Stone calculator for South Dakota
Find tonnage for graded stone, spanning 3/8 inch chips through railroad ballast.
Enter your project dimensions
Stone is sold by the ton. For most grades, a cubic yard weighs about 2,800 lb, which works out to 1.4 tons per yard. This calculator uses the weight for your selected product across twelve graded options, including 3/8 inch chips and 2.5 inch railroad ballast. Contractors may begin with a specification number, while homeowners often begin with the job itself. The guide below connects both descriptions to the appropriate stone.
Calculate your order
- Calculate the area in feet. For drives and pads, multiply length by width. For drains, multiply trench length by trench width.
- Set depth by the layer's purpose. Use 2 to 3 inches for top courses, 4 inches for bases, and 12 inches or more in French drains.
- Divide cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Multiply yards by 1.4 for tons of typical crushed stone.
Weights by stone type
| 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 stone sizes
Grade numbers identify size ranges, with lower numbers indicating larger rock. #4 measures 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches. At 3/16 to 1 inch, #57 serves drainage, drives, and concrete work. #67 is finer, at 1/4 to 3/4 inch, and is often used around pipe. #8 is about 3/32 to 3/8 inch, while #89 goes from 3/8 inch to fines. Both work in paver joints and surface layers. Screenings combine dust with chips to form a firm, screed-ready bed when compacted. Railroad ballast uses heavy, angular 1 to 2.5 inches rock for drainage and load support below tracks and equipment pads.
Clean stone or fines: choose correctly
Stone on this page fits 2 basic groups. Washed, clean material such as #57 remains open and lets water through, making it suitable for drainage. Crusher run, road base, and other mixes containing fines compact into a firm layer for bases. Using the wrong group causes problems: crusher run in a French drain can trap water, while a #57 driveway base can keep moving. When a plan or permit specifies a gradation, order that stated spec. If the name is unclear, send the line item to (605) 525-9259; "3/4 clean" and "#57" can be different names for the same stone.
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
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 center takes up only about 0.1 yards, so order the full 1.6 tons and place the small extra amount at the outfall. Install non-woven fabric around the trench before adding stone to prevent soil from filling the open spaces needed for drainage.
Two ways to avoid ordering mistakes
- Check the specification first, then compare the local label. Crusher run, crush and run, Gravel Cushion, surfacing gravel and gravel surfacing can all name one product. #57 and "57s" name the same stone.
- Rolled angular stone can settle 5 to 10%. Use the calculator's extra-percent toggle for typical settling. For engineered base work, follow the specified compacted depth.
- Compacted base stone provides the support below pavers. Screenings or concrete sand belong in the thin leveling layer. Do not use dust alone beneath pavers on soft soil.
- Calculate the trench volume rather than the pipe. Pipes under 6 inches seldom reduce an order by more than a wheelbarrow load.
Crushed stone facts
What does one yard of crushed stone weigh?
How much ground will a ton of #57 cover?
How are #57, #67, and #89 different?
What depth of stone works for a driveway?
Use stone dust or sand below pavers?
Which stone works in a French drain?
Will crushed stone compact?
How can railroad ballast be used beyond railroads?
Other calculators
Stone by specification
Twelve graded stone products are priced per ton, with free delivery across South Dakota.
