#57 Gravel Calculator: How Much #57 Stone Do I Need?

#57 stone is the most common crushed stone in the US. It is clean, angular, about 3/4 inch, and it drains fast, which is why it shows up on driveways, in French drains and under slabs. This 57 gravel calculator guide gives you the weight, coverage chart, depths and real examples so you can order the right amount the first time.

What Is #57 Stone?

#57 is a size grading used by US quarries for crushed stone, usually granite, limestone or trap rock. Most pieces are about 3/4 inch, ranging from about 1 inch down to 1/2 inch, with the dust washed out. It is a standard construction aggregate, so you will find it at almost any quarry or landscape supply yard. Many suppliers also call it 3/4 inch clean stone or 3/4 gravel.

Property	#57 stone
Typical size	About 3/4 in (1 in to 1/2 in)
Weight	About 1.35 tons (2,700 lb) per cubic yard
Shape	Angular, crushed
Fines (dust)	None, washed
Drainage	Excellent
Compacts hard?	No, it stays loose

How to Use a 57 Gravel Calculator

• Measure the length and width in feet.
• Choose the depth from the table below and divide inches by 12.
• Multiply length x width x depth for cubic feet, then divide by 27 for cubic yards.
• Multiply by 1.35 for tons, or multiply cubic feet by 2 for 0.5 cu ft bags.
• Add 10% for waste.

Our free gravel calculator has #57 stone built in as a material. Pick it, enter your size, and it shows yards, tons, bags and truck loads instantly.

#57 Stone Coverage Chart

Depth	Cubic yards per 100 sq ft	Tons per 100 sq ft	0.5 cu ft bags
2 in	0.62	0.83	33
3 in	0.93	1.25	50
4 in	1.23	1.67	67
6 in	1.85	2.50	100

Turned the other way, 1 ton of #57 stone covers about 120 sq ft at 2 inches, 80 sq ft at 3 inches and 60 sq ft at 4 inches.

Best Uses for #57 Stone

Use	Depth	Why #57 works
Driveway top layer	2 to 3 in	Grip, drainage, clean look
French drain	Full trench	Water flows through the gaps
Under a concrete slab	4 to 6 in	Drainage layer on wet ground
Shed or drainage pad	4 in	Keeps the base dry
Behind retaining walls	12 in wide backfill	Relieves water pressure

For a full driveway build, #57 goes on top of a compacted crusher run base. See how much gravel for a driveway for both layers, and gravel under a concrete slab for base depths.

Real Examples Using the 57 Gravel Calculator

Project	Size and depth	Cubic yards	Tons
Driveway top-up	100 x 10 ft, 2 in	6.2	8.3
French drain	50 ft x 1 ft x 18 in deep	about 2.6	about 3.5
Slab drainage layer	20 x 20 ft, 4 in	4.9	6.7
Shed pad	10 x 12 ft, 4 in	1.5	2.0

The French drain figure allows for a 4 inch pipe in the trench. All figures are before the 10% extra.

#57 vs Other Crushed Stone

• #57 vs crusher run: crusher run has dust that packs hard. Use it underneath, and #57 on top or where water must drain.
• #57 vs #8: #8 is smaller (about 3/8 inch) and better for paths. #57 is better for driveways and drains.
• #57 vs pea gravel: pea gravel is round and rolls. #57 is angular and stays put better under tyres.

Still deciding? Our guide to which gravel is best compares every common type, and how many tons in a yard of gravel has weights for each.

Try the 57 Gravel Calculator

Skip the maths. Choose #57 crushed stone in the calculator, enter your measurements, and get the exact amount to order in yards, tons or bags.