Crushed stone calculator and yards-to-tons converter

Crushed stone by the ton or by the yard

Quarries weigh trucks on a scale and bill by the ton, but most people measure a job in cubic yards. The bridge between the two is density, the weight of one cubic yard of that stone. Multiply yards by density to get tons, or divide tons by density to get yards. The converter does this both ways for whichever material is selected.

Stone that is all one size, like #57, has more air between the pieces and weighs less per yard. Graded mixes such as crusher run or #411 have fines that fill those voids, so they are heavier and compact into a firm base. Screenings and stone dust are the densest common products. Recycled concrete is lighter than virgin stone of the same size.

Where each stone goes

• #57: drainage, French drains, the clean top layer of a gravel drive.
• Crusher run / #411: driveway and patio base that packs hard.
• #2 / #3: bottom layer over soft ground and construction entrances.
• Screenings: leveling under pavers, sheds and stepping stones.
• Rip rap: slopes, ditches and shorelines. Order by the ton and use a depth of at least one and a half times the stone size.

Related guides

Tons per yard by stone type · Driveway stone numbers by layer · Surge stone for soft ground · 50 yards of limestone screenings in tons · 50 yards of recycled concrete in tons. Also try the gravel calculator, the trap rock calculator and the asphalt base calculator.