How Much Does Crushed Limestone Cost?

Last Updated on June 7, 2024
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Crushed limestone is an extremely versatile, affordable, and readily available natural stone aggregate material used for construction, landscaping, and engineering initiatives of all sizes.

When planning any residential or commercial project requiring crushed stone, one of the most important preliminary steps is gaining a precise understanding of the potential costs involved with sourcing, purchasing, and delivering the crushed limestone your unique project requires.

This guide provides detailed breakdowns of the many factors influencing crushed limestone pricing, typical per ton/per yard market rates based on stone grade, quantity, and delivery considerations, insider tips on reducing costs through strategic purchasing and delivery logistics, and methodology on calculating exact material needs to optimize every project budget.

How Much Does Crushed Limestone Cost?

Crushed limestone prices range widely from $28 to $150 per ton and $35 to $120 per cubic yard based heavily on stone grade, quality, and purchase volume.

Costs by Type and Quantity

Bulk Load Pricing Per Ton

• Landscaping Screenings: $28 – $45 per ton
• 3/4” Road Base Gravel: $32 – $55 per ton
• 1 1/2” Foundation Aggregate: $38 – $65 per ton
• 3”-5” Large Armor Stone: $42 – $70 per ton

Minimum Load Quantities

• 5-10 ton loads ideal for small projects with dump trailers/trucks
• 20-30 ton loads common for commercial projects using end dump trailers
• 40+ ton loads for major work require triaxle bottom dump bulk trailers

Bulk Volume Discounts Per Ton

• 5-20 tons: No minimum discount
• 25-100 tons: Up to 10% discount
• 500+ tons: 15% or greater discount

Delivering maximum tons per load optimizes cost efficiency. Now let’s examine cubic yardage pricing.

Crushed Limestone Prices Per Cubic Yard

• 1/2” Fines or Screenings – $32 – $55 per cubic yard
• 3/4″ Crushed Base Gravel – $42 – $68 per cubic yard
• 1 1/2” Surge Gravel – $46 – $72 per cubic yard
• 3” Drainage Stone – $50 – $80 per cubic yard
• Minimum 1-2 cubic yards per delivery
• Bulk discounts over 10+ cubic yards per load

Cubic yard rates offer another common reference for estimating purposes during planning.

Statista reports that the price of crushed stone in the United States has continuously risen over the last decade, reaching a peak of an estimated 15.60 U.S. dollars per ton.

Gravelshop provides a detailed breakdown of crushed limestone prices, including various sizes and types. For example, 57 limestone gravel, which is 1/2″-1″ in size, costs $58.00 per ton.

Green Stone Company offers 53 crushed limestone, which varies in size from dust to 1 1/2″, for $58.00 per ton. This product is commonly used for driveways and as a compacted base for asphalt, flagstone, and paver patios.

AW Landscapes Supply offers 3/4″ crushed limestone gravel for $27.00 per cubic yard, which can weigh between 2,200 to 2,700 pounds.

What is Crushed Limestone?

Crushed limestone is a popular construction aggregate material created by mining, crushing, screening, washing, and sorting limestone rock sourced from quarries across the country.

Due to its unique qualities like attractive appearance, high durability, strength, abundance, and affordability, crushed limestone has a remarkably wide variety of construction, landscaping, and engineering applications including:

• Gravel driveway, parking lot, and rural road surfacing
• French drainage fill, pipe bedding, and septic system leach fields
• Decorative landscaping mulch, pathways, patios, and outdoor kitchen areas
• Road base and subgrade material for highway, street, and parking lot paving projects
• Mixing aggregate for concrete, cement, and asphalt for poured foundations, slabs, and pavements
• Granular base course and sub-base material for building foundations, underneath brick or stone pavers, and beneath concrete slabs

Factors Influencing Costs

Several important considerations affect the costs involved in crushed limestone products:

• Stone Grade and Quality – Higher density, angularity, purity, and aesthetic appeal increase cost. Specialty colors and textures come at a premium.
• Purchase Quantities – Bulk volume discounts on large tonnage/yardage orders can dramatically reduce per unit pricing compared to smaller piecemeal purchases.
• Supplier Proximity – Nearby regional quarries reduce transportation costs substantially compared to suppliers located farther away involving high freight fees.
• Seasonal Demand Fluctuations – Prices dip in cooler months when paving projects slow down. They ramp up in late spring and peak summer as construction accelerates.
• Specialized Processing – Unique stone sizing requirements, screening for specific fractions, washing/rinsing, and special cutting/shaping increase production costs.

