Stone calculator for Maine
Tonnage details for graded stone, including 3/8 inch chips and railroad ballast.
Enter your project dimensions
Most crushed stone grades convert at about 2,800 lb per cubic yard, or 1.4 tons per yard, and are sold by the ton. This calculator uses the selected material's weight across the twelve graded products, covering 3/8 inch chips through 2.5 inch railroad ballast. A contractor may start with a specification, while a homeowner may begin with the project itself. The information below connects either description to the appropriate stone.
How to calculate
- Calculate pad and driveway area in feet as length x width. For drains, multiply trench length by trench width.
- Set the depth according to the layer's purpose: 2-3 inches for surface courses, 4 inches for base, and 12 inches or more in French drains.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. For typical crushed stone, multiply yards × 1.4 to estimate tons.
Product stone weights
| Product | Weight per cubic yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| #57 / #67 / 3/4" crushed stone | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| #89 / #8 / 3/8" chips | ≈ 2,800 lb | 1.40 |
| Stone screenings / dust | ≈ 2,900 lb | 1.45 |
| Crusher run / road base | ≈ 3,000 lb | 1.50 |
| #4 stone / railroad ballast | ≈ 2,900 lb | 1.45 |
| Rip rap | ≈ 3,100 lb | 1.55 |
| Depth | 1 cubic yard covers | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 inches | 162 sq ft | ≈ 116 sq ft |
| 3 inches | 108 sq ft | ≈ 77 sq ft |
| 4 inches | 81 sq ft | ≈ 58 sq ft |
| 6 inches | 54 sq ft | ≈ 39 sq ft |
Understanding size designations
Stone grade numbers describe size ranges: the lower the number, the larger the rock. #4 measures 1-2 inches. #57, at 3/4 to 1 inch, is used for drainage, driveways, and concrete work. Finer #67 ranges from 1/4 to 3/4 inch and is often used around pipe bedding. #8 is about 3/8 to 1/2 inch, while #89 goes from 3/8 inch down to fines; both suit paver joints and finish layers. Screenings combine dust with small chips to make a firm, screedable bed. Railroad ballast is heavy angular stone, 1 to 2.5 inches, for fast drainage and load support beneath tracks and equipment pads.
Clean stone or fines: choose the correct material
There are two material types to separate. Clean, washed stone such as #57 remains open for water movement and suits drainage. Crusher run and road base contain fines that compact firmly, making them suitable for base layers. Reversing those uses creates trouble: crusher run can retain water in a French drain, while a #57 driveway base can continue to move. When a plan or permit lists a gradation, use the stated specification. If the material name is uncertain, send the line item through our contact form; "3/4 clean" and "#57" may identify the same stone by different names.
Common stone order sizes
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 30 ft x 12" x 12" | 12" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.6 tons |
| Pipe bedding (#67) | 40 ft x 18" wide | 6" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.6 tons |
| Retaining-wall backfill | 30 ft x 18" wide | 24" | 3.3 yd³ | 4.7 tons |
| Construction entrance (#4) | 40 x 12 ft | 6" | 8.9 yd³ | 12.9 tons |
| Dog run | 15 x 8 ft | 3" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.6 tons |
| Shed pad top course | 10 x 12 ft | 2" | 0.7 yd³ | 1 tons |
Example calculation: a 30-foot French drain
A 30-foot trench that is 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep contains 30 cubic feet. That volume is 1.1 cubic yards, equal to 1.6 tons of #57. The space taken by a 4-inch pipe is only about 0.1 yards, so order the full 1.6 tons and place the small remainder at the outfall. Install non-woven fabric around the trench before placing stone, helping keep soil out of the drainage voids.
Two ways to avoid ordering errors
- Start with the specification and verify the local name. Crusher run, crush and run, Bank Run Gravel, pit gravel and Type D gravel are names for one material; #57 and "57s" identify the same stone.
- Allow 5-10% for rolled angular stone to compact. The calculator's extra-percent toggle accounts for typical settling, while engineered base work should follow its specified compacted depth.
- Use compacted base stone for paver support, then place screenings or concrete sand as the thin leveling layer. Dust by itself is not a paver bed over soft ground.
- Calculate the trench volume rather than the pipe volume. Pipes under 6 inches generally displace less than a wheelbarrow load from an order.
Crushed-stone reference figures
What does crushed stone weigh per yard?
What coverage comes from a ton of #57?
How are #57, #67 and #89 different?
What stone depth is needed for a driveway?
Stone dust or sand beneath pavers?
Which stone works for a French drain?
Will crushed stone compact?
How is railroad ballast used beyond rail lines?
More calculators
Stone specified for the job
Twelve graded stone products, sold by the ton with free delivery across Maine.
