57 limestone is angular crushed limestone sized roughly between 3/4 inch and 1.5 inch, light gray to tan in color, with no fine dust mixed in. Because the pieces are uniform and have no fines, water drains straight through it instead of pooling on top. It's one of the most common driveway and drainage stones in Florida, used for residential driveways, French drains, pipe bedding, retaining wall backfill, and decorative ground cover.

The "57" is a size designation, not a quality rating. It refers to a standardized gradation where stones fall mostly between 3/4 inch and 1.5 inch, with no fine dust or powder mixed in. That clean size range is what makes 57 stone drain so well, with water flowing straight through the gaps between pieces. You'll see the same designation used for limerock 57 and recycled concrete 57; they're the same size class made from different parent materials.

Yes, these are all names for the same size classification. The "57" designation comes from ASTM and AASHTO gradation standards and refers to crushed aggregate sized from roughly 3/4 inch to 1.5 inch with no fine dust. In Florida, the parent material is limestone, which is why it's called limerock 57. In other states the same size class may be made from granite, trap rock, or river gravel. The drainage properties and sizing are equivalent regardless of the name or region.

57 Limestone is commonly used for residential driveways, French drains, dry wells, retaining wall backfill, pipe bedding, utility trenches, parking areas, and decorative ground cover. Because it contains no fine dust, it drains well and works best where water needs to move through the stone instead of pooling on the surface.

Use both. Base rock, limerock base or crusher run, goes down first because the fines bind together under compaction and create a hard, load-bearing surface. 57 stone goes on top because it drains, looks finished, and handles tire pressure. A 57-only driveway on sandy Florida soil will feel loose and rut under car tires within a season. A typical Florida residential build is 4 inches of compacted base, then 2-3 inches of 57 stone as the wear course.

Yes. 57 stone is the standard material for French drains. The open gradation with no fines lets water flow freely through the rock and into the perforated pipe, without the fines that would clog it over time. For tonnage, it depends on your trench dimensions. A typical French drain trench 1 foot wide by 2 feet deep needs roughly 1 ton per 10 linear feet. Use our materials calculator with your trench dimensions for a precise estimate.

57 stone is washed clean, no fines, all void space, water flows through it freely. Crusher run, also called limerock base or ABC, contains every size from 1 inch down to dust and is designed to compact into a near-solid surface. Use limerock base for driveway base and pad foundations where you want it locked together. Use 57 stone for French drains, dry wells, and anywhere water needs to move through the material.

For a new residential driveway in Florida, install a minimum of 4 inches of 57 stone over prepared subgrade and geotextile fabric. For driveways serving heavier vehicles such as RVs, trailers, or frequent contractor trucks, or built on soft sandy soil, increase to 6 inches. Plan to order about 5-10% extra to account for settling and edge spread after the stone seats under traffic.

Strongly recommended, especially in Florida. That black fabric under gravel driveways, called geotextile or landscape fabric, does two things: it stops the stone from sinking into sandy or wet subgrade, and it blocks weeds from growing up through the rocks. Use non-woven drainage-rated fabric, not standard woven weed-block. Skip it only if you're laying stone over an already-compacted base of crushed concrete fines or limerock base, never on raw dirt or sod.

Dig it out first. Laying 57 stone directly over grass creates a soft base where the sod decomposes underneath, your driveway will sink and develop low spots as the organic material breaks down. Strip the top 4-6 inches of organic material, compact the exposed subgrade, lay a non-woven geotextile, then place your stone. For a temporary parking pad, you can skip the excavation but expect a short lifespan before it needs rebuilding.

On flat to moderate ground, properly installed 57 limerock holds up well through Florida storm season. The angular shape interlocks under load, and the open gradation lets stormwater drain straight through instead of pooling. On slopes, near downspout discharge points, or at the driveway apron, stones can migrate. A geotextile fabric underlayment, edge restraints, and a slight crown at the center all reduce displacement significantly.

57 limestone weighs approximately 1.35-1.4 tons per cubic yard loose, so 1 cubic yard equals roughly 1.35-1.4 tons, and 1 ton equals about 0.7-0.74 cubic yards. When in doubt, multiply your cubic-yard estimate by 1.4 to get tons. Use our calculator to get the exact tonnage for your project.

A 20x40 driveway is 800 sq ft. At 4 inches deep, 1 ton of 57 limerock covers about 50 sq ft, so 800 divided by 50 = 16 tons, which fits in one truck load. If you're laying a thinner 2-inch layer, coverage doubles to about 100 sq ft per ton, so you'd need 8 tons. Round up slightly to account for edge spread. Ordering 17 tons for a 4-inch build gives you a small buffer. Use our materials calculator for any other dimensions.

Yes. We deliver 57 limestone across Florida, including Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Lakeland, Clearwater, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Port St. Lucie, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hialeah, and Miami, plus surrounding areas. Order online, enter your ZIP for an all-in delivered price with no hidden fees, pick a delivery date, and a dump truck drops the stone at the most accessible spot on your property. Someone must be available on site to receive the delivery.

A properly built limerock driveway with a compacted base and 57 stone wear course typically needs a top-up every 3-5 years, a few tons to refresh the appearance and replace stone that migrated to edges. Driveways built on raw dirt without fabric or base need more frequent attention. Most of the apparent wear is not the stone breaking down; it's stone migrating to the sides and into the soil below. Visual cues: when the base starts showing through or ruts form, it's time to top up.