#89 Stone vs Pea Gravel: Size, Cost, and Which to Use

#89 Stone

In the ASTM C33 sieve table, #8 stone passes a 1/2-inch screen and stays on a #8 sieve (about 3/32 inch), and #9 is a step finer. #89 is a blend of the two: most of it passes a 3/8-inch screen and stays on a #16 sieve. In practice you get a clean, small, sharp stone that looks like crushed pea gravel. Some quarries sell the same product as #8, #9, or "3/8 clean."

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel is small, naturally rounded stone screened to 1/4 to 3/8 inch and washed clean. It costs $25 to $50 per ton in 2026, weighs 1.3 to 1.45 tons per cubic yard, and is the most popular gravel for patios, walkways, play areas, and garden beds because it is smooth underfoot and comes in warm mixed colors. The rounded shape is also its main drawback: the pieces do not lock together, so pea gravel shifts, spreads, and needs edging.

#89 Stone

• ✓ Walkways
• ✓ Patios
• ✓ Pipe bedding
• ✓ Asphalt mix
• ✓ Dog runs
• ✓ Driveway top dressing

Pea Gravel

• ✓ Patios
• ✓ Walkways
• ✓ Playgrounds
• ✓ Landscaping beds
• ✓ Dog runs
• ✓ Downspout drainage

#89 Stone

• + Packs firmer than pea gravel at the same size
• + Stays put inside edging
• + Wheelbarrow and stroller friendly
• + Clean, so it drains
• + Cheap at $22 to $40 per ton

• − Plain gray look
• − Sharp edges, not for bare feet
• − Too small for a driveway surface
• − Less void space than #57 for drainage

Pea Gravel

• + Smooth and comfortable underfoot
• + Warm mixed natural colors
• + Cheap at $25 to $50 per ton and sold everywhere
• + Drains fast, never muddy
• + Easy to spread by hand

• − Shifts and spreads, needs rigid edging
• − Ruts under tires
• − Hard to push a wheelbarrow or stroller through
• − Migrates into lawns and gets thrown by mowers
• − Does not pack, so it never firms up

#89 Stone

#89 stone is crushed stone screened to about 3/8 inch and smaller, with most pieces between 1/8 and 3/8 inch and no dust. It is angular, a blend of the #8 and #9 sieve sizes. Color follows the quarry: gray or white limestone, gray to pink granite, or dark basalt.

Pea Gravel

Pea gravel is naturally rounded stone screened to 1/4 to 3/8 inch, about the size of a garden pea. Because it comes from river and glacial deposits, a load is a mix of colors: tan, brown, cream, gray, white, and rust, with some regional loads running mostly one shade. It is washed, so there are no fines.