Crushed Concrete Driveway: Cost, Pros and Cons

A crushed concrete driveway is built from recycled concrete aggregate: old sidewalks, foundations and slabs broken up, run through a crusher, and screened to size. Laid and compacted like crushed stone, it packs into a firm surface, and the leftover cement in the fines helps it set up even harder over time. It often costs less than quarried stone, with HomeGuide listing crushed concrete at about $11 to $53 per ton, and it keeps demolition waste out of landfills.

How it compares to crushed stone

	Crushed concrete	Crusher run (crushed stone)
Price	Often lower	Low to moderate
Compaction	Very good; can harden further	Very good
Look	Light gray to white, mixed pieces	Gray or tan, uniform
Consistency	Varies by batch and supplier	Consistent
Contaminants	Possible rebar bits, brick, asphalt, wood	None
Water runoff	Alkaline (high pH) at first	Neutral
Dust	Fine white dust when dry	Some dust

For quarried stone, see crusher run driveway.

Sizes

Suppliers usually sell crushed concrete in a few gradations:

• Base or road base (often 1 1/2 inch minus or 3/4 inch minus with fines): for the main layer of a driveway. The fines are what make it pack.
• Clean crushed concrete (no fines): drains well but doesn't lock together. Use it for drainage, not a driving surface.
• Larger "rubble" or rip-rap: for erosion control, not driveways.

Ask for screened material with metal removed. Good suppliers pull rebar with magnets.

Pros

• Usually cheaper than stone, especially close to a recycling yard
• Compacts tight and gets firmer with time
• Recycled material, often counted toward green building credits
• Works well as a base under future asphalt or pavers

Cons and cautions

• Quality varies. Look at a pile before ordering, and ask whether it's from clean concrete or mixed demolition debris.
• Rebar and wire. Bits can puncture tires if not removed.
• High pH runoff. Fresh crushed concrete leaches alkaline water for a while, which can harm nearby plants, ponds and streams. Keep it out of flower beds and away from water. Some localities restrict its use near waterways.
• Dust and color. It's lighter in color than stone and can show tire marks and dust.

How much to order and cost

Use the same math as for any aggregate: length × width × depth in feet, divided by 27, gives cubic yards. Multiply by about 1.2 to 1.4 for tons (crushed concrete is a bit lighter than stone; ask the supplier for its weight). A ton covers roughly 60 to 80 square feet at 4 inches.

Item	Typical cost (national)
Crushed concrete	about $11 to $53 per ton (HomeGuide)
Delivery	about $10 to $25 per ton (Angi)
Site prep and compaction	extra

Installation

Install it like crusher run: strip soft soil, lay fabric on soft ground, place and compact in 2 to 3 inch lifts with water, and crown the surface to shed water. A finished depth of 4 to 6 inches over a firm subgrade works for most residential driveways. If you'd prefer a dark, recycled surface instead, see recycled asphalt driveway.