Crushed Stone Calculator
Base stone is ordered by the ton and installed compacted. Enter the finished, compacted depth; the calculator’s waste figure covers the 15–20% you lose to compaction plus spillage. ¾″ minus and crusher run are the base materials — clean #57 is for drainage layers.
Order 4.50 t — quarries sell by the ton; a tri-axle carries about 20 tons per load.
- Area
- 192 ft²
- Volume (64.0 ft³)
- 2.37 yd³
- Net weight @ 1.50 t/yd³
- 7,111 lb · 3.56 t
- Waste / settling 20%
- + 0.71 t
- Order quantity
- 4.27 tons
- Truckloads
- 1 × tri-axle dump (≈20 t)
- Metric
- 1.81 m³ · 3.87 tonnes
- 50 lb bag (0.5 ft³)
- 154 bags
- Materials + delivery$20–$50 / ton · Sep 2026
- $175 – $310
- Installed (with labor)typ. $336
- $239 – $481
Quantities follow the ticket. Links may earn us a commission at no cost to you; they never change a number.
What will this crushed stone job cost?
See the installed price range for these quantities and get up to 3 quotes from local contractors. Free, no obligation.
Common patio sizes, answered
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 10×10 Patio?100 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 10×12 Patio?120 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 12×12 Patio?144 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 12×16 Patio?192 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 12×20 Patio?240 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 14×14 Patio?196 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 16×16 Patio?256 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 16×20 Patio?320 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 20×20 Patio?400 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 20×24 Patio?480 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 24×24 Patio?576 ft²
- How Much Crushed Stone for a 12×50 Patio?600 ft²
How to calculate crushed stone by hand
Tons = Length (ft) × Width (ft) × Compacted depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27 × 1.5 t/yd³ × 1.20 compaction
Worked example
- Area: 16 ft × 12 ft = 192 ft².
- Compacted volume: 192 ft² × (4 in ÷ 12) = 64 ft³ = 2.37 yd³.
- Weight: 2.37 yd³ × 1.5 t/yd³ = 3.56 tons compacted.
- Compaction and waste 20%: 3.56 × 1.20 = 4.27 tons → order 4.5 tons.
- 1 ton ¾″ minus at 4″ compacted
- ≈ 45 ft²
- 1 ton ¾″ minus at 6″ compacted
- ≈ 30 ft²
- Loose-to-compacted
- × 1.15–1.20
- 1 yd³ crusher run
- ≈ 3,000 lb · 1.5 t
Questions crews ask
How much crushed stone do I need for a base?
Multiply area in square feet by compacted depth in inches, divide by 324 for cubic yards, multiply by 1.5 for tons, then add 15–20% for compaction. A 16 × 12 ft patio at 4″ needs about 4.3 tons; order 4.5.
How thick should a crushed stone base be?
4″ compacted under a patio or walkway, 6″ under a driveway, 8–12″ under anything that sees trucks or sits on clay. Compact in 2–3″ lifts with a plate compactor; you cannot compact 6″ in one pass.
What is ¾″ minus, crusher run and 21A?
Different regional names for the same thing: crushed stone from ¾″ down to dust. The fines let it lock together when compacted, which is why it is the base material. Clean stone like #57 has no fines and stays loose — it drains but does not lock.
How much does a ton of crushed stone cover?
About 45 ft² at 4″ compacted, 30 ft² at 6″ and 60 ft² at 3″ for ¾″ minus. Loose, before compaction, a ton spreads about 20% further, which is why the calculator adds 20%.
Crushed stone or gravel under pavers?
Crushed stone with fines (¾″ minus). Rounded pea gravel or river rock will never lock together and the pavers will shift. Put 1″ of coarse concrete sand on top of the compacted base as the bedding layer.