Tip-Top Gravel Co

Based in Ada, Michigan, Tip-Top Gravel Co supplies sand and gravel and stone to homeowners, landscapers and contractors across the area. Google lists the business under 4 categories — Sand & gravel supplier, Crushed stone supplier, Dirt supplier, Stone supplier — which points to a broader inventory than a single-product yard carries.

The business holds a 3.2-star Google rating from 30 reviews. For comparison, the Michigan average across 898 listed suppliers is 4.5.

What Tip-Top Gravel Co supplies

Aggregate yards carry crushed stone, pea gravel, road base, mason sand, concrete sand and structural fill. Material is graded by particle size, and the correct grade depends entirely on whether you are building a compacted base, a drainage layer or a walking surface.

Road base (often called crusher run or 21AA) compacts hard and is the right choice under pavers or driveways. Clean washed stone such as #57 drains freely and is used for French drains and trench backfill. Pea gravel looks good underfoot but migrates and needs edging to stay put.

Stone yards carry flagstone, wall stone, boulders, river rock, cobbles and decorative gravel, usually sold by weight and frequently palletized for hardscape crews.

Because Tip-Top Gravel Co carries several material lines, it is often possible to combine an order across products — soil, mulch and stone on one truck — rather than paying separate delivery charges to two or three different yards.

How much material you need

Sand and gravel is sold by the ton. Aggregate is sold by weight, not volume — one cubic yard of crushed stone runs roughly 1.4 tons.

As a rough guide: 1 ton covers about 100 sq ft at 2 in; 5 tons covers about 500 sq ft at 2 in; 20 tons covers about 2,000 sq ft at 2 in.

Have length, width and target depth ready when you phone. Yard staff convert those into tons far more reliably than a generic online calculator, and they know how their own material settles.

Ordering and delivery

Ask about delivery minimums and trip charges up front — for smaller orders these often matter more to the final bill than the headline per-ton price.

Check where the truck can actually dump. Tandem trucks need overhead clearance and firm ground, and most drivers will not reverse across a soft lawn or a new driveway. If access is tight, ask whether they run a smaller truck or can leave the load at the kerb.

Pricing for bulk material is rarely published in full, since it moves with stock and season. The business website may list current products, but a phone call will get you a firm delivered number faster.

Ratings and reputation

Of the 30 reviews on file, 16 are five-star (53%) and 0 are four-star. 14 reviews sit at one or two stars, and those are worth reading directly — complaints at material yards usually concern delivery timing or short loads rather than the product itself.

Among the suppliers we list across Michigan, this rating places Tip-Top Gravel Co in the top 96%.

Across the 2 suppliers we list in Ada, the average rating is 4.1.

Review volume matters as much as the score. A 3.2 drawn from 30 reviews is a reasonable sample for a local yard.

Hours and visiting the yard

Tip-Top Gravel Co is open 6 days a week, closed on Sunday. The yard opens as early as 8 AM and runs until 4:30 PM.

Saturday opening makes this a practical option for weekend projects — a real advantage, since plenty of bulk yards shut for the weekend and leave homeowners unable to collect material outside working hours.

Loading is weather-dependent whatever the posted hours say. Heavy rain turns yards to mud and makes wet material heavier and harder to spread, so call the same morning if conditions look poor.

Best time to buy in Michigan

In Michigan, the buying window is compressed. Yards get busiest from the first thaw through early June, and again briefly in autumn. Ordering sand and gravel in early spring often means waiting in a queue and paying peak rates, so booking delivery before the rush — or in late autumn for spring work — usually gets both a better price and a firmer delivery date. Many yards in colder states reduce hours or close outright through deep winter, so confirm seasonal availability before planning a January or February project.

Other suppliers nearby

There are 6 other suppliers we list within a short drive, the closest being West Michigan Brick & Stone in Grand Rapids, roughly 4.7 miles away. 68 suppliers sit within a 25-mile radius of this yard.

If this yard is short on what you need, the suppliers listed below carry overlapping inventory and will often deliver into the same area.

Buying sand and gravel in Ada

We list 2 bulk suppliers in Ada and 898 across Michigan, spread over 285 cities and towns.

Bulk material pricing is intensely local. Trucking is a large share of the delivered cost, which is why a nearby yard usually beats a cheaper one further out once the full quote lands.