Enter the area and depth of a driveway, path, patio base or drainage bed. You get the tons and cubic yards to order and how many truckloads that is, including the extra a compacted base needs.
Each row uses the stone and compaction shown. Compacted layers are ordered 25% over the finished volume, loose ones 10%.
| Job | Cubic yards to order | Tons | Truckloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway, 12 × 40 ft, 6 in crusher run, compacted | 11.1 | 16.1 | 2 |
| Parking pad, 10 × 20 ft, 4 in #57 stone, compacted | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Patio base, 12 × 12 ft, 4 in crusher run, compacted | 2.2 | 3.2 | 1 |
| Garden path, 3 × 40 ft, 3 in pea gravel, loose | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1 |
| French drain, 1.5 × 50 ft, 12 in #57 stone, loose | 3.1 | 4.3 | 1 |
Area × depth gives the finished volume in cubic yards. A compacted layer is ordered 25% over that, because the stone packs down; loose stone 10% over, for spillage and an uneven grade.
Tons are cubic yards times the weight of the stone: crusher run / road base 1.45, #57 crushed stone 1.40, #8 crushed stone 1.40, pea gravel 1.30, river rock 1.45, decomposed granite 1.45, recycled concrete aggregate 1.30 tons per cubic yard. Moisture and gradation move these, so suppliers may quote slightly different weights.
Truckloads assume a 10-ton tandem dump truck, and the tool flags the short-load fee most suppliers add below 5 tons. These are the same factors the gravel cost calculator uses.
Sources:
Quantities are for planning and ordering. Check the plan, the supplier’s product data and local code before you buy; for structural concrete, follow the drawings.
A 12 × 40 ft driveway with 6 in of compacted crusher run needs about 16.1 tons, or 11.1 cubic yards ordered, which is 2 truckloads. A longer or deeper driveway scales directly: double the length, double the stone.
At 3 in deep and spread loose, a ton of #57 stone covers about 70 square feet. Coverage halves at 6 in, and a compacted base covers less because it is ordered heavier.
Stone that is compacted with a plate compactor packs down, so a 6 in finished base takes more than 6 in of loose stone. This tool orders compacted layers 25% over the finished volume and loose layers 10% over.
A standard tandem dump truck carries about 10 tons. Most suppliers charge per load and add a short-load fee below about 5 tons, so a small job can cost nearly as much to deliver as a full load.
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