MATERIALS BY PROJECT

Find the Right Stone or Gravel Material for Your Project

Start with the job you are planning, not a bag label. Compare material characteristics, check the specification with your supplier and open a calculator only when it matches the product you intend to order.

Material choices depend on site conditions and written specifications. These are research starting points, not structural, hydraulic or accessibility approvals.

PROJECT SELECTION

Driveways and access areas

Separate the load-bearing base from the surface course. What works for a short footpath does not automatically work for vehicle traffic.

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What matters

Subgrade strength, wet spots and surface runoff
Vehicle type and loading, grading and intended layer
Particle-size distribution, fines, compaction and maintenance

Materials to investigate

Crushed limestone: A rock type, not a fixed grading. Confirm whether the proposed product is a dense-graded base, clean stone or a surface aggregate.
Crusher run: Often a graded crushed aggregate containing fines for a specified compacted base or surface. Regional product names differ.
Asphalt millings: Reclaimed asphalt used for selected surfaces. Finished compacted volume is not the same as the loose delivery volume.

Specification check: Confirm local pavement design, drainage and compaction requirements. None of these products is automatically interchangeable or approved for every driveway.

PROJECT SELECTION

Drainage trenches and French drains

Choose rock as part of a drainage system, not by stone size alone. Water conveyance, filtration and a workable outlet are separate considerations.

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What matters

Cleanliness, gradation, void spaces and durability
Native-soil filtration and compatible geotextile, if specified
Pipe openings, bedding, legal discharge and outlet conditions

Materials to investigate

Clean drain rock: Appropriately graded aggregate with relatively little fine material, selected for the required pipe envelope or drainable layer.
Specified washed crushed stone or gravel: Possible drainage materials when the documented grading, filter arrangement and pipe requirements match.

Specification check: A product marketed as “drain rock” is not a hydraulic design. Do not replace it with dense-graded crusher run just because both are sold as gravel. Seek project-specific help near foundations or retaining walls.

PROJECT SELECTION

Walkways and garden paths

Think about the walking surface before choosing the aggregate below it. Loose decorative stone, compacted fines and stable pavers behave differently.

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What matters

Foot traffic, mobility needs and surface stability
Slope, drainage, edging and movement of loose stones
Required base material, gradation and anticipated maintenance

Materials to investigate

Selected graded crushed aggregate: May provide a stable compacted path base when specified and installed for the site.
Crushed limestone or other surface stone: Choose a product with an appropriate size distribution and finish; source rock alone cannot predict stability.
Pea gravel: Rounded decorative gravel can move underfoot; it is not inherently a firm or wheelchair-accessible route.

Specification check: Do not assume a loose-gravel path meets accessible-route requirements. Confirm surface firmness, stability, grade and local accessibility rules where applicable.

PROJECT SELECTION

Patios and paver materials

Keep subgrade, aggregate base, bedding layer, pavers and joint material distinct. Choose each layer using the actual paver system instructions.

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What matters

Approved paver manufacturer and project specifications
Base aggregate and compaction suited to soil, use and drainage
Bedding material grading, fines content and water movement

Materials to investigate

Specified aggregate base: A prepared compacted or engineered open-graded layer according to the selected paver assembly.
Approved bedding sand or stone chips: Use bedding matched to the conventional or permeable paver system; bedding is not the same as joint sand.
Stone dust: A fine crushed product with some other uses, but not a universal substitute for conventional interlocking concrete paver bedding.

Specification check: CMHA's conventional interlocking concrete paver guide specifies suitable concrete bedding sand and says not to use stone dust or limestone screenings. Do not route paver-bedding purchasers to the Stone Dust Calculator unless their separate application actually specifies stone dust.

PROJECT SELECTION

Landscaping and small stone projects

First identify exactly what the supplier will deliver. A calculation for one material is not a catch-all estimate for mulch, river rock or every decorative aggregate.

