Crushed Limestone vs Fill Dirt: Size, Cost, and Which to Use

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.

Fill Dirt

Subsoil material free of organic matter, used for grading, filling, and raising elevation. Fill dirt is a lower-grade soil that lacks the nutrients of topsoil, making it ideal for structural and non-growing applications where settling must be minimized.

Crushed Limestone

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

Fill Dirt

• ✓ Grading
• ✓ Filling depressions
• ✓ Raising elevation
• ✓ Backfill
• ✓ Construction site prep
• ✓ Under slabs

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

Fill Dirt

• + Very affordable — often cheapest material available
• + Compacts firmly for structural support
• + Does not decompose or settle like organic soil
• + Widely available from construction sites
• + Ideal base under gravel or concrete

• − Not suitable for growing plants
• − Must be free of debris and contaminants
• − May contain clay that drains poorly
• − Needs compaction in layers for stability
• − Quality varies widely between sources

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.

Fill Dirt

Fine to coarse soil particles, free of organic matter like roots, grass, or leaves. Color ranges from tan to reddish-brown depending on local geology. "Clean fill" means free of debris, rocks larger than 3", and contaminants.