Crushed Stone Calculator
To calculate crushed stone, multiply length × width × depth in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards, then multiply by about 1.35–1.50 for tons of clean stone such as #57. For example, a 10 × 20 ft area 4 inches deep needs 2.47 cubic yards, about 3.33–3.70 tons.
How to calculate crushed stone
- Measure the area. Measure the length and width in feet, or use the area in square feet if you know it.
- Convert the depth to feet. Divide the depth in inches by 12. For example, 4 inches is 0.33 feet.
- Find the cubic yards. Multiply length × width × depth to get cubic feet, then divide by 27.
- Convert to tons. Multiply the cubic yards by 1.35–1.50 for clean stone such as #57, or by 1.43–1.48 for loose crusher run.
- Allow for compaction. A compacted crusher run base weighs about 1.85 tons per cubic yard, so order 1.25–1.30 loose cubic yards for each compacted yard. Clean stone is estimated loose.
- Round up. Round up to the next half ton or half cubic yard your quarry sells.
Worked example: a 12 × 12 ft patio base 4 inches deep: 12 × 12 × (4 ÷ 12) = 48 cubic feet, and 48 ÷ 27 = 1.78 cubic yards. That's 2.40–2.67 tons of clean stone. As a compacted crusher run base it takes 3.29 tons, which you order as 2.23–2.31 loose cubic yards.
How much does crushed stone weigh?
Clean crushed stone such as #57 and #67 weighs about 1.35–1.50 tons per cubic yard loose (2,700–3,000 lb): from the Federal Highway Administration's figure for dry, uniformly graded gravel to Penn State's figure for AASHTO #57 stone. Crusher run, which keeps its fine particles, weighs 1.43–1.48 tons per cubic yard loose in the truck and 1.85 tons once compacted, from Washington State DOT's figures for crushed surfacing. These are the same weights the rock calculator uses for drain rock and base rock.
| Stone | Per cubic foot | Per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean stone (#57, #67), loose | 100–111 lb | 2,700–3,000 lb (1.35–1.50 tons) | 0.67–0.74 |
| Crusher run, loose | 106–109 lb | 2,850–2,950 lb (1.43–1.48 tons) | 0.68–0.70 |
| Crusher run, compacted | 137 lb | 3,700 lb (1.85 tons) | 0.54 |
Crushed stone sizes: #57, #67 and ¾-inch minus
Quarries sell crushed stone by size number or by top size. The numbers are AASHTO size numbers, each defined by how much of the stone passes a set of screens rather than by a single stone size. "¾-inch stone" can mean two different products: clean ¾-inch stone (#57 or #67), or ¾-inch minus, which still has its fines and packs down hard. Ask which one you're getting, then pick Clean stone or Crusher run in the calculator to match.
| Size | What it is | Grading |
|---|---|---|
| #57 | Clean stone, often sold as ¾-inch clean | 95–100% passes 1 in, 25–60% passes ½ in, ≤10% passes No. 4 (about ³⁄₁₆ in) |
| #67 | Clean stone, a little smaller | 90–100% passes ¾ in, 20–55% passes ⅜ in, ≤10% passes No. 4 |
| ¾-inch minus | Crusher run (crushed surfacing top course) | 99–100% passes ¾ in, 46–66% passes No. 4 |
| 1¼-inch minus | Crusher run (crushed surfacing base course) | 99–100% passes 1¼ in, 25–45% passes No. 4 |
Crusher run goes by many regional names, including road base, dense-graded aggregate, 2A, 21A and ABC.
