How Many Tons Do You Really Need? Gravel and Aggregate Sizes and Coverage in Arkansas

How Many Tons Do You Really Need? Gravel and Aggregate Sizes and Coverage in Arkansas

Ordering gravel and aggregate in Arkansas should not feel like a coin flip. Yet a lot of buyers end up with too much or too little. It usually comes down to two missed steps: matching the stone size to the job, and turning square footage into tons. Get those right and your load shows up clean, the project keeps moving, and you are not paying to haul away a pile you never wanted. This guide walks Garland and Saline county buyers through gravel and aggregate sizes, real coverage numbers, and what it takes to order by the ton from a working stone yard.

Rockhouse Stone is a gravel and aggregate supplier in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. We stock the material and load your truck or set up freight. We do not install, lay, or grade anything on site. Our part is simple. We get you the right stone, in the right amount, at contractor pricing.

Gravel and aggregate sizes, and what each one does

People use "gravel" as a catch-all, but the size you pick changes how the material drains, packs, and holds up under traffic. Here are the common Arkansas sizes and where each one belongs.

Crushed stone base

Big angular crushed rock locks together and resists rutting. It is the layer that goes under a driveway, a parking pad, or anywhere a loaded truck will sit. A base stone usually runs about 1.5 inch minus. The jagged faces grab each other, so the base holds instead of shifting under weight.

Three-quarter inch and #57 stone

This is the size most jobs end up using. The two are closely related grades, not quite the same spec, but for a driveway or a drain they do the same work. It spreads flat and drains fast, which makes it the go-to for driveways, French drains, drainage trenches, and pipe bedding. When a contractor calls and does not say what they want, this is usually what they mean.

Pea gravel and decorative stone

Small, rounded, and easy on bare feet. Pea gravel works for walkways and patios, plus dog runs and planting beds where you want soft footing. It does not knit together like angular stone, so use it as a top layer, not a structural base.

Crusher fines and screenings

Stone dust and crusher fines pack down hard and shed water. They make a tight setting bed under pavers and a firm path to walk on. That hard pack is the reason you do not use them where you need drainage.

Not sure which size fits? You can see what is in stock anytime in our online stone and aggregate catalog (/store/products), or call the yard at 501-532-1905 (tel:+15015321905) and walk us through the project. We will point you to the stone that does the work.

How much does a ton of gravel cover?

This is the number that sets your order. Coverage changes with depth, stone size, and the weight of the rock, but a working rule gets you close. The figures below are built around the spread you actually get from a loose ton of Arkansas crushed gravel, which is what matters when you are filling an area, not the compacted density.

A ton of three-quarter inch gravel covers about:

• 240 square feet at 1 inch deep
• 120 square feet at 2 inches deep
• 80 square feet at 3 inches deep
• 60 square feet at 4 inches deep

A driveway usually wants 3 to 4 inches of stone over a compacted base. So a 600 square foot driveway at 3 inches lands near 10 tons before compaction. One step a lot of buyers skip: gravel packs down once it is rolled or driven on, so plan for a compaction factor of roughly 1.1 to 1.25. Order to your finished depth without it and you will come up short. Walkways and decorative beds sit shallower, around 2 inches, so each ton goes further there.

Estimating your order in three moves

1. Measure the area in feet. Length times width gives you the square footage.
2. Pick your depth in inches. Use 2 inches for a surface course, 3 to 4 inches for a driveway.
3. Divide the square footage by the coverage number above that matches your depth, then add about 15 percent for compaction.

Run that math and call us with the result. We will check it against the stone you picked and the way it settles, because the number on paper and the number in the truck do not always match.

Ordering gravel and aggregate by the ton

Stone sells by the ton, not by the bag, and that catches buyers who are used to a hardware store aisle. Here is how a real order works at Rockhouse Stone.

You can pick up at the yard or have the load delivered. If you pick up, bring a truck and trailer rated for the weight, and we will weigh and load you the same way we load the contractors who come through every week. If you want delivery, we set up freight to your site anywhere in Garland or Saline county, from Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton over to Benton, Bryant, and Malvern. We also tell you up front what the truck can and cannot reach, so a dump load does not land in the wrong place. For more on how the yard works, read our guide to what to expect at our stone yard in Hot Springs (/blog/stone-yard-hot-springs).

If you buy regularly, ask about a verified pro account. It comes with contractor pricing, trade credit, and net terms, and across a busy season that adds up on your cost per ton.

One thing we do not do is install the material. If the job needs a crew on site to grade and set the stone, that is work for a licensed mason or hardscape contractor. Hire one for that part, and we will have your tonnage staged and ready when they show up.

Built on Arkansas stone since 1972

Bennett Brothers of Hot Springs has supplied Arkansas stone since 1972. That is a long time to learn how a ton of #57 behaves differently than a ton of crusher fines, and it shows in how we grade and load. Buy quarry direct from a working yard and you talk to people who handle the material every day, instead of pulling whatever a big box happens to have on a pallet.

Frequently asked questions

How many tons of gravel do I need for a driveway?

It depends on your square footage and depth, plus a bit extra for compaction. A typical residential driveway runs somewhere between 8 and 14 tons. Bring your length, width, and depth to 501-532-1905 and we will work out the exact number with you.

Can I pick up gravel myself, or do you deliver?

If your truck and trailer are rated for the load, come pick it up at the yard. If not, we deliver across Garland and Saline counties. Either way you get the same weighed, loaded ton.

What size gravel is best for a driveway?

A 1.5 inch minus crushed base, topped with three-quarter inch or #57 stone. The base resists rutting and the top course drives smooth and drains.

Do you offer pricing for contractors?

Yes, through a verified pro account with contractor pricing, trade credit, and net terms. Tell us about your business when you call.

Do you install the gravel?

No. We supply and load the stone. A licensed mason or hardscape contractor handles grading, compaction, and setting.

Call the yard with your numbers

Do this before you order. Measure your area, settle on a depth, and call 501-532-1905 (tel:+15015321905) so we can match you to the right gravel and aggregate and confirm your tonnage before anything loads. Prefer to look first? You can browse the current stock in our online catalog (/store/products), read how a working stone yard in Hot Springs (/blog/stone-yard-hot-springs) handles an order, or reach the team directly (/contact). The yard is at 5643 N Hwy 7, Hot Springs Village, AR 71909, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Bring your square footage and leave with the right stone, ordered by the ton.