Crushed Stone Calculator
Estimate a crushed stone order. Enter the area length and width in feet and depth in inches, pick a material (#57 stone, crusher run, pea gravel, or stone dust), and get tons, cubic yards, and cubic feet with a waste factor.
Example: with Length (ft) 20 · Width (ft) 10 · Depth (inches) 4 · Material #57 clean crushed stone (105 lb/cu ft) · Waste factor (%) 10 → Stone needed: 3.85 tons (7,700 lb).
- Cubic yards2.72 cu yd
- Cubic feet73.3 cu ft
Computed by the calculator below using its default values. Change any input to see your own numbers.
Quarries sell by the ton; #57 stone runs about 1.4 tons per cubic yard loose. Crusher run is denser because fines fill the voids.
Volume to tons: density does the work
Stone math is the standard length × width × depth volume, converted to weight by bulk density. Clean #57 crushed stone (the 3/4–1 inch workhorse for drainage and driveways) runs about 105 lb per cubic foot loose — roughly 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Crusher run, which mixes crushed stone with fines, packs to about 125 lb per cubic foot because the dust fills the voids; pea gravel is lighter at around 96. A 20 × 10 pad at 4 inches deep needs 2.7 yards of #57, about 3.9 tons with 10% waste.
Quarries and haulers usually price by the ton and their scale is the referee, so quote requests go smoother when you bring both numbers.
Depth and compaction
For driveways, plan on layers: 4 inches of compacted base (crusher run) topped with 2–3 inches of clean stone, deeper where trucks turn. Base material compacts 10–20% under a plate compactor, so the loose volume you buy exceeds the compacted volume you keep — that is a big part of the waste factor here, along with subgrade irregularity and edge spillover. Decorative beds at 2–3 inches over fabric can run the waste factor lower.
How it’s calculated
Volume = length × width × (depth ÷ 12) × (1 + waste%), in cubic feet; cubic yards = ÷ 27. Weight = volume × bulk density (105/125/96/100 lb per cu ft for #57, crusher run, pea gravel, stone dust); tons = lb ÷ 2,000 (US short tons).
Bulk densities are loose, typical values — actual weight varies with rock type, moisture, and gradation, so supplier scale tickets can differ ±10%.
Crushed stone densities and tons per yard
| Material | Density (lb/cu ft) | Per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 96 | 1.30 tons |
| Stone dust / screenings | 100 | 1.35 tons |
| #57 clean crushed stone | 105 | 1.42 tons |
| Crusher run / road base | 125 | 1.69 tons |
Typical supplier bulk densities for loose material; tons per yard computed as density × 27 ÷ 2,000.
Common mistakes
- Ordering compacted volume as loose volume — base stone loses 10–20% of its height under compaction.
- Comparing a per-yard quote to a per-ton quote without converting through density.
- Entering depth in feet instead of inches and ordering a 12× overload.
- Using clean #57 where a compactable base is needed: round-voided clean stone will not lock up under pavers or slabs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the crushed stone formula?
Cubic yards = length(ft) × width(ft) × depth(in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27, plus waste. Tons = cubic feet × density ÷ 2,000 — about 105 lb/cu ft for #57 stone, 125 for crusher run.
How many tons is a yard of crushed stone?
About 1.4 tons for clean #57, 1.3 for pea gravel, and up to 1.7 for crusher run with fines. Ask your quarry for their material's figure — moisture and rock type shift it.
How deep should crushed stone be?
Decorative beds: 2–3 inches. Walkways: 3–4. Residential driveways: 4 inches of compacted base plus 2–3 inches of top stone, more in soft soil. Double the base where delivery trucks will stand.
How much does one ton of #57 stone cover?
A ton is about 19 cubic feet loose, so at 3 inches deep it covers roughly 76 square feet; at 2 inches, about 114. Divide 228 by the depth in inches for a quick estimate.