#10 Stone (Stone Dust): Size, Uses and How Many Tons

#10 stone is the finest product on the crushed stone size chart. It is the leftover material from crushing and screening rock, running from about 3/8 inch down to powder, which is why yards also sell it as screenings, stone dust, crusher dust or quarry fines. Unlike clean stones such as #57 or #8, #10 is mostly small grit and dust, so it packs into a firm, smooth layer when you wet it and tamp it. That makes it handy for paths, leveling pads and filling joints, but it drains slowly and can turn soft or wash out if it stays wet. A loose cubic yard weighs roughly 1.3 to 1.5 tons. Below we cover what the number means, how #10 compares with nearby sizes, where it works, where it does not, and how many tons to order.

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What “#10” means on the stone size chart

Crushed stone numbers come from ASTM D448, and AASHTO M 43 uses the same sizes for highway work. Most numbers describe a band of clean stone with little fine material. Size No. 10 is the exception: its nominal range is No. 4 (4.75 mm, about 3/16 inch) down to zero, so it is meant to include the fines. The standard sets these limits on how much of a sample, by weight, passes each screen:

Screen opening	Share passing, by weight (size No. 10)
3/8 inch	100%
No. 4 (about 3/16 inch)	85 to 100%
No. 100 (fine powder)	10 to 30%

Put simply, nothing is bigger than 3/8 inch, almost all of it is smaller than 3/16 inch, and a real share of it is dust fine enough to pass a screen with 100 openings per inch. That dust is what lets #10 lock up hard, and it is also why the material holds water.

In practice, “#10 stone,” “screenings” and “stone dust” are used loosely, and what you get depends on the rock and the plant. Limestone screenings tend to bind tighter than granite screenings. Some yards sell a washed fine product as manufactured sand, which has had much of the dust rinsed out and behaves differently. If a plan or a product warranty names a material, ask the yard for its gradation sheet.

#10 stone vs #9, #8, #57 and crusher run

On the ASTM chart a higher single number means smaller stone. Here is where #10 sits next to the sizes people usually weigh it against:

Material	Nominal size	Fines?	Typical uses
#10 (screenings)	3/16 in to dust	Yes, a lot	Paths, leveling pads, joint fill, top dressing
#9	3/16 in to No. 16 (about 3/64 in)	Very little	Paver bedding chips, fine drainage
#8	3/8 in to about 3/32 in	Very little	Chip seal, paver base and bedding, pipe bedding
#57	1 in to 3/16 in	Very little	Drainage, concrete, driveway topping
Crusher run	Up to about 1 1/2 in, plus fines	Yes	Driveway and slab base

#10 vs #9 and #8. These look similar in a pile, but #9 and #8 are washed or screened chips with almost no dust. They drain freely and stay put under pavers without turning to mush. #10 compacts harder and smoother but sheds water slowly.

#10 vs crusher run. Both contain fines, and both pack firm. Crusher run adds larger stone, which gives it the strength to carry vehicles as a base. #10 is all fine material, so it makes a smooth surface but cannot carry heavy loads by itself.

Good uses for #10 stone

Garden paths and walkways. A few inches of screenings over a stone base, wetted and tamped, gives a firm, natural-looking surface. Edge it so it does not creep into the lawn.
Leveling pads. Under sheds, playsets, rain barrels and utility pads, a tamped layer of screenings is easy to screed flat over a coarser base.
Above-ground pool bases. Some installers like stone dust because it packs firmer than loose sand. Pool makers have their own base rules, and some warranties name the material, so check the instructions first.
Joints between flagstones and stepping stones. Swept and wetted into the gaps, screenings lock stones in place better than loose soil.
Top dressing a gravel driveway. A thin layer worked into a worn crusher run or gravel surface can tighten it up. Our stone dust driveway guide covers where that helps and where it backfires.

Where #10 stone is the wrong choice

Paver bedding in wet areas. Fines trap water, which can soften the bed and let pavers settle or heave in freezing weather. Many hardscape guides call for concrete sand or small clean chips such as #9 or #8 for the bedding layer, with a dense base below. See how deep a paver base should be for a typical build.
Drainage. It does not belong in French drains, around foundation drains or behind retaining walls. Use clean stone; our French drain gravel guide explains the options.
A driveway by itself. Without larger stone underneath, a screenings-only drive ruts, puddles and tracks into the house.
Steep slopes. Heavy rain can wash fine material downhill.

