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Crusher Run Gravel Calculator

Crusher run is the workhorse driveway base material — graded crushed stone from 1" or 3/4" all the way down to dust, designed to compact tight. Regional names include ABC, dense-grade aggregate, GAB, and ¾ minus. This calculator is locked to the crusher run density family.

Crusher run calculator

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Crusher run, in plain English

Crusher run is whatever falls out of the rock crusher — the full size range from large pieces down to fine dust. The fines (the dust) are the magic ingredient: they fill the voids between bigger pieces and bind the whole mass together when wetted and compacted.

Same material, different regional names:

  • Crusher Run / Crush and Run — most of the U.S.
  • ABC (Aggregate Base Course) — Carolinas, Georgia
  • GAB (Graded Aggregate Base) — Georgia DOT
  • 21AA — Michigan
  • CA6 — Illinois
  • Class 5 — Minnesota
  • MOT Type 1 — UK
Don't use crusher run for drainage
The fines that make crusher run great for compaction also make it terrible for drainage — water cannot pass through. For French drains or behind retaining walls, use #57 stone instead.

Crusher run weight and coverage

Crusher run runs about 2,700 lb per cubic yard loose (what you order and pay for) and packs to roughly 3,200 lb per yard after compaction — it loses about 20% of its loose volume when you run a plate compactor over it. Here's how much loose material covers 100 square feet at common base depths:

Depthyd³ per 100 sq ftTons per 100 sq ft
2"0.620.83
4"1.231.67
6"1.852.50

Multiply these by your area in hundreds of square feet, then add ~15% for compaction and spillage. The calculator above does the same math for any dimensions.

Recommended depth & material

UseDepthMaterialNotes
Light driveway base4"Crusher Run / ABCTopped with 2" of #57.
Heavy / RV driveway base6"Crusher RunCompact in 2-inch lifts.
Paver patio base4"ABC / 21AA / CA6Same product, regional name.
Path / walkway base3"Crusher RunCompacted firm under pavers or pea gravel.
Shed pad4"Crusher RunHard, weed-free surface.

Measuring for a crusher run order

Crusher run is sold by the ton at virtually every U.S. quarry. Standard rectangular math: length × width × depth. Use a 15% buffer because crusher run loses ~20% of its loose volume during compaction.

  1. Length × width × depth. Measure in feet, depth in inches. Calculator does the conversion.
  2. Pick the depth. 4" for a passenger driveway base; 6" for trucks or soft soil.
  3. Apply 15% buffer. Covers compaction + spillage. Don't skip this — crusher run shrinks more than #57.
  4. Order in tons. Quarries quote crusher run by the ton. The calculator's tons output is what you order.

Worked example — 800 sq ft driveway base

An 80 × 10 ft driveway needing 4 inches of crusher run base: volume = 800 × (4/12) ÷ 27 = 9.9 yd³. At 2,700 lb/yd³, that's 13.4 tons. With a 15% compaction buffer: 11.4 yd³ / 15.4 tons. At $38/ton delivered: $585.

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