1 inch to No. 4 clean stone · tons, yards and water storage
#57 stone calculator
This #57 stone calculator turns length, width and depth into cubic yards and US tons. #57 stone (sold by some yards as #57 gravel) is clean stone from 1 inch down to the No. 4 sieve, and a cubic yard of it holds about 81 gallons of water in its gaps at the 40% void ratio stormwater manuals design for.
How much #57 stone you need
Enter your dimensions to see cubic yards, tons and bags
The short answer
How much #57 stone do I need?
Multiply length × width in feet by depth in inches, then divide by 324 for cubic yards. A 20 × 10 ft drainage bed at 3 in needs 50 ft³, or 1.85 cubic yards, which is about 2.23 US tons at the Gravelshop figure of 2,410 lb per cubic yard (1.21 tons per yard). The two published #57 weights here are within 0.4% of each other.
The size standard
What is #57 stone?
#57 is a standard AASHTO size of clean stone that runs from 1 inch down to the No. 4 sieve (4.75 mm, about 3/16 inch). It is not ½ to 1 inch stone: up to 60% of it may pass a ½ inch sieve. It is a blend of the #5 and #7 sizes, and Pennsylvania calls it 2B. Stone sold as “¾ inch” may be #57 or #67; ask which size number it is.
| Sieve | % passing |
|---|---|
| 1½ in | 100 |
| 1 in | 95–100 |
| ½ in | 25–60 |
| No. 4 (4.75 mm, about 3/16 in) | 0–10 |
| No. 8 (2.36 mm) | 0–5 |
Where specifications call for #57
| Agency | Where #57 goes |
|---|---|
| Minnesota Stormwater Manual | Reservoir layer under pervious concrete; a 4 in No. 57 base under permeable pavers; at least 4 in around underdrains in coarser stone beds |
| Virginia DEQ | Reservoir layer under porous concrete; 2 in bedding under porous asphalt; 4 in under the No. 8 bedding of permeable pavers |
| New Jersey DEP | Choker course of pervious paving: “clean, washed AASHTO No. 57 broken stone” |
| Maryland Department of the Environment | “The most widely used aggregate in SWM construction”: stone reservoirs, around underdrains, under permeable paving |
| North Carolina DOT | Shoulder drains, structural concrete, sediment control stone |
Grading from FDOT Section 901, Table 1 and VDOT Table II-3, which agree. For the other sizes, see the crushed stone size chart.
The calculation
How to calculate #57 stone
- Measure the trench or bed.Length × width × depth of the stone layer, in feet. For a trench, the depth runs from the trench bottom to the top of the stone.
- Take out what isn’t stone.In a French drain, subtract the pipe: π × radius² × length, all in feet.
- Convert to yards and tons.Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards; × 2,410 lb ÷ 2,000 = US tons at the preset weight.
- Check the water it holds.Stone volume × 0.4 = water volume, the design porosity Virginia and Minnesota use. Each cubic yard holds about 81 gallons.
Rectangle · US measurements
Length × Width × Depth ÷ 324
Feet × feet × inches → cubic yards
Cubic yards × 2,410 ÷ 2,000
Cubic yards × lb/yd³ → US tons at the reference weight
Read the full calculation method ↗Worked examples
#57 stone calculator examples
At 89.26 lb/ft³, before any allowance. Open one to load it into the calculator.
| Project | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 20 × 10 ft drainage bed at 3 in | 50 ft³ · 1.85 yd³ | 2.23 US tons |
| 10 × 12 ft permeable paver base at 4 in | 40 ft³ · 1.48 yd³ | 1.79 US tons |
| 50 × 2 ft French drain at 12 in | 100 ft³ · 3.7 yd³ | 4.46 US tons |
Bulk quantities
How much does a ton or a cubic yard of #57 stone cover?
One US ton at 2,410 lb per cubic yard is 0.83 cubic yards (22.41 ft³).
| Depth | One US ton covers | Tons for 100 ft² |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 134.44 ft² | 0.74 tons |
| 3 in | 89.63 ft² | 1.12 tons |
| 4 in | 67.22 ft² | 1.49 tons |
Why the density matters
How much does a yard of #57 stone weigh?
One cubic yard of #57 stone weighs 2,400 to 2,410 lb (1.2 to 1.21 US tons) across the published figures below, and 2,410 lb (1.21 US tons) at the calculator’s preset.
| Product | Publisher | lb per yd³ | Tons per yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch) | Gravelshop | 2,410 | 1.21 |
| #57 Stone granite gravel | Cummin Landscape Supply | 2,400 | 1.2 |
Enter your supplier’s figure under Material & allowance. For gravel in general, see how much a yard of gravel weighs, which lists each supplier weight per yard in our ledger with its source and recorded date.
Published prices
How much does #57 stone cost?
