Stone Calculator
Find how much crushed stone, river rock or stone dust you need. Measure in feet or metres, then pick your stone.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 1.66 m³ and weighs about 2.82 tonnes. We added 10% extra.
If you buy bags
This is a guide. For a base that carries weight, check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
Which costs less?
This price is for picking it up yourself. Add a delivery fee in "Change prices" if they bring it.
¾ in clear stone: $60 a cubic yard, the middle of 14 Canadian yards (Oct 2026). Pickup price, before delivery and tax. Bags: crushed gravel at Ontario stores, about $9.48 for 30 kg (3 prices, only 3 stores).
Quick answers
- Weight of a yard of stone
- Clear stone is about 1.3 tonnes. Granular A comes in near 1.36. One Ontario yard lists granite heavier than limestone.
- Clear stone price
- About $60 a cubic yard at a landscape yard (14 yards). At a pit, about $22.85 a tonne (5 pits). Before tax.
- River rock price
- About $84 a cubic yard, the middle of 11 Canadian yards.
- Stone in bags
- A 30 kg bag of crushed stone is about $9.48. That is from only 3 Ontario stores.
- 16 × 10 ft, 4 in deep
- About 1.98 cubic yards (1.51 m³) of clear stone. It weighs about 2.57 tonnes.
How to work it out
- Multiply length by width, both in feet, for the square footage.
- Times that by the inches of depth, then split it by 324 for the volume in cubic yards.
- For tonnes, multiply cubic yards by your stone's weight. Clear stone is about 1.3 tonnes a yard.
- Stone with dust in it packs down. Turn on the packing switch for it.
16 × 10 = 160 sq ft
160 × 4 ÷ 324 = 1.98 cubic yards
1.98 × 1.3 = 2.57 tonnes of clear stone
With 10% extra: 2.82 tonnes
Four kinds of stone
People in Canada search for crushed stone, clear stone, river rock and stone dust. Each one does a different job.
- Clear stone is crushed and washed. It lets water through.
- Granular A is crushed stone with its dust left in. It packs into a hard base.
- River rock is round and smooth. Stores sell it as a decorative stone.
- Screenings are fine chips mixed with dust. They pack down.
| Stone | Packs down? | Middle price | Range | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¾ in clear stone | No | $60 | $45–$105 | 14 |
| Granular A or road base | Yes | $49 | $35.99–$85 | 18 |
| River rock | No | $84 | $30–$199.99 | 11 |
| Screenings (stone dust) | Yes | $53 | $34.99–$105 | 12 |
Pickup price per cubic yard, before tax. Packing: from two Quebec yards' calculators.
How deep to lay rock in a bed
Rock mulch goes 2–3 in deep, says Utah State Extension. Colorado State says 4 in of gravel stops weeds.
Colorado State also says gravel under 1 cm (about ⅜ in) across works about as well as wood chips.
Utah State's 2010 guide gives 3–6 in for coarse material ½–3 in across, such as bigger rock. Type that depth in the calculator.
Stone tonnage: how heavy is a yard?
Crushed stone weighs about 1.3 to 1.36 tonnes a cubic yard. The kind of rock changes it.
One Ontario yard's 2022 list gives 1.2 tonnes for limestone and 1.6 for granite. Screenings vary a lot, from 0.91 to 1.5.
| Amount | Clear stone | River rock | Screenings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard (0.765 m³) | 1.30 | 1.35 | 1.22 |
| 2 cubic yards (1.529 m³) | 2.60 | 2.70 | 2.44 |
| 5 cubic yards (3.823 m³) | 6.50 | 6.75 | 6.10 |
| 10 cubic yards (7.646 m³) | 13.00 | 13.50 | 12.20 |
Loose, as delivered. Clear stone 1.3 and screenings 1.22 tonnes a yard, from only a few Canadian yards. River rock uses the government figure for all stone, 1.35.
Does a yard quote by the "ton"? Ask which ton. A tonne is 1,000 kg, and a short ton is 2,000 lb.
A small trailer or pickup has a weight limit. Check it against these tonnes before you load.
