Stone calculator
Crushed Concrete Calculator
Recycled concrete is the cheapest structural aggregate on most price lists. Enter your area and compacted depth for tonnage and cost.
Your project
Driveway base 4-6" compacted. Top course 2".
Crews typically order 5-10% extra to cover compaction, spillage and uneven subgrade.
Delivered crushed concrete typically runs $12-$30 per ton.
Crushed concrete needed
10.08
US tons · includes 5% waste
- Area
- 480 sq ft
- Volume
- 6.22 cubic yards
- Volume (cubic feet)
- 168 cu ft
- Total weight
- 20,160 lb
- Density used
- 120 lb per cu ft (1.62 tons/yd³)
- Truckloads (15-ton)
- 1
- Estimated delivered cost
- $212
Quarry densities vary by source and moisture. Confirm tons per cubic yard with your supplier before placing a bulk order — a 10% density difference is a whole extra load on a big job.
The shareable link reopens this calculator with your exact inputs.
What crushed concrete is
Crushed concrete — RCA, recycled concrete aggregate, or "crete" — is demolition concrete run through a crusher and screened, usually to a 3/4 inch minus or 1.5 inch minus grading. It performs close to virgin crushed stone as a base material at roughly half to two-thirds the delivered price.
At 120 lb per cubic foot, one cubic yard weighs about 1.62 US tons, and one ton spread 2" deep covers roughly 100 square feet.
How to install it
Place and compact exactly like crusher run, in 4 inch lifts, damp. RCA has a mild self-cementing behaviour from unhydrated cement in the fines, so a compacted layer stiffens noticeably in the first month.
The mistake that costs the most
Using it in drainage applications or against plantings. RCA fines raise pH sharply and can leach into surrounding soil, and the material sheds water rather than passing it. Keep it under driveways and pads, not behind walls or around acid-loving plants.
The math behind the calculator
Square feet × (depth in inches ÷ 12) = cubic feet. Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards. Cubic feet × 120 ÷ 2,000 = US tons. The waste allowance is applied to the volume before the weight conversion, which is how suppliers quote it.
Crushed concrete needed per 100 square feet
At 120 lb per cubic foot, before waste.
| Depth | Cubic feet | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1" | 8.3 | 0.31 | 0.5 |
| 2" | 16.7 | 0.62 | 1 |
| 3" | 25 | 0.93 | 1.5 |
| 4" | 33.3 | 1.23 | 2 |
| 6" | 50 | 1.85 | 3 |
| 12" | 100 | 3.7 | 6 |
Recommended depth by application
| Application | Depth |
|---|---|
| Driveway base course | 4-6" compacted |
| Driveway wearing surface | 2" |
| Slab / shed sub-base | 4" compacted |
| Bulk fill | as required |
Frequently asked questions
+How many tons of crushed concrete do I need?
Multiply square feet by depth in feet to get cubic feet, then multiply by 120 and divide by 2,000. A 500 sq ft area at 4" needs about 10 tons before waste.
+How many tons of crushed concrete are in a cubic yard?
Roughly 1.62 tons at 120 lb per cubic foot. Wet material weighs 5-10% more, which matters when you are buying by the ton and measuring by the yard.
+How deep should crushed concrete be?
Driveway base course: 4-6" compacted. Driveway wearing surface: 2". Slab / shed sub-base: 4" compacted. Bulk fill: as required.
+What does crushed concrete cost?
$12 – $30 per ton delivered in most US markets, before the haul fee. Short loads carry a minimum charge, so half a load often costs nearly as much as a full one.
+Is crushed concrete as good as crushed stone?
For base and fill, close enough that most municipalities allow it by spec. It compacts well, spreads load and costs less. It is not suitable for exposed decorative work, drainage zones or anywhere the high pH of the fines would matter.