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Tons and loose cubic yards of crusher run to order for a compacted base, allowing for the volume it loses when compacted.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Crusher run to order | 7.7 tons |
| Loose volume delivered | 6.42 yd³ |
| Compacted volume in place | 4.94 yd³ |
| In 50 lb bags | 309 bags |
| Area | 400 sq ft |
| Compacted depth | 4 in |
| Compaction allowance | 30% |
| Loose weight | 2,400 lb per yd³ |
| Coverage per ton at this depth | 52 sq ft |
Loose weight from The Gravel Shop (about 2,400 lb per cubic yard). Yard Works Landscape Supply's rule of one ton covering about 100 sq ft at 2 in implies roughly 30% shrinkage, in line with the FHWA gravel roads guide's warning that ordinary compaction can take 30% or more of the volume. Compact in 2–3 in lifts and ask your quarry for its own weight per yard.
Crusher run is angular stone mixed with stone dust, and it shrinks a lot when compacted: the fines fill the gaps between the stones. Enter the area and the finished, compacted depth for the compacted volume, the loose cubic yards that have to arrive on the truck, and the tons to order.
Multiply the area by the compacted depth for cubic yards, add the compaction allowance for the loose volume, then convert to tons. A 20 × 20 ft pad 4 in deep is 4.94 yd³ compacted; with 30% for compaction that is 6.42 loose yards, about 7.7 tons.
About 2,400 lb (1.2 tons) loose, per The Gravel Shop; Yard Works Landscape Supply lists about 2,450 lb. Compacted in place it is heavier per yard because the same stone fills less space.
Yard Works Landscape Supply puts it at about 100 sq ft at 2 in deep. At 4 in, the calculator gives about 52 sq ft per ton once compaction is allowed for.
A lot, because the fines fill the voids. The FHWA's Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide notes ordinary compaction can reduce volume by 30% or more; 30% is the calculator's default.
About 4 in compacted under patios, walkways and sheds, and 6 to 8 in for a driveway base over firm soil, placed and compacted in 2–3 in layers. Soft or clay soils need more, often over geotextile fabric.
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