Price Check 3/4 Gravel

[bironacad]

I will be using maybe fifteen yards of gravel this summer for concrete and drainage and was wondering about ideas on how to get it at a good cost? A regular size dump truck will hold ten yards? So two loads would be needed.

Thanks

 

[EddieWalker]

Cheapest place is going to be the one that delivers in bulk. One truck is going to be cheaper then two. If you have the room for an end dump, then that would be the cheapest. Be sure to ask if one type of rock, or size is tax exempt. Here, river rock doesn't have any tax on it. If you have more then one supplier, talk to all of them. I have just one that is close, and he's also the cheapest compared to the guys that are further out.

What you are paying for is the truck, the fuel, the driver and most of all, the insurance. The material is always cheap, but getting it to you is what will cost you.

Doing it yourself, in any amount will never save you any money.

Eddie

 

[bironacad]

Most guys running around here have dump trucks with backhoes and deliver the gravel/sand/fill in kind. When you are talking about and end dump what does that mean? I will have some time before the delivery as we are still really wet from the spring thaw. I know fill used to be tax free not sure about gravel. I have viewed your pond several times sure is a beaudy.

Thanks
Bill

 

[EddieWalker]

I've found that going to the supplier is where I get the best price. For just a few yards, I get what he has in the yard. If I'm buying a larger quantity, then he will get it from the quary and bring it to where I want it. This is where the savings come from. He's not handling it, just sending his truck out to get it and deliver it. This allows him to pass on some saving to me in my price.

An end dump is an 18 wheeler that dumps out the back. The can haul in the neighborhood of 20 to 23 yards, depending on material and how wet it is. Everything that goes on the road is based on weight, and big rigs are limited to 80,000 pounds total weight without a permit.

Eddie

 

[bigbull338]

lets see if i can help you out on dump truck terms.a dump truck is often called a bobtail.an they can hold from 6yrds to 12 or 14yrds a load.end dump is a gravel trailer that is lifted to dump the gravel.end dump or belly dump trailers haul 20 to 25yrds depending on how full you load them.

 

[Jay4200]

I will be using maybe fifteen yards of gravel this summer for concrete and drainage and was wondering about ideas on how to get it at a good cost? A regular size dump truck will hold ten yards? So two loads would be needed.

Thanks

Just call around to local dirt n' gravel guys. First, get the lingo right. Gravel is stone mixed with sand - also called crushed bank - used for road beds and such. For drainage, you want crushed stone, which is just that. Everybody uses different names for the same stuff too, so watch out for that - tell the dirt guys what you are doing and ask for recommendations. In my area, crushed stone is somewhere in the $15-20/yard range (delivered). Most places include delivery when pricing, but some do not, so ask.

15-18 yards (20-24 tons) is a normal tri-axle dump load. Ask how much they can bring in one shot. Some places call it 20 yards, but it is really 18. Small 6-wheeled dumps (F750-800 size) generally carry 7 yards. Also, don't be surprised if you end up getting considerably more than you think you'll need - material doesn't go far. I made a little french drain this summer that was only about 100' long - it required a full 24 ton tri-axle load of crushed stone.

I brought in 35 18-yard tri-axles loaded with gravel, stone, and loam this summer. I used a place that was cheap, but charged for delivery by the mile - I paid a boatload for delivery (~$100/truck) but there material was so much cheaper than the close guy that it was still cheaper to pay for delivery.

JayC

 

[bironacad]

Just call around to local dirt n' gravel guys. First, get the lingo right. Gravel is stone mixed with sand - also called crushed bank - used for road beds and such. For drainage, you want crushed stone, which is just that. Everybody uses different names for the same stuff too, so watch out for that - tell the dirt guys what you are doing and ask for recommendations. In my area, crushed stone is somewhere in the $15-20/yard range (delivered). Most places include delivery when pricing, but some do not, so ask.

15-18 yards (20-24 tons) is a normal tri-axle dump load. Ask how much they can bring in one shot. Some places call it 20 yards, but it is really 18. Small 6-wheeled dumps (F750-800 size) generally carry 7 yards. Also, don't be surprised if you end up getting considerably more than you think you'll need - material doesn't go far. I made a little french drain this summer that was only about 100' long - it required a full 24 ton tri-axle load of crushed stone.

I brought in 35 18-yard tri-axles loaded with gravel, stone, and loam this summer. I used a place that was cheap, but charged for delivery by the mile - I paid a boatload for delivery (~$100/truck) but there material was so much cheaper than the close guy that it was still cheaper to pay for delivery.

JayC

Thanks, I definitely don't want 20 tons of something I don't want delivered, lol. I really appreciate the shared experiences we get here.

 

[BruceWard]

I have purchased over a hundred yards of 1 & 1/4" crushed stone called "sewer rock" in the last couple of months. This size was the easiest and cheapest to get in my area. My deliveries came in "triple axle" dump trucks carrying 16 to 19 yards each. The going rate in my area is $12 a yard delivered. The delivery runs ranged from 4 to 12 miles.

 

[RobertN]

I guess what you guys call an end dump is a transfer out here. Truck and trailer, where truck disconnects from trailer, then dumps what he has in the bed. Backs up to the trailer, and slides the triler box in to his dump box on the truck. Dumps that, then comes back, hooks up the trailer and goes.

We have a few large dump trucks running around, but not many. They have three rear axle.

