What is the difference between crushed stone and Natural Pea Gravel?

Crushed stone is angular, with broken faces that lock together when compacted, which is why 3/4 inch crushed rock and 3/8 inch crushed rock work well in drainage beds and under drives. Natural Pea Gravel is rounded and smooth, so it shifts rather than locks. It suits play areas, walkways and bedding, and it drains freely because water moves through the rounded particles.

Should I order material by the ton or by the yard?

Both work, and the right one depends on how you are measuring the job. If your plan or supplier quote is in cubic yards, order by the yard. If you are matching a weight or a load ticket, order by the ton. The calculator sizes the load either way, so you can compare before checkout.

Which stone is best for drainage in Alameda County?

Clean washed stone with no fines is the right pick, because water moves through the voids instead of sitting in the material. Use 3/4 inch drain rock for French drains and drainage trenches, and drain rock for drywells, downspout runs and behind retaining walls. Larger sizes such as #4 crushed stone suit heavier drainage and trench bottoms.

Gravel, Soil and Stone for Alameda County, CA

For gravel, stone and aggregate delivery in Alameda County, CA, the ground under your job decides how much base you need. California Rock Supply delivers bulk material across the county, and Class 2 base is the material most drives, pads and paver jobs start with. Soils here change over short distances, from sandy ground near the shoreline to heavy clay in the Coast Range valleys and hills.

Clay holds water and moves under load, so a thicker, well-compacted base matters more on those lots than on sandy ones.

Ground conditions across Alameda County

Most rain falls from late fall to spring, much of it in a few large winter storms and atmospheric rivers. Sandy ground soaks it in quickly. Clay soils and slopes shed it, and that is where jobs slow down.

The dry season from late spring into fall is the main window for base, driveway and paver work. Winter rain and saturated clay are what hold jobs up, not fog near the shore.

Erosion follows the same pattern. Hillside runoff and slides show up on steep slopes in winter storms, and intense rain on recently burned slopes can move debris. Along the shoreline, waves and storms work at sea cliffs and bluffs.

Practical results for your order: on clay, plan on compacting in lifts and keeping water off the subgrade. On slopes, plan on drainage stone and placed rock. On sandy ground, drainage is easier but edges need containment.

Materials delivered in Alameda County

We stock base, stone, sand and soil in the sizes local jobs call for. The table runs coarsest to finest, with what each size is good for.

Class 2 base, the local standard

Class 2 base, also called Class II base, Class 2 aggregate base or base rock, is the standard California base material. Caltrans Standard Specifications Section 26 covers aggregate base as Class 2 or Class 3, in 3/4 inch or 1-1/2 inch maximum grading. Class 2 is the higher-strength grade. Class 3 is lower strength.

The spec allows processed reclaimed asphalt and concrete, which is why recycled Class 2 base and crushed miscellaneous base, or CMB, are widely sold under the same family of names. Order Class 2 base for drives, parking pads, and the compacted base under pavers, slabs and Stone Screenings paths.

Choosing the right material

Your neighbor's ground is not always your ground, even across a county line. Here is how the choice shifts nearby.

San Joaquin County sits in the Central Valley, on deep valley alluvium with heavy clay in the flood basins and a cemented hardpan a few feet down across parts of the valley. That hardpan stops water moving deeper, so drainage matters more there than on much of Alameda County's ground. A thicker drainage layer and clean drain rock under the base solve it.

Santa Clara County spans two zones. The Bay Area side shares Alameda County's Coast and Coast Ranges ground, so the base and drainage approach is similar and the jobs are similar too. The mountain side is a different story, and base choices there are driven by steeper, rockier sites.

Contra Costa County shares Alameda County's ground zone, with sandy soils along parts of the shoreline and heavy clay in the Coast Range valleys and hills. Expect similar materials and similar compaction work, just different site access and lot shapes.

In all four counties the deciding factors are the same: how fast the ground drains, how much slope you have, and how heavy the loads will be.

Delivery across Alameda County

California Rock Supply delivers bulk material to Oakland, Fremont, Hayward, Berkeley, San Leandro, Livermore, Pleasanton, Alameda, Dublin, Union City, Castro Valley, Newark, San Lorenzo and Albany, plus the unincorporated ground between them.

You order online, choose your quantity by the ton or by the yard, and size the load with the calculator if you are unsure. Then pick a delivery date at checkout. A dump truck brings the material to your site and places it where the truck can reach.

Keep the drop spot in mind when you order. Base, soil and sand are heavy, and a clear, level spot near the work saves handling later.

Order bulk material for your Alameda County job

California Rock Supply delivers Class 2 base, crushed stone, drain rock, sand and soil throughout Alameda County, from Livermore and Dublin to Oakland, Alameda and Albany. Choose your material, set the quantity by the ton or yard, and pick your delivery date at checkout. Start your order online and we will bring the load to your site.

Order Class 2 Base and Crushed Stone in Alameda County, CA