Crushed Limestone Calculator
Cubic yards and tons of crushed limestone by area and depth.
3 to 4 in per compacted layer; driveways total 6 to 10 in in layers.
Sets tons per cubic yard. Crusher run packs denser than clean stone.
Delivered price for crushed limestone. Leave at 0 to skip the cost estimate.
You need
8.59 tons
Quarries sell by the ton. Round up; compaction consumes more than loose math suggests.
- Volume
- 5.93 cubic yards
- Volume in cubic feet
- 160.0 cu ft
- Coverage area
- 480 sq ft
Estimates only. Verify quantities before ordering.
How this is calculated
Volume = length (ft) x width (ft) x depth (in) / 12, divided by 27 for cubic yards. Tons = cubic yards x density, defaulting to 1.45 tons per cubic yard for crushed limestone; confirm with your quarry.
Enter the area and depth, and this calculator converts it into cubic yards and tons of crushed limestone. Quarries price limestone by the ton, landscape yards often by the cubic yard, so both numbers are shown; the density field converts between them and is worth confirming with your supplier since crushed rock varies by quarry and moisture.
Limestone grades matter as much as quantity. #57 (about 3/4 to 1 inch) is the general-purpose surface and drainage stone. Crusher run or #411, which mixes stone with fines, compacts into a hard base layer for driveways and pads. #2 and #3 (2 to 4 inch) are for building up a base on soft ground. A proper driveway uses large stone at the bottom and finer material on top, in compacted layers.
Limestone for common projects
Rows use 1.45 tons per cubic yard. Driveway rows are per compacted layer, not the full built-up depth.
| Project | Tons | Cubic yards |
|---|---|---|
| 10 x 20 ft pad, 4 in | 3.58 tons | 2.47 cubic yards |
| 12 x 40 ft driveway, 4 in | 8.59 tons | 5.93 cubic yards |
| 12 x 60 ft driveway, 4 in | 12.89 tons | 8.89 cubic yards |
| 12 x 100 ft drive, 4 in | 21.48 tons | 14.81 cubic yards |
| 16 x 16 ft shed base, 6 in | 6.87 tons | 4.74 cubic yards |
Limestone compared with other aggregates
Crushed limestone is angular and slightly softer than granite or trap rock, and both properties matter in practice. The angular faces interlock under compaction, which is why limestone crusher run makes such a good base. The relative softness means the fines crush further under a plate compactor and cement the layer together into a hard crust, something rounded river gravel simply cannot do at any depth.
Against granite or basalt, limestone is usually cheaper wherever there is a limestone quarry nearby, and freight dominates aggregate pricing, so local geology decides what is economical more than the rock does. Granite is harder and holds up better as a permanent exposed driving surface. Limestone gradually powders under traffic, which is what produces the white dust that tracks indoors and coats nearby plants in dry weather.
Limestone is alkaline, and that has consequences beyond construction. Runoff from a limestone driveway raises the soil pH along its edges over time, which suits some plantings and slowly harms acid-loving ones like blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons. If you are placing a bed alongside a limestone drive, plan for that drift rather than fighting it later.
Building in compacted lifts
Depth alone does not create a stable base; compaction does. Place limestone in lifts of no more than 3 to 4 inches and compact each one before adding the next. A single 8 inch dump compacted from the top leaves the lower half loose, and that soft layer eventually consolidates unevenly under traffic into ruts and dips that are difficult to correct without excavating.
Dampen the material lightly before compacting if it is dry. Limestone fines need a little moisture to migrate into the voids and lock the aggregate together, which is why a base compacted after light rain sets up harder than one compacted in dust. Too wet is also a problem: material that pumps or springs underfoot is saturated and needs to dry before it will compact at all.
A plate compactor is adequate for paths, patios, and shed pads. For a driveway carrying vehicles, a heavier roller or a rammer does noticeably better on the lower lifts. Both rent cheaply by the day, and the rental cost is trivial against redoing a driveway that settled because the base was placed in one pass.
Common questions
How much does crushed limestone weigh?
Loose crushed limestone runs about 2,700 to 2,900 lb per cubic yard, or roughly 1.4 to 1.5 tons. Density varies with the stone size, how much fine material is mixed in, and moisture, so use your quarry's figure when they quote one.
How much area does a ton of limestone cover?
At 2 inches deep, one ton covers roughly 110 square feet; at 4 inches, about 55. If a quarry quotes coverage that sounds much higher, they are usually describing a thin decorative layer, not a compacted structural one.
What size limestone for a driveway?
Build in layers: 2 to 4 inch clean stone (#2 or #3) on the subgrade if the ground is soft, then crusher run or #411 compacted as the working base, topped with #57 or a finer crushed surface. Each layer should be compacted before the next goes down.
Is limestone or gravel better for a driveway?
Both work; the practical difference is what is cheap and local. Limestone's angular faces and fines lock together tightly when compacted, which makes crusher run limestone one of the best base materials. River gravel is rounder and stays looser, better as a decorative top than a base.