Multiply length × width × depth in feet, divide by 27 for cubic yards, and multiply by 1.55 for tons of limestone — then add 15% for compaction. A 16 × 12 ft patio base at 4 inches deep needs about 2.4 cubic yards, roughly 3.7 tons; order about 4.2 tons to hit grade after tamping.
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Order – tons (includes your waste allowance) so compaction and spillage don’t leave you short.
Limestone Base Calculator Guide
Every failed patio tells the same story, and it never starts at the surface — it starts in a base that was too thin, too loose, or placed on soft ground. A compacted limestone base is the fix the hardscape trade has settled on: dense-graded limestone with fines, placed in lifts and compacted until it behaves like weak concrete. This calculator sizes that layer, using 1.55 tons per cubic yard and a 15% compaction allowance by default.
Note that the depth you enter is the finished, compacted depth from your plan. The 15% is added on top of it automatically — that is the extra loose material the compactor will consume on the way down to grade.
How Much Limestone Base per 100 Square Feet?
Compacted-depth targets by application, with quantities per 100 square feet before the waste allowance:
| Application | Compacted depth | Per 100 sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| Garden walkway | 3 in | 0.93 yd³ / 1.4 tons |
| Paver patio | 4 in | 1.23 yd³ / 1.9 tons |
| Shed or hot tub pad | 4–6 in | up to 1.85 yd³ / 2.9 tons |
| Car driveway | 6 in | 1.85 yd³ / 2.9 tons |
| Truck / RV parking | 8 in | 2.47 yd³ / 3.8 tons |
Building the Base So It Never Moves
Excavate past the finished footprint — carry the base 6 inches beyond the paver edge on every open side, because an unsupported base edge sheds outward under load and the perimeter pavers follow it. Set your excavation depth to base plus bedding plus paver thickness so the finished surface lands where you want it, then compact the exposed subgrade itself before any stone goes in.
Place the limestone in 2–3 inch lifts, misting each lift lightly so the fines bind, and run the plate compactor in overlapping passes until the surface stops visibly moving. Screed the final lift to a consistent plane with a 2% slope away from any structure — water management is a base function, not an afterthought. Done right, you should be able to walk the base without leaving a print before a single paver is placed.
The bedding course and paver layer above this base have their own math — the paver base calculator carries the full stack — and the limestone calculator covers the material itself when the job is surfacing rather than structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How thick should a limestone base be?
Four inches compacted for patios and walkways, six inches for car driveways, and six to eight inches for anything that carries trucks. The base, not the surface layer, is what decides whether a project stays flat.
Why add 15% to a limestone base order?
Dense-graded limestone loses roughly 15% of its loose volume under a plate compactor as fines settle into voids. Order the plan quantity without the allowance and your compacted base finishes about half an inch low on a 4-inch design.
What goes on top of a limestone base?
For pavers, one inch of screed-able bedding — screenings or concrete sand — then the pavers themselves. For gravel driveways, two inches of washed stone. The base is always the load-bearing layer, never the finished surface.
Should a limestone base be compacted in lifts?
Yes — two to three inches at a time, each lift compacted before the next. A plate compactor only densifies the top few inches, so a six-inch base placed in one lift stays soft at the bottom and settles later.