How much #57 crushed stone for a 4 × 14 ft area, 2″ deep?
| Order this many tons | 0.47tons |
|---|---|
| Volume9 ft³ | 0.35yd³ |
| Area4 × 14 ft | 56ft² |
| 50 lb bagspractical at this size | 19bags |
| Coverage per ton | 120ft² at 2″ |
| Weight assumeddry and loose — wet stone runs up to 10% heavier | 2700lb/yd³ |
| Typical use | drainage, drives over fabric, French drains |
Notes
- Stone is sold by the ton, not by the yard. That conversion is where estimates go wrong, and it is different for every material: #57 crushed stone runs 2700 lb per cubic yard, so 0.35 yd³ is 0.47 tons. Quarries quote and bill in tons; the yardage figure is only useful for picturing the pile.
- No compaction allowance here — #57 crushed stone is not compacted in normal use. Adding a base-course allowance to decorative stone is the mirror-image mistake to leaving it off crusher run.
- 2″ is about right for decorative beds. For reference: 2″ for decorative beds, 3″ for walkways, 4″ for a pedestrian paver base or drainage, 6″ under vehicles, 8″ on soft soil.
- Get the depth right before the material. A driveway base at 3″ fails no matter how good the stone is, and a decorative bed at 6″ is money buried where nobody sees it.
- Delivery is priced by the load, not by the ton. Ordering 0.47 tons and then finding you need one more usually costs a second delivery fee larger than the extra stone — round up.
Stone is sold by the ton
That is the conversion every estimate trips over, and it is different for every material. 56 ft² at 2″ is 0.35 cubic yards — but the quarry will quote you 0.47 tons, because #57 crushed stone weighs 2700 lb per cubic yard.
The yardage figure is only useful for picturing the pile. The tonnage is what you pay for.
Compaction, or not
#57 crushed stone is a 0% compaction material. Base course stone loses roughly a fifth of its volume under a plate compactor, so the volume you order has to exceed the finished depth. Decorative stone is never compacted, so adding that allowance to it buys you a pile you cannot use.
Both mistakes are common, and they point in opposite directions.
Depth by use
2″ suits decorative beds. The usual figures: 2″ for decorative beds, 3″ for walkways, 4″ for a pedestrian paver base or drainage, 6″ under vehicles, 8″ on soft or filled ground.
Getting the depth right matters more than getting the material right. A driveway base at 3″ fails whatever stone is in it.
Coverage
One ton of #57 crushed stone covers about 120 ft² at 2″. Useful for checking a quote, and for working out whether the last bit is worth a second delivery — which it usually is not, because delivery is priced per load rather than per ton.
Nearby sizes
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Read more
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- Bags or a Truck — The Crossover Is About One Cubic YardThe arithmetic is not really about price. It is about how long a slab can sit half-poured before the joint between the halves becomes permanent.
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- Concrete Slab Cost by State — 400 ft², All 51The figures price a 4-inch slab on grade. A driveway wants six inches and rebar, and that is not a small adjustment.