Skip to main content
FREE Delivery!|Get a quote

Road base calculator for Nebraska

Set lane and pad quantities from the finished compacted depth, because a few inches can add ten tons to an order.

Enter your project dimensions

ft
Enter a length greater than 0
ft
Enter a width greater than 0
ft
Enter a diameter greater than 0
in
Enter a depth between 0.25 and 24 inches
Add 5% extra for compaction & spillage

For a 100-foot lane that is 10 feet wide and finished at 6 inches, plan on about 31 tons of road base. Long lanes add up fast, which is why free delivery matters on a 30 tons order when freight can otherwise approach the stone cost. Road base combines graded crushed stone with fines and weighs about 3,000 lb per cubic yard. It compacts into a firm layer for roads, driveways, and equipment yards. Where specifications permit, use the same calculation for recycled crushed concrete base.

Lane quantities

  1. For a lane, take the centerline measurement and average the widths. For a pad, multiply the length by the width.
  2. For light residential areas, allow 4 inches after compaction. Use 6 for routine traffic and delivery trucks, or 8-12 beneath equipment and across weak subgrade.
  3. Find yards by dividing cubic feet / 27, then x 1.5 for tons; include +10% for compaction.
Tons = (Length ft × Width ft × Depth in ÷ 12) ÷ 27 × 1.5 × 1.10
Quick figure: one ton ≈ 36 sq ft at 6" compacted

Lane coverage and tonnage

Compacted depth1 ton coversTons per 100 ft of 10-ft lane
4 inches≈ 54 sq ft20.4
6 inches≈ 36 sq ft30.6
8 inches≈ 27 sq ft40.7
12 inches≈ 18 sq ft61.1

Build a lane for the next winter

  • Remove sod, roots, and other organic material before placing the base. Putting stone over topsoil lets mud work upward into the aggregate, regardless of the depth.
  • Put woven geotextile down ahead of the stone on wet or soft subgrade. It provides added lane strength at low cost.
  • Place and roll the base in layers no deeper than 4 inches, compacting each layer before adding another.
  • Build a 2-3% crown off the centerline to move rain toward the sides rather than letting water enter the base.
  • For a neat driving surface that cuts down on dust, finish the base with #57 or driveway gravel.
  • Moving 20-plus tons with shovels takes a week of your life. Plan on equipment costs: a skid steer or tractor with a box blade can handle it in an afternoon.

Example: a 100-foot farm lane

For one hundred by ten feet at 6 inches, 1,000 x 0.5 = 500 cubic feet = 18.5 cubic yards, about 28 tons, or 30-31 including the allowance. Plan two tandem loads and use two drop points along the lane instead of leaving one pile at the entrance. On farm lanes, two drops can save a lot of uphill material handling.

Equipment, container, and RV pads

Use the lane calculation for pads, but size depth around axle load rather than time of year. A 12 x 40 RV pad compacted to 6 inches needs about 12 tons. A 20 x 40 equipment yard at 8 inches takes 27. Container loads bear on four corners, so place a full 8 inches plus fabric under container pads, including on stable ground, to help prevent corner depressions after spring thaw.

Using crushed concrete for road base

For private lanes and pads, recycled concrete base is a workable alternative to virgin road base. It compacts and supports load about the same and can cost less. Check county requirements first, since some specs call for virgin aggregate. Quantity stays the same: 1.5 tons per yard, with the same lifts and crown.

Road base quantities by ton and lane

How can I determine the road base needed?
For the material total, multiply length, width, and compacted depth in feet. Divide that result by 27 for yards, then multiply by 1.5 for tons and include 10% for compaction. The calculator above already includes that allowance.
What area will 1 ton of road base cover?
At 4 inches compacted, expect about 54 square feet; at 6 inches, about 36 square feet.
What is the weight of 1 yd of road base?
One loose yard is roughly 3,000 lb, or 1.5 tons, with a smaller finished volume after rolling. Figure a tandem truck load at about 10 yards, or 15 tons, for each trip.
What road base depth is needed for a driveway?
Use Four inches compacted for light traffic over firm ground. Six works for regular driving and delivery trucks. Choose Eight to twelve where clay, wet subgrade, or parked equipment is involved. Add depth before increasing width, because a shallow base gives out first.
Road base versus crusher run
Both materials serve the same general purpose, but their gradations differ. Road base has larger top stone for carrying load, while crusher run is finer and grades more smoothly. Choose road base for lanes and yards, crusher run for paver bases and close grading. For a standard driveway, let price decide.
Is fabric needed under road base?
Fabric is not needed on firm, well-drained subgrade. Where clay causes ruts, lay woven geotextile over the soil before the stone so the layers do not blend; over a decade, it can halve the stone used by a lane.
Crusher Run CalculatorCalculate →Stone CalculatorCalculate →Gravel CalculatorCalculate →All calculatorsMulch, sand, topsoil, dirt & more.Open the hub →

Thirty tons. No delivery fees.

Road base is sold by the ton with free hauling at lane-sized quantities, where transport is often the biggest expense.

Shop Road Base

Select material in the amount your job requires