Crushed Stone: Size, Uses, and Cost Per Ton (2026)

Crushed stone is rock that a quarry blasted, crushed, and screened into a set size range. It costs $20 to $40 per ton in 2026, weighs 1.35 to 1.55 tons per cubic yard, and is the base under nearly every road, driveway, slab, and patio in the country. The important difference from "gravel" in the natural sense is shape: crushed stone is angular, so the pieces lock together, while natural river gravel is rounded and rolls. Almost everything sold as gravel at a quarry is crushed stone.

Crushed Stone Sizes and What Each One Does

Sizes follow the ASTM C33 sieve table. Smaller number, bigger stone.

"Clean" or "washed" sizes have the fines removed and drain. "Minus" or "dense grade" products keep the fines and pack. Pick clean stone for drainage and packed stone for anything you drive or walk on.

Limestone, Granite, Basalt, and Trap Rock

Crushed stone takes on the character of the local rock. Crushed limestone (Midwest, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania) is softer, cheaper, and packs tighter as edges wear. Crushed granite (Georgia, Carolinas, Virginia, New England) is harder, stays sharp, and drains longer. Basalt and trap rock (Pacific Northwest, New Jersey) are the hardest and heaviest. All three work for base and drainage. Price tracks distance to the quarry more than rock type, so buy whatever is local.

What Crushed Stone Is Used For

• Driveways. The standard build is 4 inches of #3 or #4, then 3 to 4 inches of #57, then 2 inches of #8 or crusher run. On firm ground, 4 to 6 inches of crusher run alone.
• Slab and foundation base. A 4-inch layer of #57 under concrete stops moisture wicking and spreads loads.
• Drainage. #57 or #4 in French drains, dry wells, and behind walls.
• Paver base. 4 to 6 inches of compacted crusher run under 1 inch of stone dust or sand.
• Roads and parking. Crusher run or dense grade aggregate compacted in lifts.
• Concrete and asphalt. #57 in concrete, #8 and #89 in asphalt mixes.
• Landscaping. Smaller sizes as path surfaces and ground cover in gray tones, though rounded pea gravel and river rock look softer.

Crushed Stone Versus Gravel

In everyday speech they are the same thing. Technically, gravel is naturally rounded stone from rivers and pits, and crushed stone is quarried and crushed. The angular pieces of crushed stone interlock, which is why base layers, driveways, and anything that has to carry weight use crushed stone. Rounded gravel like pea gravel and river rock is for looks and for places where people walk barefoot. Read gravel vs crushed stone for the side by side.

How Much Crushed Stone to Order

One ton covers about 80 square feet at 3 inches and 60 square feet at 4 inches. Clean stone compacts 5 to 10 percent, crusher run about 15 percent, so add that to the loose volume. A 12 x 40 ft driveway with a 4-inch layer needs 9 to 10 tons. A 10-ton single-axle truckload costs $200 to $400 before delivery, which is $50 to $150 within 10 to 15 miles.

What to Avoid

Do not order "crushed stone" without a size. You may get #3 when you needed #57, and 2-inch rock is miserable to rake. Do not use clean stone as a finished driveway surface on soft ground; it sinks. Do not use crusher run or any minus product inside a drain. And keep crushed stone out of play areas and away from bare feet. The edges are sharp.