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What matters

Actual rock type, particle size and grading
Intended use: decorative cover, drainage, leveling or another layer
Measured area, specified depth and product-specific bulk density

Materials to investigate

Crushed limestone: One possible material for selected landscape applications; confirm grading and actual use.
Drain rock: Only when the landscape feature calls for a drainage-suited aggregate.
Stone dust: Only for a genuinely specified fine-stone application, not as an assumed paver bedding substitute.

Specification check: None of the five planned specialized calculators supports every landscape material. If your supplier's product does not match a calculator, obtain its bulk-density and ordering information instead of borrowing another material's result.

Compare projects and materials

This is a navigation aid, not an engineering material-approval chart. Unpublished resources are deliberately not linked.

Choose a project, verify requirements, then read the available guide and use a compatible estimator.
Project	Check first	Guide	Calculator
Crushed-limestone driveway	Specified base or surface grading; subgrade and density	Driveway limestone guide	Crushed limestone
Crusher-run driveway base	Fines, compaction and delivered versus finished state	Crusher run explained	Crusher run
Recycled-asphalt driveway	Loose and compacted states; product-specific density	Millings: loose vs compacted	Asphalt millings
French drain	Clean graded stone; filter, pipe and outlet compatibility	French drain rocks	Drain rock
Garden walkway	Footing, surface movement and accessibility	Limestone vs pea gravel	Crushed limestone, if specified
Interlocking paver patio	Manufacturer-approved base, bedding and joint materials	Stone dust vs bedding sand	No universal match

How to plan a material order

Define the job. Identify the project and whether this layer is a base, surface, bedding or drainage envelope.
Verify suitability. Check the manufacturer, project drawings, local requirements and site conditions.
Get a product specification. Ask for grading, fines, material state and any applicable installation instructions.
Measure. Record each area's length and width in feet and its specified depth in inches; separate dissimilar layers.
Choose the matching calculator. If no listed tool fits your actual material, do not reuse another product's density.
Confirm bulk density. Match the density units, moisture basis and loose/compacted state to the estimate.
Review allowances. Include handling loss or conversion factors only when justified, without double counting compaction.
Request the quote. Confirm sales unit, minimum order, rounding increment, delivery charge and truck access.

Common material-selection mistakes

Ordering by a marketing name without checking the actual stone grading.
Replacing drainable clean stone with dense-graded driveway base aggregate.
Using the same cubic yards for loose delivery and finished compacted material.
Substituting stone dust for conventional interlocking concrete paver bedding without approval.
Using solid-rock mineral density instead of the product's bulk density.
Picking the nearest calculator rather than the one matched to the supplied material.
Assuming a quantity estimate proves the design is structurally or hydraulically suitable.

Frequently asked project questions

Which calculator should I use for a gravel driveway?

Match the quoted product, not the general word “gravel.” Crushed limestone, crusher run and asphalt millings have separate estimators when their pages are available. Check gradation, density and material state first.

What material characteristics matter for a French drain?

Verify gradation, fines, filtration and the pipe's envelope requirements, plus a suitable outlet. A clean product name alone cannot establish system performance. Read the French drain rock guide.

Is crusher run the same as drain rock?

No. Crusher run generally contains multiple aggregate sizes and fines for compaction; specified drain rock is selected to preserve drainage voids. Neither marketing name replaces the actual specification.

What should I check before choosing paver bedding?

Ask which conventional or permeable paver system you are installing, then follow its bedding and base specifications. Conventional CMHA guidance does not accept stone dust as a routine bedding substitute.

Can the same calculator estimate limestone and asphalt millings?

Do not transfer assumptions between the products. Their grading, bulk-density basis and material-state decisions can differ, so choose a tool made for the actual quoted material.

How do I estimate delivery quantity from measurements?

Calculate volume in cubic feet from area times depth, divide by 27 for cubic yards, then use the correct bulk density and supplier sales unit. Review loose-versus-compacted state, any justified allowance and order minimum.

Technical references for the material checks

Use current local project specifications first. These publicly available references explain general behavior; they do not determine a site's required layer thickness or drainage design.

Need a different starting point? Browse materials on the homepage or review basic volume math.