Bags or bulk for stone
Stores sell crushed gravel in 30 kg bags, not clear stone. River rock comes in 18 kg and 20 kg bags of small, ⅜–1 in decorative stones.
| Stone | Store bags, by weight | 1 yard bag, delivered | Loose at a yard |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¾ in clear stone | 44 × 30 kg = $417 | $175 | $60 |
| River rock | 68 × 20 kg = $687 | $248 | $84 |
Before tax, Oct 2026. Store bags: crushed gravel and small river stones, Ontario stores only, priced per kg. Big bags: 5 and 6 prices from 4 sellers.
Crushed gravel in bags costs about 7 times loose clear stone. A big delivered bag sits in the middle.
Bags still make sense for a small job, or where a truck can't reach.
Stone under pavers and slabs
Niagara Region rebuilds paver driveways at the road with 300 mm of Granular A. Then 50 mm of screenings goes on top.
The base depth is after packing. For a 20 × 10 ft area, order about 9.84 cubic yards of Granular A. Add 1.64 cubic yards of screenings.
Both amounts include 35% more for packing, as Quebec yards add. Niagara's rule is for one region, so ask your town.
Under a house floor slab, Ontario's building code asks for clean stone. ¾ in clear stone fits. Our gravel under concrete calculator has the details.
Questions people ask
How many tonnes of stone are in a cubic yard?
It depends on the rock. One Ontario yard lists 1.2 tonnes for limestone and 1.6 for granite. Natural Resources Canada uses 1.35 for any stone.
How much stone do I need?
Multiply length by width in feet, then by depth in inches. Divide by 324. That is the cubic yards to order.
How much does a tonne of clear stone cost?
About $22.85 at a pit, the middle of 5 pits. Landscape yards ask about $60 a cubic yard (the middle of 14), or about $46 a tonne. Before tax.
How much does river rock cost in Canada?
About $84 a cubic yard, the middle of 11 yards, before tax. Prices ran from $30 to $199.99. A delivered 1 cubic yard bag was about $248 (6 prices).
How much area does a tonne of river rock cover?
About 120 sq ft at 2 in deep, or 60 sq ft at 4 in. This coverage uses the government weight for all stone.
What is stone dust used for?
Stone dust, or screenings, is the fine top layer under pavers. Niagara Region puts 50 mm of it on the base under a paver driveway.
Does crushed stone need to be packed down?
Stone with dust in it, like Granular A or screenings, packs hard. Clear stone does not pack. For the rule under a house slab, see our gravel under concrete calculator.
What size is river rock?
Canadian yards sell it from about ⅜ in up to 6 in (150 mm) across. One Ontario pit sells round stone up to 8 in. Ask your yard which sizes it stocks.
Where our numbers come from
- Gravel weight: Natural Resources Canada (1 cubic yard = 1.35 tonnes)
- Weights per cubic yard: Canadian yards and producers (few sources each)
- Granular A and B: City of Toronto TS 1010 (OPSS 1010 definitions)
- Truck sizes and stone weights: A. Miron Topsoil price list (2022)
- Loose prices: the middle of up to 23 Canadian yards (Oct 2026)
- Pit prices per tonne: 3–5 Canadian pits (Oct 2026)
- 1 cubic yard bulk bags, delivered: 4 Canadian sellers per product (Garden Bag, Walmart.ca, RONA, Mygardenbag)
- Store prices: Ontario Home Depot, RONA, Home Hardware and Chamberlain Timber Mart (Oct 2026)
- Quebec yards: bulk calculators (tonne, packing)
- Driveway layers: Niagara Region specifications
- Weed barrier and mulch depth: Utah State Extension
- Rock mulch: Utah State Extension (2010)
- Plastic or fabric under mulch: Colorado State Extension
- Under-slab stone: Ontario Building Code 9.16.2.1 (2012 text, third-party copy)
- Ontario Building Code 2024, Part 9 (ministry compendium)
- Under-slab stone: BC Building Code 2012, 9.16.2.1–9.16.2.2
- Under-slab stone: Garantie GCR sheet FT-9.16.2.2-01 (Quebec)
- #57 stone extra: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (add 10%)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 4 Oct 2026.
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