Stone calculator for Minnesota
Calculate material for graded stone, including 3/8 inch chips and railroad ballast.
Enter your project dimensions
Most crushed stone is sold by ton. A cubic yard is about 2,800 lb for most grades, or 1.4 tons. Use this tonnage calculator for twelve graded materials, including 3/8 inch chips and 2.5 inch railroad ballast, with the selected material's weight applied. A contractor may have a spec number, while a homeowner may start with the work at hand. The guide below matches either one to the material.
Calculation steps
- For pads and drives, get feet by multiplying length by width. For drains, multiply the trench length by its width.
- Choose depth based on the layer. Surface layers are 2 to 3 inches, bases are 4 inches, and French drains are 12 inches or deeper.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. For typical crushed stone, multiply yards by 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 grades
A grade number identifies the stone-size range, with lower numbers indicating larger pieces. #4 is 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches. At 3/16 to 1 inch, #57 is used for drains, driveways, and concrete work. #67 is smaller, at 1/4 to 3/4 inch, and is often placed around pipe. #8 is 3/32 to 3/8 inch, and #89 goes from 3/8 inch down to fines. Those finer grades work in paver joints and finish layers. Screenings combine chips and dust into a compactable, screedable bed. Railroad ballast uses angular rock from 1 to 2.5 inches for drainage and load support under tracks and equipment pads.
Clean stone or fines: choose the right type
Stone here falls into two groups. Washed, clean material such as #57 drains freely and remains loose, making it useful where water needs to move. Crusher run, road base, and other mixes containing fines pack together under compaction for base work. Using the wrong one causes trouble: crusher run can trap water in a French drain, while a #57 driveway base can keep moving. In Minnesota clay and freeze-thaw conditions, match the material to the job. If your plans or permit list a gradation, order that material. If the product name is unclear, text the line item to (651) 376-4294; "3/4 clean" and "#57" can refer to the same stone under different names.
Common stone order examples
| 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: 30-foot French drain
A 30-foot trench measuring 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep contains 30 cubic feet. That equals 1.1 cubic yards, or 1.6 tons of #57. A 4-inch pipe in the center takes up only about 0.1 yards, so order the full 1.6 tons and put the small excess at the outfall. Before placing stone, wrap the trench with non-woven fabric to keep soil from filling the open spaces needed for drainage.
Two ways to avoid ordering errors
- Check the spec first, then match the common name. Crusher run and crush and run refer to one material. #57 and "57s" also refer to the same stone.
- For rolled angular stone, plan on 5-10% compaction. Use the calculator's extra-percent setting for ordinary settling; engineered base work must follow the stated compacted-depth specification.
- Use compacted base stone for paver support, then add a thin leveling layer of screenings or concrete sand. On soft ground, dust alone is not a paver bed.
- Calculate the trench volume without subtracting the pipe. Pipes under 6 inches generally take up less than a wheelbarrow load of material.
Crushed stone measurements
What does a yard of crushed stone weigh?
What coverage comes from a ton of #57?
How are #57, #67 and #89 different?
How deep should driveway stone be?
Stone dust or sand beneath pavers?
What stone size works for a French drain?
Will crushed stone compact?
Uses for railroad ballast beyond rail lines
Other calculators
Stone by specification
Twelve graded stone products by the ton, with free delivery across Minnesota.