Out here, 3/4 crush with sand in it is Asphalt Base. that is what most of my driveway is. If you roll it while it is lightly damp, it dries into a very solid surface.

 

[magicheater]

Most of the aggregate sold here is by the ton. 15-17 yds. in volume is the standard truck size. Shop around at the different pits because you sure don't want "decorator" rock if you are going to bury it! I used to get 3/4" crushed limestone w/fines for the drive but now they only carry 1 1/4" that looks the same. I will be trying a different aggregate that I heard is VERY good for not washing out. When I have tried it I will post an opinion.

 

[k0ua]

Around here we get what is called 0 to 3/4 which is dust all the way to 3/4 of an inch. It makes a great drive when packed and level, but on a bad slope, it will wash out. To make a built up level base for a building we use 0 to 6 inch , and then top it with 0 to 3/4 for leveling. Last year this was about $100 per 7 yard load. (2 axle truck) or about 200 for a 3 axle truck or around 16 yards. I try to keep a good friendship with our local dirt/gravel guy. Over the years I have bought many loads of the gravel and of various grades of dirt. And people still ask me "why do you have a tractor?" By the way 7 tons sounds like a lot, but that is about a 10 minute job to move it, and not much more to spread and smooth it. It doesnt go all that far.

James K0UA

 

[CurlyDave]

I just had 15 yards delivered in the Redwood City, CA area and it was about $300 for the material and a $200 delivery charge in a "SuperDump" truck, which maxes out at just over 15 yards.

This is a very expensive area, and everything is higher than most parts of the country.

The problem I have with getting smaller amounts delivered is that the delivery charge is the same. One truckload = $200 no matter how much is in the truck.

There is a quarry right next to the local dump and I will frequently fill up the dump trailer with 2 yards of gravel after making a dump run. In general, it is not worth it to make a separate trip, but if I am there already, it only takes about an extra 30 minutes to get weighed, loaded, weighed again and pay.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you are looking for rock to prevent washing and still percolate the water like to a french drain, then you want washed river rock or what is commonly referred to as gravel in 1"to1 1/2" size. This has been washed and seived to remove the fines. This gives the best water percolation and wont settle together like crushed stone will. However if you want to stop a wash out, then same sized crushed stone is the best as it locks together better to prevent the aggregate from washing with the water flow.

 

[bigbull338]

I just had 15 yards delivered in the Redwood City, CA area and it was about $300 for the material and a $200 delivery charge in a "SuperDump" truck, which maxes out at just over 15 yards.

This is a very expensive area, and everything is higher than most parts of the country.

The problem I have with getting smaller amounts delivered is that the delivery charge is the same. One truckload = $200 no matter how much is in the truck.

There is a quarry right next to the local dump and I will frequently fill up the dump trailer with 2 yards of gravel after making a dump run. In general, it is not worth it to make a separate trip, but if I am there already, it only takes about an extra 30 minutes to get weighed, loaded, weighed again and pay.

do i understand you right,thats its $200 to deliver a semi trailer load of rock + the cost of rock.if thats right then its not bad at all.here a semi load of rock will cost close to $1000 a load delivered.now thats the cost of rock an delivery.

 

[CurlyDave]

And I thought I paid way too much...

 

[bigbull338]

we havent had any hauled in for 20yrs.an even when we had our own dump trucks we rarely hauled in any for the farm.

 

[om21braz]

And I thought I paid way too much...

Your pricing is very close to what is typical here. In 10 years the price has almost tripled.

 

[Jay4200]

Around here we get what is called 0 to 3/4 which is dust all the way to 3/4 of an inch. It makes a great drive when packed and level, but on a bad slope, it will wash out.

That's the stuff I used for my driveway - called 'nitpack' at the place I bought it. Also called 'hardpack' locally. I surfaced the drive with ~6" - 20 loads, or 480 tons. It was about $225-250/load delivered. It held up pretty well, although it did get a little beat up in a few areas. Should get better each year though as I figure out all the bad spots.

JayC

 

[Rancher Ed]

Around here most dump trucks have one lift axel for a total of four axels and can do ~13 yards. There are a few with two or even three lift axels and I would think they could do all 15 yards for you in one trip if you have these where you are. (pic 1)

Most of the dump trucks here pull trailers and can do up to ~26 yards in one trip. There are two different trailers, the ones that just dump out the back and the ones that the dump truck backs up to the trailer and the bed with all the gravel slides into the dump trucks bed and then he dumps it just like he normally would dump the truck. The second kind they can drop the trailer on the side of the road and dump right when you want (no backing the trailer). If you don't have trucks that could can do 15 yards you could have a truck and trailer come and not need a second trip. (pics 2 and 3)

Around here they don't use end dumps (we call them trash trailers) for gravel so I don't know anything about them. (pic 4)

I would call all the quarries directly and see which ones can bring all 15 yards in one trip and how much it would cost and then go from there.

Ed

 

[crazyal]

It seams like each pit has it's own name for different types. One will call it bank run while another will call it grizzly gravel, either way it's just non crushed gravel that's had the large stone removed. Asking for crusher run will usually get you crushed stone 1 1/2" all the way down to the fines. Some plants will have what they call a plant mix, around here that's usually a 3/4" and smaller that packs real well for a base. One pit actually took me for a ride around the pit on his loader showing me each type they had.

I have found it's cheaper to have someone truck in the gravel than use my international gasser to pick it up. Between registration, insurance, and gas the $60 an hour they charge means I need a lot of trips to balance out the costs.