The major cost of stone is the transportation. Like everything else over the past four years, the prices have skyrocketed. I used to get 20 tons of SB2 (I think it stands for "Stone Base 2", which is 2" limestone with fines included which help it pack down) for under $300. Now, it is about $500, give or take. This is in NW Arkansas. SB2 is a finish for a gravel road, and is usually underlayed with what is commonly called "red dirt". This is a cherty, clay-like soil and is cheaper than the limestone grades but is still heavy and expensive to haul. Topsoil is usually removed first, to keep the road from "pumping". This is a situation where water seeps up from the base when put under pressure, which is not good. So, I would recommend removing the topsoil if you are going to invest the $$ in stone. Most excavators resist requests to skim the topsoil (it is somewhat time consuming) so that this precious, ancient, resource can be set aside for growing food. Don't give in. I see the mixing of topsoil with subsoil as a Type One Error. Also, the art of slowly off-loading the stone in the path of the planned roadway, as the dump truck creeps along, is called "tail-gating" around here. It might help to refer to it this way to save MUCH time spreading the stone where you want it to be.
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