Stone calculator for Wyoming

Use tons when ordering crushed stone. Most grades convert at about 2,800 lb for a cubic yard, equal to 1.4 tons per yard. Select from the twelve graded options in this calculator, ranging from 3/8 inch chips through 2.5 inch railroad ballast, and it uses the corresponding material weight. A contractor can begin with a spec number, while a homeowner can start with the planned work. The reference below helps match each starting point to the needed stone, including base work built for the spring melt.

Calculating your amount

1. Find the area in feet first: multiply length and width for drives or pads, and use trench length multiplied by trench width for drains.
2. Set the depth according to what the layer must do. Use 2 to 3 inches for surface courses, 4 inches for bases, and 12 inches or more for French drains.
3. Divide cubic feet by 27 to find cubic yards. For typical crushed stone, multiply yards by 1.4 to estimate tons.

Product weight reference

Understanding stone sizes

Grade labels describe rock-size ranges, with a lower number indicating larger pieces. #4 measures 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches. #57, at 3/16 to 1 inch, is commonly used for drainage, driveways and concrete work. At 1/4 to 3/4 inch, #67 is a finer option often placed around pipe. #8 is about 3/32 to 3/8 inch, while #89 extends from 3/8 inch to fines; these smaller materials fit paver joints and compacted finish layers. Screenings combine chips and dust for a firm bed that can be screeded. Railroad ballast consists of heavy, angular 1 to 2.5 inch rock for fast drainage and load support beneath tracks and equipment pads.

Clean stone or material with fines

Stone on this page generally falls into two groups. Washed, clean material such as #57 leaves open space for water to move through, making it useful for drainage. Crusher run, road base, and other blends containing fines compact into a tighter layer for base work. Putting either in the wrong application creates problems: crusher run in a French drain can hold water, while a #57 driveway base may continue to shift. When plans or permits list a gradation, order the stated spec. If material names need clarification, text (307) 207-5216; "3/4 clean" and "#57" can be different names for the same rock.

Common order examples

Example: 30-foot French drain

A trench measuring 30 feet long by 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep contains 30 cubic feet. That volume equals 1.1 cubic yards, or 1.6 tons of #57. Since a 4-inch pipe in the trench displaces only about 0.1 yards, order the full 1.6 tons and place the small extra amount at the outfall. Before adding stone, line the trench with non-woven fabric to keep soil from filling the drainage voids.

Avoiding incorrect stone orders

• Start with the specification and then verify the local term. Crusher run, crush and run, Pit Run, bank run, pit gravel are names for one product; #57 and "57s" also identify the same stone.
• Plan for 5 to 10% compaction when angular stone will be rolled. The calculator's extra-percent toggle allows for ordinary settling, while engineered base projects should follow their specified compacted depth.
• Pavers rely on compacted base stone for support, then screenings or concrete sand for a thin leveling layer. On Wyoming gumbo clay or other soft ground, dust alone is not a paver bed.
• Calculate the trench volume without subtracting the pipe. Pipes below 6 inches seldom reduce the order by more than a wheelbarrow load.

Crushed stone figures

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