How much stone dust do I need?

Multiply the area by the compacted depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, add about 15% for compaction, then multiply by 1.35 tons per yard. A 12 × 12 ft patio with 1 in of bedding is 0.44 yd³ compacted, 0.51 yd³ loose and about 0.69 tons — order 1 ton.

How much does a yard of stone dust weigh?

About 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) loose. A quarry shipping test recorded screenings at 2,612 lb per yard when loaded and 2,849 lb after a 150-mile haul, because the fines settle in the truck.

How much does stone dust cost?

In volume it's cheap at the quarry: Lewis County, New York's 2026 bids for stone dust ranged from $7.50 to $20.25 a ton, plus $10–$11 a ton of trucking for 25 miles. Landscape supply yards charge more for small loads and delivery, so get a delivered price for your quantity.

How far does a ton of stone dust go?

About 210 sq ft at 1 in deep, 105 sq ft at 2 in and 70 sq ft at 3 in, once 15% compaction is allowed for.

Should I use stone dust or sand under pavers?

For interlocking concrete pavers, the industry standard is about 1 in of coarse concrete sand over a compacted base: it drains, so the bedding doesn't hold water and heave in frost. Stone dust packs harder and is common under flagstone, paths and pool bases. If you use it under pavers, keep it thin and over a free-draining base.

Is stone dust the same as screenings or crusher fines?

Yes — stone dust, screenings, quarry dust, crusher fines and #10 screenings are names for the same thing: crushed rock from about 3/8 in down to powder. Decomposed granite is similar but naturally weathered rather than crushed.

Volume & Weight

Stone Dust Calculator

Stone dust — also sold as screenings, quarry dust or crusher fines — is the fine material left when a quarry crushes stone, from about 3/8 inch down to powder. Enter the area and the finished depth: the calculator adds the volume it loses when tamped, converts loose cubic yards to tons at about 2,700 lb per yard, and prices the order.

Worked example: bedding for a 12 × 12 ft patio

Step	Working	Result
Compacted volume	144 sq ft × 1 in ÷ 12 ÷ 27	0.44 yd³
Loose volume	+15% for compaction	0.51 yd³
Weight	× 2,700 lb ÷ 2,000	0.69 tons → order 1 ton

Stone dust needed by area and depth

Area	1 in	2 in	3 in
10 × 10 ft	0.48 t	0.96 t	1.44 t
12 × 12 ft	0.69 t	1.38 t	2.07 t
12 × 20 ft	1.15 t	2.3 t	3.45 t
20 × 20 ft	1.92 t	3.83 t	5.75 t

What stone dust costs in 2026

Lewis County, New York opened bids for its 2026 stone dust in March: six quarries quoted from $7.50 to $20.25 a ton at the pit, with a median of $8.25, and trucking at $10–$11 a ton for 25 miles. That's a large public buyer's price; a landscape yard selling one or two tons adds handling and a delivery minimum, so expect a small delivered order to cost several times the quarry price per ton. The calculator takes whatever price you're quoted.

Where stone dust works, and where it doesn't

Good: under flagstone and stepping stones, walkway surfaces, above-ground pool bases, filling joints in irregular stone.
Think twice: as the 1 in bedding under interlocking concrete pavers — coarse concrete sand drains better, and a wet bedding layer can heave in frost.
Not a base: stone dust alone doesn't make a structural base. Put 4–6 in of compacted crusher run or 2A under it.

Sizing the layer underneath? Use the paver base calculator or the crusher run calculator. For a sand bedding layer, try the paver sand calculator; for a natural-looking path, compare decomposed granite.

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Frequently asked questions

How much stone dust do I need?: Multiply the area by the compacted depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, add about 15% for compaction, then multiply by 1.35 tons per yard. A 12 × 12 ft patio with 1 in of bedding is 0.44 yd³ compacted, 0.51 yd³ loose and about 0.69 tons — order 1 ton.
How much does a yard of stone dust weigh?: About 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) loose. A quarry shipping test recorded screenings at 2,612 lb per yard when loaded and 2,849 lb after a 150-mile haul, because the fines settle in the truck.
How much does stone dust cost?: In volume it's cheap at the quarry: Lewis County, New York's 2026 bids for stone dust ranged from $7.50 to $20.25 a ton, plus $10–$11 a ton of trucking for 25 miles. Landscape supply yards charge more for small loads and delivery, so get a delivered price for your quantity.
How far does a ton of stone dust go?: About 210 sq ft at 1 in deep, 105 sq ft at 2 in and 70 sq ft at 3 in, once 15% compaction is allowed for.
Should I use stone dust or sand under pavers?: For interlocking concrete pavers, the industry standard is about 1 in of coarse concrete sand over a compacted base: it drains, so the bedding doesn't hold water and heave in frost. Stone dust packs harder and is common under flagstone, paths and pool bases. If you use it under pavers, keep it thin and over a free-draining base.
Is stone dust the same as screenings or crusher fines?: Yes — stone dust, screenings, quarry dust, crusher fines and #10 screenings are names for the same thing: crushed rock from about 3/8 in down to powder. Decomposed granite is similar but naturally weathered rather than crushed.