How much does gravel cost in 2026?

Bulk gravel runs $15–200 per ton depending entirely on type. Construction workhorses sit at the bottom — crusher run $15–30, #57 stone $25–45 — while landscape stone climbs: pea gravel $30–60, river rock $45–130, and specialty decorative stone $50–200 per ton. Delivery adds a $50–150 flat fee on top.

What is the cheapest gravel?

Recycled concrete aggregate at $10–20 per ton, followed by crusher run and stone screenings at $12–30. All three are crushed, angular products that compact hard — ideal for bases and driveways. Anything cheap and pretty does not exist; appearance is exactly what you pay for above $45 per ton.

Why is river rock three times the price of crusher run?

Crusher run is made at thousands of local quarries from whatever rock is nearby, so it barely travels. River rock comes from specific alluvial deposits, is screened and washed for appearance, and often ships hundreds of miles. Freight is the multiplier: gravel is cheap to make and expensive to move.

How much does a gravel driveway's material cost?

A 16 × 50 ft single-car drive needs roughly 20–25 tons across an 8–10 inch layered build. At crusher run and #57 prices that is $400–900 of stone plus delivery — figure $500–1,100 in material. Labor and grading roughly double it installed; see the gravel driveway cost guide for full line items.

Do gravel prices include delivery?

Almost never. Quarries and landscape yards quote a gate (pickup) price, then add a $50–150 flat delivery fee per trip within their radius. On a 3-ton order a $100 fee adds $33 per ton — which is why small-job comparisons should always be made on the delivered total, not the per-ton sticker.

Are gravel prices rising?

Slowly and steadily. USGS data shows US crushed stone prices climbing roughly 3–7% per year through the 2020s, driven by diesel, labor and permitting costs rather than the rock itself. The bigger swing is always geographic: the same #57 stone can differ 50% between a quarry-dense region and one where stone is barged or railed in.

Gravel · Cost Series

Gravel price guide (2026)

Every common gravel type, one honest price table. The spread is wider than most people expect — a ton of stone costs anywhere from $10 to $200 depending on what it is and how far it traveled.

$15–30
crusher run, per ton: $25–45
#57 stone, per ton: $45–130
river rock, per ton: $50–150
typical delivery fee

Contents

1.The 2026 master price table
2.Average price per ton, compared
3.What actually drives gravel prices
4.Turning a table price into a local quote

The 2026 master price table

US bulk gate prices, mid-2026, before delivery. Quarry-dense regions sit at the low end; stone-poor regions at the high end.
Item	Unit	Low	High	Average
Recycled concrete aggregate (RCA)Crushed demolition concrete; base use only	per ton	$10	$20	$15
Stone dust / screeningsFines for paver bedding and path topping	per ton	$12	$25	$19
Bank run / pit gravelUnprocessed sand-and-gravel mix; fill and sub-base	per ton	$12	$25	$19
Crusher run (dense-grade base)Stone + fines; compacts hard — the base workhorse	per ton	$15	$30	$23
Road base / item 4Spec'd blend for drives and lanes	per ton	$18	$35	$27
#57 crushed stoneClean 3/4–1 in; drainage and top layers	per ton	$25	$45	$35
Pea gravelRounded 3/8 in; paths, patios, play areas	per ton	$30	$60	$45
River rock (1–3 in)Washed, rounded; beds and dry creeks	per ton	$45	$130	$88
Decorative stone (marble, lava, polished)Specialty deposits, long freight — accent use	per ton	$50	$200	$125

Read the table from the bottom up when planning a project: the expensive stone only ever needs to be the top two inches. Everything underneath can be crusher run at a fraction of the price — that single design decision is worth more than any negotiation, and the cost-per-ton guide builds on it.

Average price per ton, compared

Typical mid-range price per ton, 2026 (US bulk)

Recycled concrete (RCA)15$/ton

Crusher run22$/ton

Road base26$/ton

#57 stone35$/ton

Pea gravel45$/ton

River rock88$/ton

Decorative stone125$/ton

The pattern is consistent everywhere: the more processing (crushing, washing, screening for looks) and the farther the freight, the higher the bar. Function is cheap; appearance is expensive.

Price questions

How much does gravel cost in 2026?: Bulk gravel runs $15–200 per ton depending entirely on type. Construction workhorses sit at the bottom — crusher run $15–30, #57 stone $25–45 — while landscape stone climbs: pea gravel $30–60, river rock $45–130, and specialty decorative stone $50–200 per ton. Delivery adds a $50–150 flat fee on top.
What is the cheapest gravel?: Recycled concrete aggregate at $10–20 per ton, followed by crusher run and stone screenings at $12–30. All three are crushed, angular products that compact hard — ideal for bases and driveways. Anything cheap and pretty does not exist; appearance is exactly what you pay for above $45 per ton.
Why is river rock three times the price of crusher run?: Crusher run is made at thousands of local quarries from whatever rock is nearby, so it barely travels. River rock comes from specific alluvial deposits, is screened and washed for appearance, and often ships hundreds of miles. Freight is the multiplier: gravel is cheap to make and expensive to move.
How much does a gravel driveway's material cost?: A 16 × 50 ft single-car drive needs roughly 20–25 tons across an 8–10 inch layered build. At crusher run and #57 prices that is $400–900 of stone plus delivery — figure $500–1,100 in material. Labor and grading roughly double it installed; see the gravel driveway cost guide for full line items.
Do gravel prices include delivery?: Almost never. Quarries and landscape yards quote a gate (pickup) price, then add a $50–150 flat delivery fee per trip within their radius. On a 3-ton order a $100 fee adds $33 per ton — which is why small-job comparisons should always be made on the delivered total, not the per-ton sticker.
Are gravel prices rising?: Slowly and steadily. USGS data shows US crushed stone prices climbing roughly 3–7% per year through the 2020s, driven by diesel, labor and permitting costs rather than the rock itself. The bigger swing is always geographic: the same #57 stone can differ 50% between a quarry-dense region and one where stone is barged or railed in.

What actually drives gravel prices

Three factors set nearly every quote. First, hauling distance: rock leaves the quarry at $10–20 a ton, and trucking adds roughly $0.15–0.30 per ton-mile — 30 miles of haul can double the price of cheap stone. Second, region: areas sitting on good limestone or granite have quarries every 20 miles and cheap stone; coastal plains and stone-poor states import by barge or rail and pay 30–50% more for identical material. Third, volume: quarries quote tiered prices, and a 20-ton tandem load routinely prices 15–25% under the 3-ton minimum-order rate per ton.

Turning a table price into a local quote

Use this table to budget, not to order. Call two quarries and one landscape yard with your tonnage and address, and ask for the delivered total — gate price, delivery fee and tax in one number. If a quote lands outside these ranges, ask why: an honest answer is usually freight distance or a minimum-order surcharge, both of which the delivery cost guide shows you how to work around. To translate any per-ton price into a project budget, you need tonnage first.

Get your tonnage and total with the Gravel Cost Calculator

Continue the cost series

Gravel Cost Per Ton Gravel Delivery Cost

Sources & references

[1]Crushed Stone and Sand & Gravel Statistics and Information — US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2025
[2]The Aggregates Handbook, 2nd ed. — National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, 2013