Stones and boulders, delivered by the trip
Stones and boulders are the big, rough rock you put in before the fine work begins. They pack out foundations on soft ground, form the hardcore under floors, fill drains and soakaways, and go into gabions for retaining walls — the heavy base layer that everything else sits on.
What it’s used for
- Packing and stabilising foundations on soft or wet ground
- Hardcore filling under ground floors and aprons
- Filling drains, soakaways and French drains
- Gabion baskets for retaining walls and slope protection
How far one trip goes
A 20-ton tipper trip of stones covers a solid area of hardcore or foundation packing, but the amount you need depends on the depth of fill your ground calls for. Where an engineer has specified a hardcore depth, use their figure to work out the number of trips.
Current delivered prices
How to spot good material
- Hard, dense stone that rings when struck lasts; soft rock that crumbles or flakes breaks down under load and isn't worth carting.
- For hardcore, a range of sizes packs tighter and firmer than all-large boulders, which leave big voids that later settle.
Common questions
What's the difference between boulders and chippings?
Boulders are large rough stones for packing foundations, drains and hardcore — the heavy base layer. Chippings are crushed stone in small, even gauges that go inside concrete. You use boulders under and around the structure, chippings within it.
My engineer asked for hardcore — is that stones or boulders?
Hardcore is broken stone packed and compacted as a solid base under floors and foundations, and our stones/boulders load is what's used for it. Follow the depth your engineer specifies to work out how many trips your area needs.
How much is a trip of stones delivered?
One delivered price per trip: the material plus haulage computed from your distance. Current prices are published on the prices page, and your exact delivered total appears when you drop your pin on the order page.
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