You might also like our articles about the cost of crushed asphalt, crushed concrete, or decomposed granite.

Cost Estimation Examples

Gravel Driveway Installation

• 12’ Wide x 400’ Long x 6” Deep Gravel
• 12 x 400 x 0.5 = 2,400 cubic feet
• 2,400 cu ft / 27 cu ft per cu yard = 89 cubic yards
• 89 cu yards x $60/yard = $5,340 for 3⁄4” crushed gravel

Drainage Ditch Backfill

• 4′ Deep x 3′ Wide x 250′ Long trench
• 4 x 3 x 250 = 3,000 cu feet
• 3,000 cu ft / 27 = 111 cubic yards
• 111 cu yards x $45/yard = $5,000 for 1⁄2” fines backfill

Always overestimate required amounts by 10-20% for compaction, smoothing, and waste.

Crushed Limestone vs Other Aggregates

• Crushed Limestone: $28-$80 per ton or cubic yard
• Crushed Granite: $35-$75 per ton or cubic yard
• Pea Gravel: $30-$50 per ton or cubic yard
• River Rock Boulders: $45-$150 per ton or cubic yard

For most applications, crushed limestone delivers an optimal balance of affordability, accessibility, versatility, and performance, making it the aggregate material of choice for countless construction, landscaping, and infrastructure jobs.

Construction and Landscaping

Gravel Driveways

• Attractive, light-colored surface; affordable
• Compacts tightly for stability while retaining drainage

Landscaping Design

• Excellent for footpaths, patios, mulched beds; versatility
• Provides varied texture and colors to enhance landscapes

Road Building

• Stable yet porous base for paving roads, highways, parking areas
• Compacts and drains well; affordable at scale

Mixing Concrete

• Adds beneficial structural qualities as both fine and coarse aggregate
• Increases pourable concrete’s long-term strength and stability

This diversity makes crushed limestone ideal for innumerable applications.

Purchase Considerations

Local Quarries and Limestone Suppliers

• Support smaller community businesses
• Lower delivery fees – geographic proximity
• Can assess aggregate quality in person

Online Bulk Suppliers and National Distributors

• Offer convenient residential delivery services
• Competitive bulk aggregate pricing with volume discounts
• Provide wider variety of limestone types and specialty products

Regardless of supplier, always verify quarry sources, product quality, seller reputation, and confirm any delivery charges or minimums before purchasing. Compare quotes from multiple suppliers to find the best rates

• Plan deliveries in the winter or fall when demand is lower
• Purchase highest quantities possible to leverage bulk discounts
• Use most economical sizing grades suitable for your project
• Buy directly from quarries to eliminate middleman markups
• Consider prescreened limestone fines for cost-effective substitutions

Careful planning ensures you get optimal value for your project budget.

Final Words

Carefully calculate exact project measurements and allow 10-20% overage margins to determine necessary purchase amounts. Time purchases for off-peak demand seasons and consolidate quantities to maximize per-unit cost savings from bulk discounts.

Select quarry sources wisely and compare supplier rates to optimize value. Proper planning ensures crushed limestone fits every budget.

Crushed limestone’s versatility, durability, appearance, and affordability make it a staple material for countless construction and landscaping jobs when sourced strategically. Use these cost estimation best practices to maximize its value and performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know how much crushed limestone I need?

Carefully measure the length, width, and depth of the project area in feet to determine the cubic feet or cubic yards required. Allow 10-20% extra for material settling, compaction losses, and smoothing. Use the cubic yardage to multiply by your supplier’s per yard rate. For driveway gravel, estimate 1 cubic yard covers approximately 10 linear feet x 1 foot deep for a 1 lane driveway.

What are the disadvantages of crushed limestone?

Potential drawbacks to crushed limestone include ongoing settling that requires topping off, susceptibility to erosion on slopes, the potential to wash out over time in heavy rains if improperly installed, limited color options compared to decorative stone, and the heavy weight making transport more expensive. Proper base preparation and compaction helps maximize durability.

Does crushed limestone drain well?

Yes, crushed limestone provides excellent drainage properties in most applications including driveways, drainage fill layers, French drains, and decorative landscaping. The angular crushed gravel packs tightly while still allowing water flow through its porous spaces.

This makes limestone ideal for both structural base layers as well as decorative projects. Proper subsurface preparation is still vital for preventing settling and runoff.