Stone calculator for New Mexico

Use tons when ordering crushed stone. Most grades convert at about 2,800 lb for each cubic yard, or 1.4 tons per yard. This calculator covers twelve graded materials, ranging from 3/8 inch chips up to 2.5 inch railroad ballast, using the weight assigned to your selected product. A contractor may start with a specification number, while you may begin by describing the project. The guide below helps connect either starting point to the material you need.

Work out the amount

1. Calculate the footprint in feet. Multiply length by width for drives and pads, or multiply trench length by trench width for drains.
2. Set the depth according to the layer's purpose. Surface layers are 2 to 3 inches, base layers are 4 inches, and French drains use 12 inches or more.
3. Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply yards by 1.4 to estimate tons for typical crushed stone.

Product weight guide

Understanding stone sizes

Stone grade numbers identify rock-size ranges, with lower numbers referring to larger stone. #4 measures 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches. At 3/16 to 1 inch, #57 is widely used for drainage, driveways, and concrete jobs. #67 is finer, measuring 1/4 to 3/4 inch, and is often placed around pipe. #8 measures about 3/32 to 3/8 inch. #89 ranges from 3/8 inch down to fines. Both work in paver joints and finish courses. Screenings contain dust and chips that compact into a firm bed for screeding. Railroad ballast is angular stone measuring 1 to 2.5 inches. It supports loads and drains beneath tracks and equipment pads.

Choose clean stone or material with fines

The materials here fall into 2 main groups. Washed, clean stone such as #57 stays open so water can move through it, making it suitable for drainage. Crusher run, road base, and other mixes containing fines pack together under compaction, which suits base layers. Using the wrong type causes problems: crusher run can trap water in a French drain, while a #57 base may keep moving beneath a driveway. In New Mexico, caliche and monsoon runoff make proper drainage and base selection especially important. When your plans or permit list a gradation, order the material specified. If the material name is confusing, text the line item to (505) 240-8790. "3/4 clean" and "#57" can refer to the same type of rock under different names.

Common stone order examples

Example calculation: 30-foot French drain

For a trench measuring 30 feet long, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches deep, the volume is 30 cubic feet. That equals 1.1 cubic yards or 1.6 tons of #57. A 4-inch pipe in the trench displaces only about 0.1 yards, so order the full 1.6 tons and place the small remainder at the outfall. Install non-woven fabric in the trench before adding stone. It prevents soil from filling the open spaces needed for drainage.

Two ways to avoid ordering the wrong stone

• Check the specification first, then compare the product name. Crusher run, crush and run, Crusher Fines, breeze, and decomposed granite can describe one product. #57 and "57s" identify the same stone.
• Allow 5 to 10% for compaction where angular material will be rolled. The calculator's extra-percent toggle accounts for normal settling. For engineered base work, use the required compacted-depth specification.
• Pavers need compacted base stone for support. Use screenings or concrete sand as the thin leveling layer. Do not place pavers on dust alone where the soil is soft.
• Base the calculation on the whole trench, not the pipe. Pipes below 6 inches usually do not reduce an order by more than a wheelbarrow load.

Crushed stone facts and figures

Other calculators