How Much #57 Stone Under a 16x16 Deck?
A 16 by 16 foot deck covers 256 square feet. At 3 inches of #57 stone, plan on 2.37 cubic yards, or about 3.2 tons, which answers how much #57 stone under a 16x16 deck.
Volume and tonnage calculator →The math
- Area: 256.0 sq ft.
- Depth in feet: 3 ÷ 12 = 0.250 ft.
- Cubic yards: 256.0 × 0.250 ÷ 27 = 2.37 yd³.
- Tons: × about 1.35 tons per yard = 3.2 tons.
The crushed stone calculator does this for any size.
Related: How Much Pea Gravel Under a 16x16 Deck?
#57 stone needed by depth
| Depth | Cubic yards | Tons of #57 stone | Tons +10% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 1.58 | 2.1 | 2.3 |
| 3 in | 2.37 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| 4 in | 3.16 | 4.3 | 4.7 |
| 6 in | 4.74 | 6.4 | 7.0 |
Building the deck base
Gravel under a deck blocks weeds, keeps the ground from turning to mud and lets water drain. Lay landscape fabric first, then about 2 to 3 inches of stone; there is no need to compact it the way you would a driveway base.
Related: How Much #57 Stone Under a 12x20 Deck?
Prep
Clear vegetation, rake the soil level and compact it. Lay fabric overlapped at the seams and set edging before spreading the stone.
Buying the stone
If you haul it yourself, a typical half-ton pickup should carry only about half a cubic yard of stone, well under what the bed looks like it can hold. #57 is a washed stone of roughly 1/2 to 1 inch with few fines; it drains fast but stays a little loose on its own. The scale ticket is the real weight; tons per yard here is a planning figure.
Planning the cost
Stone is usually priced per ton or per cubic yard, and delivery is often a separate charge based on distance. A full truckload can cost less per ton than a partial one, so it can pay to combine projects. Ask whether the quote includes tax, delivery and any small-load fee before you compare yards.
Common mistakes
People often forget that compaction reduces volume, so they come up short. Others order clean, round stone where a packable crushed stone with fines would have stayed put. Finally, dumping the whole load in one pile far from the work area adds hours of wheelbarrow trips.
Questions people ask
How many tons of #57 stone under a 16x16 deck?
About 3.2 tons at 3 inches deep.
How many yards of #57 stone under a 16x16 deck?
About 2.37 cubic yards.
How many tons of #57 stone are in a cubic yard?
Roughly 1.35 tons for planning, but suppliers vary with stone size and moisture.
Should I put landscape fabric under the stone?
On soft or clay soil, a woven geotextile keeps stone from sinking into the dirt and makes the layer last longer.
Related guides
- Gravel Under a Deck: Weeds, Drainage, and Depth
- How Much Does a Ton of Gravel Cover? Depth Chart
- Tons to Cubic Yards for Gravel: Conversion Chart
- Crushed Stone vs Gravel: Differences and Best Uses
- Geotextile Fabric for Driveways: Woven vs Nonwoven and How Much You Need
- Compacting a Driveway Gravel Base in Lifts
- How Much Gravel Under a 16x16 Deck?
- How Much Crushed Stone Under a 16x16 Deck?
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