What limestone we deliver
Not all rock is the same. The right gradation depends on what you are doing with it. We deliver and spread the materials that handle the work in this region.
Number 610 limestone. The most common driveway and base material in South Louisiana. Mixed gradation from dust up through three-quarter inch stone. The dust fills the voids and locks the larger pieces together when it is compacted. Best surface course for driveways, parking pads, and bases under concrete.
Number 57 stone. Cleaner, larger gradation, usually about three-quarter to one-inch stone with little fines. Drains well, good under slabs as a capillary break, and used for drainage layers in French drains and behind retaining walls.
Number 4 or larger. Bigger stone, two inches or larger. Used as a base under heavy load areas, as rip-rap for bank stabilization, and where a clean drainage layer is needed under construction traffic.
Crushed concrete. Recycled, usually cheaper than virgin limestone, and works well as base material for driveways and pads. Some folks prefer it for the sustainability angle, others for the price.
Pea gravel and decorative stone. Smaller rounded stone for landscape use, drainage layers, or specific decorative applications.
When to use what
For a new driveway, the standard build is a few inches of larger stone or compacted base on the bottom and a finish layer of 610 limestone on top. The 610 surface compacts down into a hard locked surface that water sheds off. The base under it spreads load and drains.
For driveway top dressing, you want 610 again, spread an inch or two thick and shaped to restore the crown. Lay it on a dry day, run a vibratory roller across it if possible, and let traffic do the rest of the work.
For an equipment yard, parking pad, or work area, 610 over a properly prepped subgrade gives you a hard usable surface that handles trucks and trailers. Thickness depends on what is going on it. Light use needs four to six inches. Heavy truck traffic needs eight to twelve.
For under a concrete slab, a few inches of 57 stone provides a clean drainage layer and breaks the capillary connection between the slab and the wet ground beneath it. That matters in this climate.
For drainage repairs, French drain backfill, and bank rip-rap, the right size stone makes the difference between something that works and something that clogs.
Delivery, spreading, and the difference
Some jobs are a simple drop. We pull up, dump the load where you want it, and you spread it yourself. Plenty of folks have a tractor with a box blade and just need the material on site. We do that too, and it costs less.
The other half of the time, the customer wants the material spread, graded, and compacted. We bring the dump truck, the skid steer or dozer, and the roller. We spread the material to the depth specified, shape it to the contour the job needs, and compact it so it locks in. The driveway, pad, or yard is ready to use the day we leave.
What we look at before delivery
- Access. Can a loaded tandem dump truck get into the property and out again. A wet driveway, a low overhead, a tight turn, or a soft yard can all be a problem. We figure it out before we send the truck.
- Quantity. How many yards or tons you actually need. We help you size it based on the area to cover and the depth you want. A typical residential driveway top dressing is one to two truckloads. A new driveway base or a working pad can be five or ten loads.
- Material. The right gradation for the job. We are happy to talk through what to use if you are not sure.
- Schedule. We deliver weekdays and Saturdays. If you need the material on a specific day to coordinate with another contractor, we book it ahead.
How much you need
Rough math: one cubic yard of limestone covers about 80 to 100 square feet at three inches deep. A tandem dump truck carries roughly 15 to 18 cubic yards depending on the material weight. So one truck spreads about 1,300 to 1,800 square feet at three inches. For a driveway 12 feet wide and 100 feet long, you are looking at about 1,200 square feet, or one truck for a fresh three-inch top dressing. A full new build with base goes two to three trucks for the same drive.
We help you figure it out. Better to plan it right than to be one load short on the day of the work.
Pricing and what affects it
Cost is driven by the material, the quantity, the haul distance, and whether we are spreading or just dropping. Spreading and compacting costs more than dropping, but it gets the job done. The price per load comes down as the quantity goes up because the fixed costs spread across more material. We give you a real number for your specific situation, not a price-per-yard that surprises you when the truck shows up.
Repairs and refresh work
A lot of what we do with limestone is fixing driveways that have washboarded, potholed, or thinned out. The fix is usually a combination of grading the existing surface back into a crown, adding a layer of 610, and compacting. If the underlying issue is a drainage problem, we deal with that too so the same fix does not need to happen again next year.
Common questions about limestone delivery & spreading
How many yards of limestone do I need for my driveway?
For a top dressing, plan on one cubic yard per about 100 square feet at three inches deep. For a new build, double or triple that depending on the base depth. Tell us the length and width and we will give you a real number.
Will you spread and compact, or just dump?
Both. If you want a simple dump, we do that for less. If you want it spread and compacted with a finished crown, we bring the skid steer and the roller and do the whole thing. Your call.
Is crushed concrete as good as virgin limestone?
For most driveway and pad applications, yes. It compacts and locks similarly, drains similarly, and costs less. It is not quite as light-colored, which matters to some folks. For structural uses where the spec calls for virgin limestone, we use virgin.
How often does a limestone driveway need to be refreshed?
In normal residential use, a top dressing every three to five years keeps it solid. Drives with heavy truck traffic or drives that hold water need it more often. Drives with proper drainage and crown go longer between dressings.
Do you deliver on weekends?
We deliver on Saturdays during normal hours. Sundays we usually take off so the equipment gets serviced. Call us and we will work out a delivery day that fits your schedule.
Scotty comes out, walks the property, and gives you a straight quote. Call (337) 288-3795 or send a message.