How much a yard of #10 stone weighs

Because the fine particles fill the gaps between the grit, screenings are fairly dense. For limestone or granite screenings, plan on about 1.3 to 1.5 tons per loose cubic yard, roughly 2,600 to 3,000 pounds. We use 1.4 tons per yard in the math below. Damp material straight from an outdoor pile can weigh noticeably more, so ask the yard how it sells: by the ton on a scale, or by the scoop. Our crushed stone weight chart lists other materials.

How deep to lay #10 stone

Walkway surface: about 2 to 3 inches over 3 to 4 inches of compacted base stone.
Leveling layer under a shed or pad: about 1 to 2 inches over a coarser base.
Top dressing on gravel: about 1/2 to 1 inch, worked into the surface.
Joint fill: enough to fill the gaps; a little goes a long way.

These are common starting points, not rules. A product's installation guide, a permit or an engineer's detail comes first.

How many tons of #10 stone to order

Measure length and width in feet and depth in inches, then:

Cubic yards = length × width × depth in inches ÷ 324
Tons ≈ cubic yards × 1.4
Square feet covered per ton ≈ 230 ÷ depth in inches

Add about 10 percent, because screenings compact a good deal when you wet and tamp them, and some always ends up in the base below.

Depth	Approx. area per ton	Tons per 100 sq ft
1 inch	about 230 sq ft	about 0.43
2 inches	about 115 sq ft	about 0.86
3 inches	about 77 sq ft	about 1.3
4 inches	about 58 sq ft	about 1.7

Example: a 2-inch pad for a 24-foot round pool. The area is 3.14 × 12 × 12, about 452 square feet. 452 × 2 ÷ 324 = about 2.8 cubic yards. 2.8 × 1.4 = about 3.9 tons. With 10 percent added, plan on about 4.3 tons. Many pool installs extend the pad a foot or so past the wall, which adds more.

Example: a 3-foot by 50-foot garden path, 3 inches deep. 3 × 50 × 3 ÷ 324 = about 1.4 cubic yards, or about 1.9 tons. With 10 percent added, figure about 2.1 tons of screenings, plus base stone underneath. A small load like that may fit a pickup in two trips; check your truck's payload first.

How to lay a stone dust path that lasts

Dig out the sod and soft soil, and lay landscape fabric if the ground is soft or weedy.
Put down 3 to 4 inches of a coarser base, such as crusher run or #57, and compact it.
Spread the #10 stone about 1/2 inch thicker than you want the finished layer, since it will settle.
Rake it level, mist it with a hose until damp but not soupy, and run a plate compactor or hand tamper over it. Repeat in thin lifts for thicker layers.
Crown the path slightly or slope it to one side so rain runs off instead of soaking in.
Install edging. Steel, aluminum, stone or treated timber all keep the fines from spreading.

Buying tips

Ask by more than one name. A yard that does not list “#10 stone” may stock the same thing as screenings or stone dust.
Ask about the rock type. Limestone screenings usually pack tighter; granite screenings are often grittier and can look sparkly.
Keep the pile covered. Rain on a driveway pile turns the top into mud and the runoff stains concrete.
Wear a dust mask when dumping or sweeping dry material. Rock dust can contain crystalline silica, so keep it damp and avoid breathing it.

Questions people ask

What size is #10 stone?

ASTM size No. 10 runs from the No. 4 sieve, about 3/16 inch, down to dust. All of it passes a 3/8-inch screen, 85 to 100 percent passes No. 4, and 10 to 30 percent passes the very fine No. 100 screen.

Is #10 stone the same as stone dust?

Mostly, yes. Yards sell the same fine crushed material as #10 stone, screenings, stone dust, crusher dust or quarry fines. The exact mix depends on the rock and the plant, so ask for a gradation sheet if it matters.

What is #10 stone used for?

Garden paths, leveling pads under sheds and playsets, joint fill between flagstones, top dressing on gravel driveways, and some above-ground pool bases. It packs firm when wetted and tamped.

How much does a yard of #10 stone weigh?

About 1.3 to 1.5 tons per loose cubic yard, roughly 2,600 to 3,000 pounds. Use 1.4 tons per yard for planning. Damp material weighs more.

Is #10 stone good for paver bedding?

It is often discouraged for the bedding layer, especially where water collects, because the fines hold water. Many hardscape guides call for concrete sand or small clean chips such as #9 or #8 instead.

How many square feet does a ton of #10 stone cover?

About 230 square feet at 1 inch deep, 115 square feet at 2 inches and 77 square feet at 3 inches, before adding about 10 percent for compaction.

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