How this stone dust calculator works
Screenings are volume-times-density like any aggregate — the trick is that beds are thin, so the yardage is small and the rounding matters:
tons = yd³ × 1.35 × (1 + allowance%) → rounded up to ¼ ton
Worked example: stone dust for a 20 × 10 flagstone patio
A 1 in screeded bed over 200 ft² is 16.7 ft³ — 0.62 yd³, or 0.83 tons. With 10% allowance the order is 1 ton: about $45 bulk or 37 bags — and a ton covers 240 ft² at this depth, so one delivery beds most patios.
How much does a ton of stone dust cover?
| Depth | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|
| 1″ | 240 ft² |
| 2″ | 120 ft² |
| 3″ | 80 ft² |
| 4″ | 60 ft² |
| Job | Bed |
|---|---|
| Flagstone / steppers | 1″ screeded |
| Dry-stack wall base | 1–2″ compacted |
| Path surface | 2–3″ compacted |
| Concrete pavers | Use concrete sand |
Stone dust FAQ
How much stone dust do I need?
A 1 in setting bed over the default 20 × 10 ft patio is 16.7 ft³ — 0.62 yd³, or 0.83 tons; with 10% allowance you order 1 ton (about $45 bulk, or 37 half-cubic-foot bags). The calculator rescales for any area and depth.
What is stone dust?
The finest product of the crusher — particles from powder up to about 3/16 in, sold as screenings, quarry dust, decomposed fines or grit. It packs nearly watertight underfoot, which is what makes it a bedding and path material rather than a drainage one.
Stone dust or sand under pavers?
Concrete sand for interlocking concrete pavers — the ICPI standard — because it drains and lets the pavers seat. Stone dust shines under dry-laid flagstone, steppers and wall block, where its packed stiffness holds irregular stone dead flat.
How many tons of stone dust are in a cubic yard?
About 1.35 tons loose, rising toward 1.4 once compacted in place — the fines leave very little void space. Both figures are in the material picker.
How much does a ton of stone dust cover?
240 ft² at a 1 in screed — 120 ft² at 2 in, 60 at 4 in. A ton goes a long way in beds; it disappears fast when used as a path surface at 3–4 in.
How much does stone dust cost?
Usually $30–60 per ton bulk in 2026 — often the cheapest thing at the quarry — and about $5 per half-cubic-foot bag. The default bed is $45 bulk versus roughly $185 bagged, the usual bulk-wins math past a ton.
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