Tell Us the Job. We'll Tell You What to Buy.

Most people do not ring a materials supplier knowing they want three yards of #57. They ring because water is sitting in the yard, or the driveway has gone to mud, or the side of the house is a mess.

These guides start from the job rather than the product. Pick the one that matches what you are doing and it will tell you what to order, how much of it, and how to get it right.

Choose your project

Not on the list?

Call and describe it. We would far rather spend two minutes on the phone working out what you need than have you order the wrong thing and find out when it is already in a pile on your driveway.

(954) 692-6352 · Mon–Fri 6 AM–6 PM, Sat 7 AM–1 PM

Working out how much you need

Material is sold by the ton. Plans are drawn in cubic yards. That mismatch is where most ordering errors come from, and they are expensive in both directions — running short stops a crew, and over-ordering by a large margin ties up money in a pile.

The arithmetic: multiply length by width by depth in feet, divide by 27 to get cubic yards, then multiply by the material's weight per yard. Most rock runs about 1.35 to 1.4 tons per cubic yard; compacted base is heavier at roughly 1.65; topsoil is lighter at about 1.15.

Then allow for compaction. Base and fill lose roughly 20 to 25 percent of their loose volume once they are properly compacted, so the tonnage you order should be above the theoretical plan volume. Our tonnage calculator builds that allowance in and converts the answer into truckloads.

Order slightly heavy. Two extra tons in a pile costs almost nothing and always gets used. Two tons short on a Friday afternoon costs you a whole extra delivery and a crew standing around.