How much does crushed stone cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 sq ft divided by the depth in inches, whatever it weighs. A ton covers less, because a ton of clean stone is only about 0.67–0.74 cubic yards.
| Depth | 1 cubic yard | 1 ton of clean stone | 1 ton of crusher run (loose) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 162 sq ft | 108–120 sq ft | 110–114 sq ft |
| 3 in | 108 sq ft | 72–80 sq ft | 73–76 sq ft |
| 4 in | 81 sq ft | 54–60 sq ft | 55–57 sq ft |
| 6 in | 54 sq ft | 36–40 sq ft | 37–38 sq ft |
Crushed stone quick reference: 1 to 20 tons
| Tons | Cubic yards | Covers at 4 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.67–0.74 | 54–60 sq ft |
| 2 | 1.33–1.48 | 108–120 sq ft |
| 5 | 3.33–3.70 | 270–300 sq ft |
| 10 | 6.67–7.41 | 540–600 sq ft |
| 15 | 10.00–11.11 | 810–900 sq ft |
| 20 | 13.33–14.81 | 1,080–1,200 sq ft |
Compacting crusher run
Crusher run packs down when it's compacted. Washington State DOT lists it at 1.43–1.48 tons per cubic yard loose and 1.85 compacted, so each compacted cubic yard takes 1.25–1.30 loose cubic yards. Choose Crusher run and Compacted base in the calculator and it does this for you. Clean stone such as #57 has no fines to fill its gaps, so it's estimated loose, the same as drain rock.
Other rock and gravel
For decorative, drain or large rock, use the rock calculator. #8 stone, about ⅜ inch, is the size nearest pea gravel.
To convert any volume between cubic yards, cubic feet and cubic meters, use the cubic yard calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much crushed rock do I need?
Multiply the length by the width in feet and by the depth in feet (inches ÷ 12), then divide by 27 for cubic yards. For clean stone such as #57, multiply the cubic yards by 1.35–1.50 for tons. A 10 × 20 ft area 4 inches deep is 2.47 cubic yards, about 3.33–3.70 tons.
How many tons is 1 yard of crushed rock?
Clean crushed stone such as #57 weighs about 1.35–1.50 tons per cubic yard (2,700–3,000 lb). Crusher run weighs 1.43–1.48 tons loose and about 1.85 tons once compacted. So a ton of clean stone is only about 0.67–0.74 cubic yards.
How much does 1 ton of crushed stone cover?
A ton of clean crushed stone (about 0.67–0.74 cubic yards) covers about 108–120 sq ft 2 inches deep, 72–80 sq ft 3 inches deep or 54–60 sq ft 4 inches deep.
How much does 1 cubic yard of crushed stone cover?
One cubic yard covers 324 sq ft divided by the depth in inches: 162 sq ft 2 inches deep, 108 sq ft 3 inches deep and 81 sq ft 4 inches deep. That's the same for every kind of stone, because a cubic yard is a volume.
What does size 57 stone look like?
#57 stone is clean, angular crushed stone, mostly ½ to 1 inch across, with almost no fine dust. Under Washington State DOT's grading, 95–100% of it passes a 1-inch screen, 25–60% passes ½ inch and no more than 10% is finer than about ³⁄₁₆ inch. It's often sold as ¾-inch clean stone.
Related calculators
Sources and methodology
Volumes use (length × width × depth) ÷ 27 with all measurements in feet. Clean crushed stone weights are loose, as delivered: from the Federal Highway Administration's figure for dry, uniformly graded gravel to Penn State's figure for AASHTO #57 stone, which is why results show a range. Crusher run uses Washington State DOT's crushed surfacing figures, loose and compacted. For a compacted crusher run base, the calculator works out the weight needed to fill the compacted volume, then converts it to the loose cubic yards you order. Sizes are Washington State DOT's gradings. Order amounts are rounded up to the next half cubic yard or half ton. Tons are US short tons (2,000 lb).
- FHWA Federal Lands Highway, Earthwork Design (PDDM supplement), Exhibit 5.1 A (January 2026)
- Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies: DGLVR Materials Calculator
- WSDOT Design Manual M 22-01.23, Exhibit 620-1 (September 2024)
- WSDOT Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge, and Municipal Construction M 41-10 (2027), Division 9: Sections 9-03.1(4)C (coarse aggregate gradings) and 9-03.9(3) (crushed surfacing)
- NIST Special Publication 811 (Guide for the Use of the SI), Appendix B.8: conversion factors