How Does a Rock Quarry Make Money?

Removing, selling and shipping rock to a variety of markets that need the material for their projects gives you a way to make money from your stone quarry. Identifying the type of rock in your quarry is key to figuring out its potential use and deciding who will buy. Once you get everything ready, you’re ready to convince various markets of the quality of your product so you start raking in the cash.

Your quarry may produce large chunks of attractive sandstone, limestone, slate or quartz that's ideal for use as a facade on homes or buildings. Other uses for decorative stone chunks include decorative sidewalks, garden pathways, stone walls and landscaping. Quarries that contain marble produce large slabs used inside buildings and homes, too. If the rock that comes out of your quarry is similar to the type seen in natural landmarks in the area, stress this in your marketing and advertising efforts. This helps homeowners, contractors and commercial building developers want to use your rock to create a unique, regional look and feel in their architecture and other projects.

Crushed stone, often referred to as aggregate, is used by contractors to build foundations. The rock is also used to help strengthen concrete. Contractors building or improving highways and airport runways also use aggregate. In order to produce crushed stone, you need rock, such as quartz, that can be easily crushed into small chunks without turning it into sand. The final product is then sold by weight and delivered by the truckload.

Limestone or chert quarries often sell gravel of different sizes to homeowners who need small quantities delivered for use in their driveways or landscaping projects. Gravel is also used on roads maintained by the county or state, especially in rural areas. Contractors use gravel for draining areas and developing playgrounds. If you deliver small loads of crushed gravel to homeowners, help them calculate their needs by including a gravel calculator on your website.

Some quarries make ideal hunting grounds for rock collectors who want fossils or pockets of crystals for their collections. You can even set aside part of your quarry for this endeavor and use the other parts of your site to make money in other ways. Carrying adequate liability insurance is key to letting rock collectors come in for a half or full-day fee to hammer at the rocks to get out the goodies. Mark off areas where they’re allowed to go and ask each collector to sign a liability waiver before they start working.