Tons of crushed stone for a driveway base, patio base, slab sub-base or pipe bedding.
Crushed Stone Calculator
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Depth is in inches. Entering feet here is the most common ordering mistake.
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Crushed stone needed
14.40 tons
V ÷ 27 × 1.35 tons/yd³, after adding compaction
Calculated with BuildCalculators.com
Crushed stone is angular rock screened to a size — #57, #8, crusher run and so on. It is the standard base material under driveways, patios, slabs and pipe, because the angular faces lock together in a way that rounded gravel does not.
The calculation is area × depth converted to tons, but the compaction step matters more here than for decorative stone: a base course is compacted by definition, and the whole point of it is to end up dense.
V = length(ft) × width(ft) × (depth(in) ÷ 12)yd³ = ft³ ÷ 27order = yd³ × (1 + compaction ÷ 100)tons = order yd³ × 1.35Crushed stone has fractured faces that interlock under compaction and stay put. Rounded river gravel behaves more like ball bearings — it will not lock and it migrates under load. For anything structural, that difference is the whole reason crushed stone exists.
Stone is graded by sieve size. #57 is roughly ¾ inch with the fines washed out, which drains well and is standard under slabs and pipe. #8 is around ⅜ inch, used for bedding and paver joints. Crusher run contains everything from stone down to dust, which is what lets it compact into a solid base.
A 6 inch base compacted in one pass never densifies uniformly — the top compacts and the bottom does not. Two 3 inch lifts, each compacted, gives a base that actually performs to its depth. It is the same tonnage either way, so the only cost is time.
Washed #57 has no fines and drains freely, which is what you want around a pipe or under a slab. Crusher run has fines and compacts hard, which is what you want under a driveway. Using one where the other belongs is a common and expensive substitution.
Crusher run under a new driveway, compacted in two lifts.
About 14.4 tons
Just about one tri-axle load. Ordering to fill the truck rather than under it is usually cheaper per ton.
Compacted base under paving slabs.
About 3.4 tons
Add a separate 1 inch of bedding sand on top — that is not part of this figure and is screeded, not compacted.
A 24 inch wide trench with 6 inches of #57 under the pipe.
3 tons of #57
Washed drainage stone is not compacted the way base stone is, so the allowance comes off. It also needs a separate figure for backfill above the pipe.
| Grade | Approx size | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Crusher run | Dust to ¾ in | Driveway and patio base — compacts hard |
| #57 | ¾ in, washed | Under slabs, around pipe, drainage |
| #8 | ⅜ in | Paver bedding, joint fill |
| #4 | 1½ in | Deep base, soft subgrade |
| Rip rap | 4 in and up | Erosion control, slopes |
| Application | Depth | Lifts |
|---|---|---|
| Paver patio | 4 in | One |
| Car driveway | 6 in | Two × 3 in |
| Heavy vehicle driveway | 8–12 in | Three × 4 in |
| Under a concrete slab | 4 in | One |
| Soft or clay subgrade | Add 2–4 in | Plus geotextile fabric |
Crushed stone is one of the cheapest materials on a site by weight, and one of the most expensive to get wrong — because everything above it depends on it.
Crusher run typically $22–$40 per ton, washed #57 $30–$55. Larger and washed grades cost more because of the extra processing.
$75–$200 per load, generally per trip. A tri-axle carries 15–20 tons, so orders that fill a truck are dramatically cheaper per ton than orders that do not.
Machine spread and compacted, expect roughly $1–$3 per square foot for a driveway base including material. Hand spreading is viable for a patio; for a driveway it is a very long day.
A plate compactor rents at $60–$90 a day and is adequate for patios and thin lifts. A ride-on roller runs $200–$350 a day and is what a driveway base actually needs.
Rounded stone will not interlock. Under a driveway or slab it migrates under load and the surface above it moves with it. The two materials cost about the same, so this is a mistake with no upside.
Compaction energy does not reach the bottom of a deep layer. Six inches placed in one go leaves a soft lower half that consolidates later — which is exactly when the surface above starts to crack.
No fines means nothing to bind the stone together. Washed #57 stays loose and rolls; it is the right choice for drainage and the wrong one for a compacted base.
Without a fabric separator, stone works down into soft subgrade and soil works up into the stone. The base thins every year and nobody can see it happening.
Six inches compacted for a car driveway. A 40 × 12 ft driveway is 8.89 cubic yards loose, about 10.7 with compaction, or roughly 14.4 tons.
Crusher run contains everything from stone down to dust, so it compacts into a hard base. #57 is washed ¾ inch stone with the fines removed, so it drains freely but will not compact. Base course wants crusher run; drainage wants #57.
4 inches under a patio or slab, 6 inches under a car driveway, and 8–12 inches for heavy vehicles. Add 2–4 inches on soft or clay subgrade, with geotextile fabric underneath.
Compaction energy does not reach the bottom of a deep layer. Six inches in one pass leaves a soft lower half that consolidates later — which is when the surface above cracks. Two 3 inch lifts cost the same tonnage and only some extra time.
About 100 square feet at 2 inches, or 50 square feet at 4 inches, at 1.35 tons per cubic yard.
It is the better choice. Angular crushed stone interlocks under compaction and stays put; rounded gravel behaves like ball bearings and migrates under load. They cost about the same.
Yes — about 1 inch of bedding sand, screeded flat and not compacted before the pavers go down. That is a separate material from the base and a separate calculation.
Crusher run typically $22–$40 per ton, washed #57 $30–$55, plus $75–$200 delivery per load in 2026. Delivery is often charged per trip, so filling a truck is cheaper per ton than two part loads.
Gravel Driveway Cost — A gravel driveway installs at $1–$3 per square foot — a fifth the price of asphalt. Here is the cost itemised into stone, hauling and compaction, with the tonnage arithmetic shown.
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