Sunset Stone Company guide · Updated 2026-10-21
The short answer
Multiply the wall's length by its height to get square feet of wall face, then divide by the stone's coverage per ton. Most of our 14" and 12" wall stone builds about 7 square feet of face per ton, and a full truckload is about 24 tons.
Tons ≈ wall face ÷ coverage per ton
Truckloads ≈ tons ÷ 24
Want the numbers done for you? Use the stone calculator.
Coverage per ton, by stone
Coverage is how much wall face one ton of stone builds. These are our published planning figures:
| Stone | Face per ton | Single course per ton |
|---|---|---|
| 14" Premium Ledge Stone | ≈7.2 sq ft | ≈6 linear ft of 14" course |
| 14" Sundown Ledge Stone | ≈6.5 sq ft | ≈5.5 linear ft of 14" course |
| 12" Milled Ledge Stone (and with sawn ends) | ≈7 sq ft | ≈6.5 linear ft of 12¾" course |
| 9" Wall Block | ≈7.3 sq ft | ≈9.7 linear ft of 9" course |
| Sawn Landscape Stone | ≈7.8 sq ft at 18" bed depth | depends on profile |
Sundown Ledge covers a little less per ton because its beds run deeper and wider (10–30") than Premium's 18–24". More stone goes into the wall behind each square foot of face.
A worked example
Say the wall is 50 feet long and 3 feet tall.
- Wall face: 50 × 3 = 150 sq ft
- 14" Premium: 150 ÷ 7.2 ≈ 21 tons, which fits on one ~24-ton load
- 14" Sundown Ledge: 150 ÷ 6.5 ≈ 23 tons, close to a full load
- 12" Milled: 150 ÷ 7 ≈ 21–22 tons
Going the other way, one 24-ton load of Premium builds roughly 170 square feet of face. That's about a wall 3 feet tall and 55 feet long, or about 150 linear feet of a single 14" course.
Measure it right
- Length: measure along the face of the wall, following curves and corners.
- Height: use the full height of stone, including any course your designer sets below grade.
- Tiers: work out each tier of a terraced wall on its own, then add them up.
- Steps: steps are sold by the piece, not by the ton, so count them separately. See our stone steps guide.
Why it's an estimate
This is natural quarried stone, not a manufactured block. Bed depth, joint width and waste all move the real coverage, so treat these numbers as a planning range. Send us the length, height and stone you have in mind and we'll do the tonnage math with you and quote stone plus freight to your ZIP, usually by the next business day.
Quick answers
How many tons of stone are on a truck?
A full load is about 24 tons on a flatbed or step-deck trailer.
How much wall does a 24-ton load build?
About 170 square feet of face in 14" Premium, or roughly 150 linear feet of a single 14" course. Sundown Ledge builds about 150 square feet per load.
Can I order less than a full load?
Yes. Steps, a few slabs or a partial load can ride a shared truck or be picked up at the quarry or our Kansas City location. Ask and we'll find the most economical way.