How the gravel cost calculator works
Quarry pricing, decoded
Stone runs $30–60 per ton at the quarry depending on type and region, plus delivery ($50–150 by distance and load). Small deliveries hurt proportionally: a 2-ton order carries the same delivery fee as 10. The effective per-ton price is the number to compare — and it swings 2× between a tiny and a full-truck order.
The bag crossover
Box-store bags (0.5 cu ft, ~$4–6) work out to $250–350 per ton delivered-by-your-trunk. Under ~0.5 ton (14 bags), the convenience wins; beyond it, the quarry's per-ton pricing demolishes the bag path — before counting the lifting. The crossover is one of landscaping's cleanest economics.
Two-type deliveries
Most projects want two materials (crusher-run base + decorative top, or fabric + stone). Quarries combine types on one truck for one delivery fee — a saving that requires asking. The same call can quote the fabric: geotextile under stone is the $100 line that prevents the stone-into-mud migration that re-orders gravel every two years.