✓ The Decision — Which Gravel
- Driving or parking surface, or a paver/patio base → crusher run (¾″ minus / Granular A). The fines lock the stone into a hard crust.
- Drainage — around foundations, weeping tile, wet spots, under slabs → clear stone. No fines means water moves and it won't hold moisture against the structure.
- Cheap bulk base or deep fill under the surface → pit run. Structural and cheap; never the finished surface.
- Levelling layer or bedding under pavers/flagstone → crusher dust (screenings). Fine and screedable — but keep it out of drainage zones.
Order "gravel" and you'll get asked "which one?" — because the wrong stone in the wrong place is the single most common reason a driveway ruts, a foundation stays wet, or a patio heaves. The good news: nearly every choice comes down to one question — do you want it to lock together, or to drain? Fines lock; clear stone drains. Get that right and the rest is detail.
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🔍 Pick Your Job
It Comes Down to Two Families
Every aggregate you'll touch on a home project sits in one of two camps:
- With fines (lockers). Crushed stone blended with dust and sand. The fines fill the gaps so the angular stone interlocks and packs into a hard, load-bearing crust when compacted. This is what you drive on and build on. Pit run, crusher run, and crusher dust all carry fines.
- Without fines (drainers). Washed, uniform stone with the dust removed. Water runs straight through the voids, so it drains and won't hold moisture — but it never locks, so it migrates under traffic. This is clear stone, and it belongs in drainage, not on a surface.
The Four Materials
| Material | What it is | Best for | Don't use for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pit run (bank run) ~1.8 t/m³ | Uncrushed mix straight from the pit — rounded stone down to sand, with fines | Base lifts, deep fill, cheap bulk | Finished surfaces (rounded stone ruts) |
| Crusher run (¾″ minus / Granular A) ~1.65 t/m³ | Crushed angular stone blended with fines | Driveway surface, paver/patio base, anything load-bearing | Drainage (the fines clog the voids) |
| Crusher dust (screenings / stone dust) ~1.8 t/m³ | Fine crushed particles, up to ~5 mm | Levelling, paver/flagstone bedding | Drainage zones; thick load-bearing lifts |
| Clear stone (¾″ clear / washed) ~1.5 t/m³ | Crushed stone, washed, no fines, uniform size | Drainage, weeping tile, under slabs, wet/muddy spots | Driving or parking surfaces (never locks) |
Densities match our Fill & Gravel Calculator, so the tonnes and truckloads line up with whatever you choose here. For driveway build-up layer by layer, see the gravel driveway cost guide; for ordering math, the truckloads guide.
Same Stone, Different Names
Aggregate names are maddeningly regional — tell the supplier the use and you'll get the right product even if the name differs:
- Crusher run / ¾″ minus / ¾ down / Granular A / road crush / "crush." The locking driveway/base material. Granular B is its coarser, deeper sub-base cousin.
- Crusher dust / screenings / stone dust / fines. The fine bedding/levelling material.
- Clear stone / clear / washed stone / ¾″ clear / "drainage stone." The no-fines drainage material; pea gravel is a small rounded clear stone (decorative, never structural).
- Pit run / bank run / run-of-pit. The uncrushed bulk base/fill.
✗ Deal-Breakers — The Wrong Stone in the Wrong Place
- Clear stone on a driving surface. With no fines it never locks; tires push it aside and it migrates forever. Surfaces need crusher run.
- Pit run or pea gravel as the finished surface. Rounded stone won't pack — it ruts and scatters. Pit run is a base, not a top.
- Fines (crusher run/dust) in a drainage trench. The dust clogs the voids and the "drainage" holds water against your foundation — the opposite of the job.
- Skipping compaction on the locking layers. Crusher run only earns its strength when packed in lifts. Dumped loose, it's just expensive loose stone.
The Safest Path Forward
- Name the job, not the product — "driveway surface," "foundation drainage," "paver base." The right material follows.
- Decide lock vs drain — fines if it bears load, clear stone if it must drain.
- Layer correctly — pit-run base, crusher-run surface; clear stone only where water must move.
- Size and price it with the Fill & Gravel Calculator — densities are built in.
- Confirm the local name and price with two or three suppliers; describe the use so they match the product.
Bottom Line
Lock or drain — that's the whole decision. Crusher run (¾″ minus / Granular A) for surfaces and bases that bear load, clear stone for drainage, pit run for cheap bulk base, and crusher dust for bedding and levelling. Pick the material, then let the Fill & Gravel Calculator turn it into tonnes, truckloads, and cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between crusher run and clear stone?
Crusher run is crushed stone blended with fines, so it compacts and locks into a hard load-bearing surface — ideal for driveways and bases. Clear stone is washed with the fines removed, so it drains freely but never locks — ideal for drainage around foundations and under slabs, and wrong for any driving surface.
What gravel is best for a driveway?
For the surface, crusher run — also called ¾″ minus, ¾ down, or Granular A — because the angular stone and fines pack into a hard crust. Lay it over a compacted pit-run base. Avoid rounded pit run or clear stone on top; they never lock and quickly rut.
Can I use crusher dust under pavers?
Yes, as a thin screeded bedding layer over a compacted crusher-run base — that's its classic use. It's not a structural base on its own and shouldn't be used in thick lifts or in areas that need to drain.
What gravel goes around a foundation or weeping tile?
Clear stone (¾″ washed, no fines). It lets water move freely to the weeping tile instead of holding moisture against the foundation. Fines-bearing material like crusher run would clog the voids and defeat the drainage.