Every driveway, parking lot, and road surface in Hamilton is only as good as the aggregate underneath it. Get the base right and your asphalt lasts 20–30 years. Get it wrong and you'll be patching, cracking, and repaving within three to five years. The two materials at the heart of almost every paving base in Hamilton are Granular A and ¾" clear stone — and knowing when to use each one (and where to buy it) is the difference between a surface that holds up and one that doesn't.
This guide breaks down both aggregates and points you to the three best industrial suppliers in Hamilton, all conveniently clustered on Nebo Road in the Mountain area. Not sure how much you need? Use our free Aggregate Calculator to get an instant tonnage estimate for your project.
What Is Granular A?
Granular A — also called crusher run or processed gravel — is a blended crushed aggregate ranging from roughly ¾ inch (19 mm) down to fine dust. The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) sets tight gradation specifications for it, which is why it's the standard base and subbase material for every properly built road, subdivision driveway, and commercial parking lot in Ontario.
The combination of large particles and fine material is the key. When compacted, the coarse pieces interlock while the fines fill every void, creating a dense, load-bearing mat that resists shifting, frost heave, and deformation under traffic.
When Granular A Is Used on Hamilton Paving Jobs
- Compacted base under all asphalt driveways and parking lots
- Road and lane construction where MTO specification must be met
- Backfill around concrete curbs, catch basins, and manholes
- Bedding layer beneath interlocking brick, concrete pads, and pavers
- Trench reinstatement after utility work (water, gas, hydro)
- General lot grading and levelling before paving begins
For a typical residential asphalt driveway in Hamilton, you need a minimum of 4–6 inches (100–150 mm) of compacted Granular A. On commercial projects, soft clay subgrades, or high-traffic areas, that depth increases to 8–12 inches or more.
What Is ¾" Clear Stone?
Three-quarter-inch clear stone is crushed limestone or granite screened to a single consistent particle size — approximately ¾ inch — with all fines washed out. "Clear" means exactly that: no fines, no dust, no small particles. When placed, the uniform pieces create a matrix of interconnected air voids that water can move through freely.
Those voids are what make clear stone valuable — it's the go-to drainage aggregate for any situation where water management is the priority.
When ¾" Clear Stone Is Used on Hamilton Paving Jobs
- French drains and perimeter drainage systems around foundations
- Drainage bedding layer under interlocking on low-lying or clay-heavy lots
- Pipe bedding for storm sewer, weeping tile, and drainage tile installations
- Surround fill for catch basins and manholes
- Erosion control at downspout outlets, swales, and discharge points
- Permeable base systems where freeze-thaw drainage is critical
Granular A vs. ¾" Clear Stone — At a Glance
| Feature | Granular A | ¾" Clear Stone |
|---|---|---|
| Particle size | ¾" down to fine dust (blended) | ¾" uniform — no fines |
| Compacts solid? | ✔ Yes — dense, load-bearing | ✘ No — open & free-draining |
| Drainage | ✘ Low — fines restrict flow | ✔ Excellent — all void space |
| MTO base specification? | ✔ Standard requirement | ✘ Not used as primary base |
| Use directly under asphalt? | ✔ Yes — primary purpose | ✘ No |
| Drainage layers & French drains? | ✘ No | ✔ Yes — primary purpose |
| Best on Hamilton clay soils? | Yes, with proper depth & compaction | ✔ Ideal as a drainage layer underneath |
| Typical cost | Lower per tonne (high volume material) | Slightly higher per tonne |
In practice, a well-built Hamilton driveway or parking lot uses both materials in sequence: ¾" clear stone over native subgrade where drainage is needed, compacted Granular A on top as the structural base, and then the asphalt surface course. Each material does a job the other can't.
How Much Aggregate Do You Need?
Enter your project dimensions in our free calculator and get an instant Granular A or ¾" Clear Stone tonnage estimate — no guesswork, no wasted loads.
Where to Buy Aggregate in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is well-served by industrial aggregate suppliers — companies that sell to contractors by the load at real construction pricing. The three best sources are all on or near Nebo Road in the Mountain area, making them convenient for jobs across the city.
Don't Want to Haul It Yourself? We Deliver.
Alpha Paving Solutions delivers Granular A and ¾" Clear Stone by triaxle or tandem dump truck across Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, Burlington, and the Golden Horseshoe. You pick the quantity — we handle the logistics.
GIP Paving — Mountain Nebo Asphalt Plant
GIP (Green Infrastructure Partners), formerly known as Coco Paving, is one of Ontario's largest heavy civil construction and materials companies with 33 asphalt plants across Canada. Their Mountain Nebo plant supplies hot mix asphalt to road-building crews across Hamilton and the surrounding region, but they also supply virgin aggregate and recycled concrete to paving contractors.
