Cubic yards to tons: the formula
Tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard, and cubic yards = tons ÷ tons per cubic yard. The only number you need is the material's weight per yard, and that is where most online converters go wrong: they use one figure for "gravel" when a yard of mulch and a yard of road base differ by more than a ton and a half.
If your supplier prints a weight in pounds per cubic foot, switch on Use my supplier's weight. The calculator multiplies by 27 and divides by 2,000 to get tons per yard — 100 lb/ft³ becomes 1.35 tons per yard.
Cubic yards to tons of gravel, stone and soil
These are loose, as-delivered weights from supplier calculators and scale tickets. Use them for planning, and use your yard's own number when you have it.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton | 10 tons = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel (3/8 in) | 1.40 | 0.71 | 7.1 yd³ |
| #57 stone (3/4 in) | 1.35 | 0.74 | 7.4 yd³ |
| Crusher run / road base | 1.45 | 0.69 | 6.9 yd³ |
| River rock (1–3 in) | 1.30 | 0.77 | 7.7 yd³ |
| Decomposed granite | 1.45 | 0.69 | 6.9 yd³ |
| Crushed concrete | 1.30 | 0.77 | 7.7 yd³ |
| Limestone screenings | 1.50 | 0.67 | 6.7 yd³ |
| Sand | 1.40 | 0.71 | 7.1 yd³ |
| Topsoil | 1.10 | 0.91 | 9.1 yd³ |
| Fill dirt | 1.20 | 0.83 | 8.3 yd³ |
| Compost | 0.50 | 2.00 | 20 yd³ |
| Wood mulch | 0.30 | 3.33 | 33.3 yd³ |
| Hot-mix asphalt | 1.98 | 0.51 | 5.1 yd³ |
| Concrete | 1.96 | 0.51 | 5.1 yd³ |
The asphalt figure comes from the Asphalt Institute's rule of 110 lb per square yard per inch of compacted mix, which works out to 3,960 lb per cubic yard.
How many tons of rock do I need?
Work out the volume, then convert it. A 12 × 40 ft gravel driveway topped 3 inches deep is 12 × 40 × 0.25 = 120 cu ft = 4.44 cubic yards. At 1.35 tons per yard for #57 stone, that's 6 tons. For a compacted base such as crusher run, order about a third more loose material, because compaction shrinks it — the gravel calculator applies that factor for you.
Weight also tells you how many trips it takes. A single-axle dump truck hauls about 5 tons and a tandem about 18, while a half-ton pickup should carry well under one cubic yard of stone.
Why your supplier's number may differ
Weights per yard vary with moisture, stone type and how the pile was loaded. Wet sand and soil can weigh noticeably more than the dry figure, so a ton of damp material fills slightly less than the table suggests. Rounded river rock and pea gravel leave more air between stones than crushed stone, and limestone is denser than some granites. If a quarry quotes by the ton and the landscape yard by the yard, convert both quotes to the same unit with their own weights before you compare prices.
Need the volume from scratch? Start with the cubic yard calculator, which also shows bag counts for small jobs.
