HOW TO BUY CRUSHED STONE
A practical, no-fluff guide for contractors, builders, and property owners. What to order, how much to order, what to pay, and how to avoid the mistakes that cost real money on the job site.
Crushed stone is the workhorse of the construction industry. It goes under roads, behind retaining walls, into concrete, around foundations, and down driveways. Buying it well is mostly a matter of ordering the right size from the right source and not getting beaten up on trucking.
Pick the right stone for the job
The two variables that matter are rock type and size.
Rock type is usually dictated by what's local. In Texas, Kentucky, and Missouri you're mostly buying limestone. In Georgia and North Carolina, granite. In New Jersey and New York, trap rock (dense basalt). Limestone is softer and easier to compact; granite and trap rock are harder, denser, and more expensive, but better under heavy traffic and exposed to weather.
Size is called out by number. The standard grades in most US markets are:
- #57 stone (3/4" to 1") — the most common general-purpose aggregate. Concrete, French drains, driveway top coat, backfill.
- #8 stone (3/8") — smaller, uniform pieces for patio bases, pipe bedding, and finish drainage.
- #411 or crusher run (1" minus with fines) — packs tight when compacted. Use as base under driveways, pavers, and slabs.
- Rip-rap (3" to 12"+) — erosion control on ditches, banks, and shorelines.
- Dense-graded aggregate (DGA) / aggregate base course (ABC) — a DOT-spec mix of sizes and fines for road base and heavy-duty pads.
If you're not sure what to order, tell the quarry what you're doing with it — "I need base under a gravel driveway, 4 inches compacted, 80 feet by 12 feet" — and they'll spec it.
Measure the job and calculate tonnage
Crushed stone is sold by weight in the US, not volume. You calculate the volume of your project, then convert to tons.
Cubic yards = (length in feet × width in feet × depth in feet) ÷ 27.
Then multiply cubic yards by roughly 1.4 tons per cubic yard for most crushed stone. Limestone is closer to 1.35, granite and trap rock closer to 1.5. If accuracy matters, ask the quarry for the exact density of the specific product.
Our gravel calculator does this math for you and adds an estimated cost.
Order 5–10% extra to account for compaction, spillage, and trim loss. Nothing kills a schedule like coming up short with the last truck an hour away.
Shop quarries within haul distance
Crushed stone is heavy and cheap per ton, which means trucking cost dominates the delivered price. A tri-axle truck runs $6–$12 per loaded mile depending on market, so a 50-mile round trip can easily add $15–$25 per ton on top of the base price.
The practical rule: find 2–3 quarries within 25–50 miles of the job site and price them against each other. Beyond 50 miles, a closer quarry with a slightly higher per-ton price almost always wins on delivered cost.
You can browse every active US quarry by state on StoneQuarries.net — the full state-by-state directory — or jump straight to crushed stone producers specifically.
Request itemized quotes
When you call for a quote, ask for:
- Price per ton, FOB at the quarry (you pick up).
- Price per ton, delivered to the job site ZIP.
- Minimum order (usually one full truck, ~22 tons).
- Truck type available (tri-axle, live-bottom, dump trailer).
- Lead time and delivery windows.
- Material certification if the job has a DOT or engineer spec.
- Payment terms — COD, net-30, credit account.
A good quarry will answer all of this on one phone call. If they're vague on density or certifications, that's a flag.
Schedule, receive, and verify
Once you pick a supplier, confirm: truck count, staging, turnaround space, and where the operator should dump. Crushed stone trucks unload fast, but they need clear access and firm ground.
Verify every load at the scale ticket. You should get a ticket with:
- Tare weight (empty truck), gross weight (full truck), and net tons delivered.
- Material code / product name.
- Time stamped at the quarry scale.
If you're billed for tons that don't match the scale tickets, push back the same day. Also: reject a load if the material is visibly wrong (contamination, wrong size, wet when you specified dry). It is far harder to resolve a week later than at the moment the truck arrives.
Mistakes that cost money
- Buying on price alone. A $2/ton cheaper supplier that's 30 miles farther will cost you more. Always compare delivered totals.
- Ordering the wrong size. #57 under pavers will rut. Crusher run as driveway top coat will wash out. Ask.
- Under-ordering. A half-truck top-up load at the end of the job often costs more than the savings from ordering lean. Add 5–10%.
- Skipping the scale ticket review. Small discrepancies compound across a 500-ton project.
- Paying retail for bulk needs. If you need more than 2 tons, go to the quarry or a wholesale yard. Landscape-supply retail is 2–3x the per-ton price.
Frequently asked questions
What size crushed stone do I need?
The common sizes are #57 (3/4-inch, general-purpose aggregate and concrete), #8 (3/8-inch, patio bases and drainage), #411 (1-inch minus with fines, packs tight for driveways and compacted base), and rip-rap (3–12 inch, erosion control). If you are not sure, tell the quarry your application — driveway, French drain, foundation, concrete mix — and they will spec it.
Should I order by the ton or cubic yard?
Most US quarries sell by the ton because they weigh on a certified scale, which is more accurate than visually estimating a yard. One cubic yard of crushed stone weighs roughly 1.4 tons (≈2,800 lbs), but exact density varies by rock type. For budgeting, calculate yards, then multiply by 1.4 to estimate tons.
What does crushed stone cost?
As of 2026, typical contractor pricing in most US markets is $15–$40 per ton FOB at the quarry, with delivered prices often $35–$80+ per ton depending on haul distance. Limestone and sand-and-gravel tend to run cheaper than granite or trap rock. Trucking frequently costs as much or more than the stone itself.
How far will a quarry deliver?
Most quarries will deliver within 20–50 miles economically. Past that, the trucking cost makes the delivered price uncompetitive with a closer source. If no quarry is within 50 miles, ask about broker loads or rail delivery, which opens up longer haul economics.
What is the minimum order?
For a single tri-axle truck the minimum is typically a full load — roughly 20–24 tons. Many quarries will load partial trucks for a fee, or allow pickup with your own trailer for smaller quantities. For less than a ton, retail landscape-supply yards are usually a better fit than a quarry.
Can I pick up directly at the quarry?
Yes, most quarries allow "over-the-scale" pickup during business hours. Call ahead to confirm that day's stockpile, the scale hours, and whether you need to pre-pay or can open a credit account. Bring a trailer rated for the load — crushed stone is heavy.
How do I know if a quarry is legitimate?
Active US quarries are registered with the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). Every listing in the StoneQuarries.net directory is sourced from MSHA data, so you can verify the operation is an active, regulated mine. Ask the quarry for their MSHA ID if you want to confirm.
The fastest way to a good quote: get two.
Browse quarries in your state or near your ZIP on StoneQuarries.net and request quotes directly from each. We list every active, MSHA-registered quarry in the United States — 5,320+ operations.