To the untrained eye, crushed stone and pea gravel may both just be some form of rock, but each one serves its own purpose and has its own specific set of uses. From shape and size, to applications, to even cost, these two materials are different. Crushed is typically used as an aggregate for underground projects. Many contractors prefer to use ½” or ¾” crushed stone as a subbase material before pouring concrete. Since it’s durable, it is also regularly used for back fill, drainage solutions, or pipe bedding. Larger crushed stone, such as 304’s or 1’s and 2’s are typically used for parking lots, driveways, shoulder stone, or railroad ballast, while 411’s and 6’s are used for driveway stone as well as drainage. While it is typically found in underground applications, there are some people who opt to use crushed stone for landscape beds or as decorative rock around walkways.

Pea Gravel is one of many types of gravel and is not to be confused with the angled gravel commonly used for drainage and underground structural construction. It behaves very differently, owing to its smooth round or oval-shaped stones. Unlike crushed stone, pea gravel won't lock together to form a stable base. When you use it as a mulch or hardscape material, you will always want to confine it with some type of edging material, or you'll end up losing most of it. Pea gravel isn't the best material to use on a slope as the smooth edges will cause the pea gravel to slip over one another rather than interlocking as angular gravel does. The different color options allow pea gravel to complement the landscaping or to stand out from the foliage. Since it has a smooth finish, pea gravel is also regularly used for walkways, dog runs, playgrounds, patios, and a variety of other high-traffic areas. Like crushed stone, pea gravel can also be used for underground projects, such as drainage and pipe bedding. It’s also a good choice when looking for fence post installation aggregate.