For larger projects, GIP is a natural one-stop shop: you can arrange aggregate pickup and hot mix delivery from a coordinated source, cutting logistics time on multi-phase commercial jobs. Their sales team understands contractor volumes and timelines.
Amrize (formerly Lafarge Canada) — Nebo Road Plant
Amrize — rebranded from Lafarge Canada in 2025 — is one of Canada's largest building materials companies. Their Nebo Road plant gives Hamilton contractors direct access to crushed stone products sourced from their massive Dundas Quarry, the largest quarry of its kind in Canada, which produces approximately 4 million tonnes of high-quality crushed limestone per year from the Rockport, Amabel, and Guelph geological formations just west of Hamilton.
The limestone from the Dundas Quarry is highly regarded in the industry for its hardness and angular particle shape — critical properties for Granular A that locks up tightly under compaction and doesn't degrade under traffic loading or freeze-thaw cycling. Amrize material is used on Hamilton's roads and infrastructure projects, and you're getting the same product sourced from the same plant.
For contractors needing consistent, MTO-spec material on volume orders, Amrize's Nebo Road location is one of the most reliable industrial sources in the city.
Cardi Aggregates Depot
Cardi Construction has been a fixture in the Hamilton area since 1977 — a family-owned business now in its second generation. In 2001, they expanded by opening the Cardi Aggregates Depot right on Nebo Road in Hannon, creating a dedicated stone and aggregate yard that serves both contractors and serious homeowners.
What sets Cardi apart from the large industrial suppliers is flexibility and accessibility. They have a Ministry-approved 80-foot scale on site, offer both stone slinger truck delivery and tri-axle dump delivery, and carry an unusually wide range of materials — including recycled Granular A and Granular B that provide a legitimate cost saving on non-spec residential jobs. They also run a concrete and asphalt recycling program, so you can drop off demolition material and source fresh aggregate on the same trip.
For smaller paving contractors who don't always have the volume for a full Amrize or GIP load, Cardi is often the most practical day-to-day aggregate source in Hamilton.
Why We Don't Recommend Landscape Supply Centres for Paving
Landscape centres are built around small retail sales: homeowners buying half a yard of decorative stone for a garden border. Their pricing model reflects that — small quantities with a significant retail premium. When a paving project requires tens or hundreds of tonnes of aggregate, that markup becomes a serious cost issue.
Beyond price, there are real product concerns:
- No MTO certification. Landscape-grade gravel is rarely tested to Ontario's gradation specification for Granular A. It may look similar but compact poorly and perform unpredictably under load.
- Inconsistent batches. What you pick up today may be a different blend than the next load — gradation, moisture content, and fines percentage can all vary.
- No contractor terms. Industrial suppliers like GIP, Amrize, and Cardi understand contractor billing and volume accounts. Landscape centres typically operate retail-only.
- Slow for volume. Loading large quantities by retail scoop takes far longer than the weigh-and-go process at a proper aggregate plant.
GIP, Amrize, and Cardi sell to the construction trade. Their material is properly graded, consistently tested, and priced for the volumes that paving jobs actually require.
We Pick It Up & Drop It at Your Site
Skip the trip to Nebo Road — we source directly from GIP, Amrize, and Cardi and deliver to your driveway, job site, or property anywhere in Hamilton and the surrounding area. Triaxle loads available.
Quick Guide: Which Supplier for Which Job?
How Alpha Paving Solutions Builds Every Base
We've built driveways, commercial lots, and road surfaces across Hamilton, Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Dundas, Burlington, and the surrounding area. The most common cause of premature asphalt failure we encounter? Inadequate base preparation. Here's the process we follow on every job:
- Subgrade assessment — we evaluate the native soil before excavating. Hamilton's clay-heavy zones get extra depth or a drainage layer to account for moisture movement.
- Drainage layer where needed — ¾" clear stone placed around perimeters, at pipe bedding, and at low points to intercept water before it reaches the base.
- Granular A placement — minimum 4" on residential, 6"+ on commercial, compacted in lifts with a plate compactor or vibratory roller to full MTO density.
- Grade verification — confirmed minimum 2% positive slope away from all structures before any asphalt is placed.
- Hot mix asphalt — sourced from MTO-certified plants, laid at proper temperature, and compacted to density specification.
We source our aggregate from the industrial suppliers above — GIP, Amrize, and Cardi — not from landscape centres. Your base is built with the same certified materials used on Hamilton's roads and subdivision infrastructure.
Just Need Aggregate Delivered?
We source from Nebo Road suppliers and deliver Granular A or ¾" clear stone by triaxle dump truck to your site. Calculate your quantity first, then book.
Want Us to Do the Whole Job?
Supply, haul, place, compact, and pave — all with one crew. Get a free, no-obligation estimate for your driveway, parking lot, or commercial project.