Construction Gravel vs Crushed Limestone: Size, Cost, and Which to Use

Construction Gravel

Construction gravel is a broad category of mixed-size stone used for general building and site work. It typically includes a combination of crushed stone sizes suitable for base preparation and structural fill.

Crushed Limestone

Crushed limestone is quarried limestone that has been crushed and screened into standard sizes from screenings to 3-inch rock. It costs $20 to $45 per ton in 2026, weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, and is the cheapest crushed stone across the Midwest, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and any other region sitting on limestone bedrock. Its light color, low price, and the way its fines cement together under traffic make it the default driveway and road gravel in a big part of the country.

Construction Gravel

• ✓ Construction sites
• ✓ Base layers
• ✓ Backfill
• ✓ Temporary roads

Crushed Limestone

• ✓ Driveways
• ✓ Road base
• ✓ Drainage
• ✓ Paver base
• ✓ Concrete aggregate
• ✓ Farm lanes and arenas
• ✓ Landscaping

Construction Gravel

• + Versatile material
• + Readily available
• + Cost-effective
• + Suitable for many applications

• − Inconsistent sizing
• − Not decorative
• − Varies by supplier

Crushed Limestone

• + Cheapest crushed stone in the Midwest, Texas, and Florida
• + Fines cement together into a hard surface
• + Light color brightens driveways and beds
• + Every standard size available
• + Packs harder than granite crusher run

• − White dust in dry weather
• − Raises soil pH, bad for acid-loving plants
• − Softer, breaks down faster under heavy trucks
• − Expensive where it has to be trucked far

Construction Gravel

Mixed crushed stone sizes ranging from fines to 1" or larger. Color varies by quarry source.

Crushed Limestone

Crushed limestone comes in every standard sieve size: screenings under 1/4 inch, #8 (3/8 to 1/2 inch), #57 (3/4 to 1 inch), #4 (1 to 1.5 inch), #2 (2 to 3 inch), and crusher run (3/4 or 1.5 inch minus). It is angular when fresh and wears smoother than granite. Color runs white, cream, light gray, and tan, and it turns bright white as dust dries on the surface.