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How Much #57 Stone for a 14x14 Patio?

A 14 by 14 foot patio is 196 square feet. How much #57 stone for a 14x14 patio depends on depth: at 3 inches it is about 1.81 cubic yards or 2.5 tons. Suppliers usually sell by the ton, so the tonnage is the number to give them.

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The math for a 14x14 patio

  1. Area: 14 × 14 = 196 sq ft.
  2. Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
  3. Cubic feet: 196 × 0.250 = 49.0 cu ft.
  4. Cubic yards: ÷ 27 = 1.81 yd³.
  5. Tons: × 1.35 = 2.5 tons.

The volume and tonnage calculator does this for any size.

#57 stone needed by depth

DepthCubic yardsTons (approx.)Tons +10%
2 in1.211.61.8
3 in1.812.52.7
4 in2.423.33.6
6 in3.634.95.4

About #57 stone

Since #57 is washed and open-graded, it moves a little underfoot. Many installers put it over a compacted base of a dense-graded stone rather than straight on soil. If the yard sells by the cubic yard instead of the ton, use the cubic-yard column directly.

Preparing the patio

Remove sod, level the area with a slight slope away from the house, and lay landscape fabric if weeds are a concern. Edging keeps loose material inside the patio footprint. Since the patio carries foot traffic and furniture, a little extra depth is cheap insurance.

Ordering tips

  • Round up. Compaction and uneven ground eat material. Adding about 10 percent is common.
  • Delivery size. 2.7 tons fits in a single typical dump truck load; small loads may carry a delivery fee. See how many tons of gravel in a dump truck.
  • Bulk vs bags. At this size bulk delivery is usually the practical choice.
  • Where it drops. Have the truck dump as close to the patio as firm ground allows.

Good and poor uses for #57 stone

Works well for:

  • French drains and drainage layers
  • The top course of a gravel driveway
  • Under sheds where water needs to drain away

Less suited to:

  • A standalone base, since it does not pack hard without fines
  • Paver setting beds
  • Walk paths meant for strollers or wheelchairs

Quick reference numbers

  • Per inch over 100 sq ft: about 0.42 tons of #57 stone (0.31 cubic yards).
  • Per inch over 1,000 sq ft: about 4.2 tons.
  • Another size for comparison: a 14x28 area at 3 inches takes about 4.9 tons.
  • Weight used here: about 1.35 tons per cubic yard.

Where estimates go wrong

  • Assuming every supplier uses the same weight. Two yards selling the same product name can quote different tons per yard.
  • Using inches as if they were feet. Depth has to be divided by 12 before you multiply; skipping that step inflates the order twelvefold.
  • Forgetting that compaction shrinks loose material. A loose 4-inch spread of a dense-graded stone may finish closer to 3 inches after rolling.
  • Ordering exactly the math. Uneven ground and spillage nearly always need a little more than the flat calculation.

Questions people ask

How many tons of #57 stone for a 14x14 patio?

About 2.5 tons at 3 inches deep, or 2.7 tons with 10 percent extra.

How many cubic yards is a 14x14 patio at 3 inches?

About 1.81 cubic yards.

How much does a cubic yard of #57 stone weigh?

Usually around 1.3 to 1.45 tons, depending on stone size, fines and moisture.

How deep should #57 stone be for a patio?

The table above shows 2 to 6 inches. Shallower depths suit top dressing; deeper depths suit new installs and heavier use.

How many square feet is 14x14?

196 square feet.

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