding (open-graded), top dressing, asphalt sealing | 1.35 |
| Crusher run / #411 / ABC | 3/4″ to dust | Yes | Compacted base for driveways, patios, paver bases, roads | 1.69 |
| Stone dust / screenings | 1/4″ to dust | Yes | Leveling layer, paver joints, hard path surface, under flagstone | 1.35 |
| #3 / #4 stone | 1.5″ – 3″ | No | Driveway sub-base over soft ground, drainage, erosion control | 1.35 |
| Recycled concrete (RCA) | 3/4″ to dust | Yes | Budget base material – compacts well, may contain fines that stain | 1.28 |
Coverage: square feet per ton of crushed stone
| Material | Density | Tons per yd³ | sq ft per ton at 2" | sq ft per ton at 4" | sq ft per ton at 6" | sq ft per ton at 8" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #57 stone (3/4", clean) | 105 lb/ft³ | 1.42 | 114 | 57 | 38 | 29 |
| 3/4" crushed stone (clean) | 105 lb/ft³ | 1.42 | 114 | 57 | 38 | 29 |
| 3/8" crushed stone (#8) | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 120 | 60 | 40 | 30 |
| Crusher run / #411 / ABC (dense) | 125 lb/ft³ | 1.69 | 96 | 48 | 32 | 24 |
| Stone dust / screenings | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 120 | 60 | 40 | 30 |
| 2"–3" crushed stone (#3 / #4) | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 120 | 60 | 40 | 30 |
| Crushed limestone | 100 lb/ft³ | 1.35 | 120 | 60 | 40 | 30 |
| Crushed granite | 105 lb/ft³ | 1.42 | 114 | 57 | 38 | 29 |
| Recycled crushed concrete | 95 lb/ft³ | 1.28 | 126 | 63 | 42 | 32 |
Coverage = 2,000 lb ÷ (density × depth in feet). Figures are for loose material; add 5–10% for waste and up to 20% for compacted base layers.
Recommended depths for crushed stone
| Application | Material | Compacted depth | Allowance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway base (cars) | Crusher run | 4–6″ | 20% |
| Driveway base (trucks, soft soil) | #3 sub-base + crusher run | 8–12″ total | 20% |
| Driveway top / wearing layer | #57 or 3/4″ crushed | 2–3″ | 5–10% |
| Patio / walkway base | Crusher run | 4–6″ | 20% |
| Shed, hot tub, AC pad | #57 clean stone | 4–6″ | 10% |
| Under concrete slab | #57 or crusher run | 4–6″ | 10–15% |
| French drain | #57 washed | Fill trench | 10% |
| Behind retaining wall | #57 washed | 12″ wide zone | 10% |
| Gravel path (hard surface) | Crusher run + stone dust top | 3–4″ + 1″ | 15% |
Why compaction matters
When a quarry loads a cubic yard of crusher run into your truck, it is loose and full of air. Once you spread it and run a plate compactor over it, the fines settle into the gaps between larger stones and the layer shrinks – typically by 15–20%. If you order exactly the compacted volume, you will come up short. Clean stone such as #57 has no fines to settle, so it only loses a few percent when raked and tamped. That is why this calculator has a separate allowance field and why we suggest 20% for dense-graded base and 5–10% for clean stone.
How much does crushed stone cost?
Crushed stone is one of the cheaper aggregates because it is produced locally at quarries. As a rough national range, expect $25–$60 per ton for crusher run and #57 picked up at the quarry, more for small decorative sizes and for delivery, and roughly double per ton for bagged stone from a home center. Because freight is such a large part of the price, a quarry 10 miles away is almost always cheaper than one 40 miles away, whatever the per-ton price. Put your local quote into the calculator for the exact figure.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons of crushed stone are in a cubic yard?
Clean crushed stone such as #57 weighs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Dense-graded crusher run weighs about 1.7 tons per cubic yard because the stone dust fills the voids. Stone dust on its own is about 1.35 tons per yard.
How much crushed stone do I need for a 10×10 pad?
A 10 ft × 10 ft pad at 4″ deep needs 33 cubic feet, or 1.23 cubic yards. With a 10% allowance that is about 1.35 yd³ – roughly 1.9 tons of #57 stone or 2.3 tons of crusher run.
How much does a ton of crushed stone cover?
At 4 inches deep, a ton of #57 stone covers about 57 sq ft; a ton of crusher run covers about 48 sq ft because it is denser. At 2 inches, roughly double those figures. See the coverage table above.
What is the difference between crusher run and #57 stone?
Crusher run contains everything from 3/4″ stone down to dust, so it compacts into a hard, almost paved surface – ideal for bases. #57 is washed 3/4″ stone with no fines, so water drains straight through it – ideal for drainage, pads and the top layer of a driveway. Many driveways use both: crusher run base, #57 top.
Can I use crushed stone instead of gravel?
Yes, and for anything structural you should. Crushed stone is angular and locks together; rounded gravel rolls. Use crushed stone for bases, driveways and paths, and rounded gravel (pea gravel, river rock) where appearance and comfort matter more than stability.
How deep should crushed stone be for a driveway?
A new driveway needs 8–12 inches of crushed stone in total: 4–6″ of compacted crusher run (or a #3 sub-base on soft ground), topped with 2–3″ of #57 or 3/4″ crushed stone. Resurfacing an existing driveway usually only needs 2–3″ of new top stone.
