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

Crushed stone is angular, with broken faces that lock together and compact. That makes it the right choice for drives, drainage beds and base work. Natural Pea Gravel is small, rounded and smooth. It drains well and feels good underfoot, so it suits play areas, walkways and bedding, but it will not lock up and carry a load the way crushed stone does.

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

Base, stone and sand are usually ordered by the ton because weight is how the yard loads and how the truck is scaled. Yards are a volume measure, and they are handy when you are comparing against a calculated volume. Bring your square footage and your target depth, and we will convert it either way so the load matches the job.

Which stone is best for drainage in Lake County?

Start with clean stone that has no fines, because fines clog and stop water. 3/4 inch drain rock is the standard choice for French drains, drainage trenches and drainage layers behind walls. For heavier flow, construction entrances or trench bottoms, step up to #4 crushed stone. On slopes and creek banks, rip rap armors the face against winter storm runoff.

Lake County Class 2 Base and Gravel Delivery, CA

Figure the job before you figure the material. Measure your drive, pad or trench, decide the depth, and convert that to tons or yards. That math tells you what to order, and it works the same for gravel, stone and aggregate delivery in Lake County, CA through California Rock Supply.

Most jobs here start with Class 2 base. It is the standard California base material, specified by Caltrans Section 26 as Class 2 or Class 3 aggregate base in a 3/4 inch or 1-1/2 inch maximum grading. Class 2 is the higher-strength grade, and it is what goes under drives, pads and pavers.

Materials Delivered in Lake County

Here is the lineup from coarsest to finest, and what each size is good for on a Lake County job.

Class 2 base carries the most weight on this list. Recycled Class 2 base is the same spec made from Road Base or asphalt, and Caltrans allows processed reclaimed asphalt and concrete in aggregate base. Some suppliers around here call it crushed miscellaneous base, or CMB. It is the same material doing the same job under a drive, patio or slab. If you want a base that binds and compacts, crusher run works too, though California buyers more often ask for Class 2 base for that job.

Ground Conditions Across Lake County

Time the delivery around the season, not the other way around. The dry season from late spring into fall is the main window for base, driveway and paver work. Summer fog is common near the shore, but it is winter rain and saturated clay that hold jobs up.

Soils change over short distances here. Sandy dune and beach soils sit along parts of the shoreline, while heavy clay soils that crack when dry and swell when wet are extensive in the Coast Range valleys and hills. That matters at the bottom of your excavation, not just the top.

On clay, excavate deep enough and compact in lifts, because clay holds water and moves under a base that was not built for it. Where water sits, put in a drainage layer rather than hoping the base sheds it. Most rain falls from late fall to spring, much of it in a few large winter storms and atmospheric rivers. It soaks into sandy ground quickly but sits on or runs off clay soils and slopes.

Winter also drives the erosion work. Hillside runoff and slides on steep slopes, debris flows when intense rain hits recently burned slopes, and wave and storm erosion of sea cliffs and bluffs along the shoreline all point to the same answer: armor the slope with rip rap and move water with clean drain rock.

Delivery Across Lake County

We cover the county, including Clearlake, Hidden Valley Lake, Lakeport, Kelseyville, Lucerne, Nice, Clearlake Oaks, Middletown, Lower Lake, Upper Lake, Glenhaven and Witter Springs. You order online and we deliver in bulk.

Size the load by the ton or by the yard, depending on how the material is sold and how you are measuring. Tons are the usual way for base and stone. Bring your square footage and depth to the order and the math is quick.

Lead time depends on your place in the county and the season. Book base and driveway work ahead of the dry-season rush, and expect winter storms to shift schedules. A bulk delivery is a dump truck, so plan where it can turn around and where the pile lands.

Choosing the Right Material

Next door in Mendocino County, the region is the North Coast and the ground zone is the same Coast and Coast Ranges zone. The ground is similar: sandy soils near the shoreline and heavy clay in the valleys and hills. So the base and drainage choice does not change much between the two counties. What changes is the typical project.

Both counties get the same winter storm pattern, so both lean on the same answers. On clay, Class 2 base at proper depth and a clean drainage layer underneath. On slopes, rip rap for armoring and drain rock for moving water away.

Pick by what the job does, not by what looks good in a photo. Water needs clean washed stone with no fines. Loads need angular crushed rock that compacts. Paths need DG. Decorative beds need river cobble or Natural Pea Gravel.

Order Class 2 Base and More for Your Lake County Job

California Rock Supply delivers Class 2 base, washed drainage stone, sand and soil in bulk across Lake County, from Lakeport and Kelseyville to Clearlake, Middletown and the rest of the county. Work out your tonnage, pick your material, and place the order online. We will get the load to your site so you can start compacting.

Bulk Aggregate Delivery Across Lake County, CA