Public price lists from 4 suppliers give $59.77 per cubic yard (1 list) and a median of $47.48 per ton ($21.50–$69.00, 4 prices from 3 lists), before delivery. At this page’s reference weight of 2,410 lb per yard, the per-ton median works out to about $57.21 per cubic yard.
| Supplier | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Young's Sand & Gravel Loudonville, OH | #57 Gravel (washed) | $21.50 per ton Pickup; delivery quoted |
| Young's Sand & Gravel Loudonville, OH | #57 Limestone | $36.00 per ton Pickup; delivery quoted |
| Piedmont Landscape Materials Concord, NC | 57 Stone | $69.00 per ton Delivery from $50 |
| BOSS Boone One Stop Supply Wake Forest, NC | Clean (Washed) Stone #57 | $59.77 per cubic yard Delivery at checkout |
| Mulch Pros Landscape Supply Cumming, GA | #57 Stone | $58.95 per ton Free pickup; delivery per mile |
Per-ton and per-yard prices are not comparable until you convert with the product’s own weight per yard. Delivery fees, minimum orders and the other materials we track are on the gravel prices page.
Voids
How much water does #57 stone hold?
About 40% of a layer of clean #57 is empty space. Virginia DEQ sizes permeable-pavement stone reservoirs with a porosity of 0.4, and Minnesota’s stormwater manual recommends a minimum void ratio of 40% per ASTM C29. Turned around, storing a volume of water takes 2.5 times that volume of stone: 100 gallons needs about 33.42 ft³ (1.24 yd³) of #57.
| Stone | Stone volume | Water held |
|---|---|---|
| One cubic yard of #57 | 27 ft³ | 10.8 ft³ · 81 gal |
| 20 × 10 ft drainage bed at 3 in | 50 ft³ | 20 ft³ · 150 gal |
| 10 × 12 ft permeable paver base at 4 in | 40 ft³ | 16 ft³ · 120 gal |
| 50 × 2 ft French drain at 12 in | 100 ft³ | 40 ft³ · 299 gal |
Both manuals apply the figure to clean, washed stone free of fines. Gallons use 7.48 US gallons per cubic foot.
Before you order
Frequently asked questions about #57 stone
What size is #57 stone?
#57 is an AASHTO standard size that runs from 1 inch down to the No. 4 sieve (4.75 mm, about 3/16 inch): 95–100% passes 1 inch, 25–60% passes ½ inch and no more than 10% passes No. 4. So it is not “½ to 1 inch” stone; up to 60% of it can be smaller than ½ inch. Pennsylvania calls it 2B.
How many tons of #57 stone are in a cubic yard?
About 1.21 US tons at 2,410 lb per cubic yard, the figure Gravelshop applies to its #57 limestone. Cummin Landscape Supply lists its #57 Stone granite gravel at 2,400 lb (1.2 tons). Use the weight your supplier bills by.
How much #57 stone do I need for a French drain?
A 50 × 2 ft French drain at 12 in is 100 ft³ of stone, or 3.7 cubic yards: 4.46 US tons at 2,410 lb per yard, before you subtract the pipe. At 40% voids that trench holds about 40 ft³ of water, roughly 299 gallons.
Is #57 stone good for drainage?
Stormwater specifications use it for exactly that. Maryland’s Department of the Environment calls #57 “the most widely used aggregate” in stormwater construction, North Carolina DOT lists it for shoulder drains, and Minnesota wraps underdrains in it. For a base that has to lock together instead, use a stone with fines such as crusher run.
References
- #57 Limestone Gravel (1/2 - 1 inch): 2,410 lb/yd³, Gravelshop. Recorded September 23, 2026
- #57 Stone granite gravel: 2,400 lb/yd³, Cummin Landscape Supply. Recorded September 23, 2026
- Section 901, Table 1: Standard Sizes of Coarse Aggregate, Florida Department of Transportation (2010 workbook). Checked September 24, 2026
- Road and Bridge Specifications 2020, Virginia Department of Transportation. Checked September 24, 2026
- Stormwater Design Specification No. 7: Permeable Pavement, v2.0, Virginia DEQ (January 1, 2013). Checked September 24, 2026
- Design criteria for permeable pavement, Minnesota Stormwater Manual, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Checked September 24, 2026
- Stormwater BMP Manual, Chapter 9.6: Pervious Paving Systems, New Jersey DEP (March 2021). Checked September 24, 2026
- Guide to Common Construction Materials and Components, Maryland Department of the Environment. Checked September 24, 2026
- 2018 Standard Specifications, Table 1005-1, North Carolina Department of Transportation. Checked September 24, 2026
About these calculations
Written with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. Each figure links to its source; recorded dates are shown with the figures or in the gravel weight and price ledgers, and the arithmetic is covered by automated tests. The 2,410 lb per cubic yard preset is the figure Gravelshop’s own calculator applies to its #57 limestone. How this page was made · Report an error