How Much Does a Yard of Gravel Weigh? (Yards-to-Tons Chart)

A cubic yard (1 yd³) of loose AASHTO 57 gravel weighs 1.5 ton/yd³ at the gravel calculator's default, and the table gives the weight of each other material with its source.

Estimates for planning, not professional advice. Read the full notice.

Work it out for your own sizes

Turn a gravel job into tons

Weight of a cubic yard, by material

Weight of a cubic yard of each landscape material as its source gives it, with the source and what the source says about loose or compacted

Weight of a cubic yard of each landscape material as its source gives it, with the source and what the source says about loose or compacted
Material, source and state	Weight per cubic yard
Gravel (AASHTO 57 stone), Penn State: loose	1.5 ton/yd³
Sand, New Mexico EMNRD: the source does not say loose or compacted	1.45 ton/yd³
Topsoil, New Mexico EMNRD: the source does not say loose or compacted	0.8 ton/yd³
Fill dirt, New Mexico EMNRD: the source does not say loose or compacted	0.8 ton/yd³
Base course, New Mexico EMNRD: the source does not say loose or compacted	1.25 ton/yd³
Mulch (wood chips, green), EPA: the source does not say loose or compacted	473 lb/yd³
Compost, Oregon State Extension: the source does not say loose or compacted	1,000 lb/yd³

Sources: ^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

A source that does not say loose or compacted is marked that way in its row, and its figure is shown as the source gives it, with no state added. Ask your supplier for the figure on your own material.

Yards to tons chart

Tons in a number of cubic yards of each material at the weight in the first table

Tons in a number of cubic yards of each material at the weight in the first table
Cubic yards	Gravel (AASHTO 57 stone)	Sand	Topsoil	Fill dirt	Base course	Mulch (wood chips, green)	Compost
1 yd³	1.5 tons	1.45 tons	0.8 tons	0.8 tons	1.25 tons	0.24 tons	0.5 tons
2 yd³	3 tons	2.9 tons	1.6 tons	1.6 tons	2.5 tons	0.47 tons	1 ton
5 yd³	7.5 tons	7.25 tons	4 tons	4 tons	6.25 tons	1.18 tons	2.5 tons
10 yd³	15 tons	14.5 tons	8 tons	8 tons	12.5 tons	2.37 tons	5 tons

Estimate for planning, from what you entered and the product data shown. Check product labels and your supplier before you buy.

Each cell is the volume times the weight in the first table. Tons are short tons.

Tons to yards chart

Cubic yards in a number of tons of each material at the weight in the first table

Cubic yards in a number of tons of each material at the weight in the first table
Tons	Gravel (AASHTO 57 stone)	Sand	Topsoil	Fill dirt	Base course	Mulch (wood chips, green)	Compost
1 ton	0.67 yd³	0.69 yd³	1.25 yd³	1.25 yd³	0.8 yd³	4.23 yd³	2 yd³
2 tons	1.33 yd³	1.38 yd³	2.5 yd³	2.5 yd³	1.6 yd³	8.46 yd³	4 yd³
5 tons	3.33 yd³	3.45 yd³	6.25 yd³	6.25 yd³	4 yd³	21.14 yd³	10 yd³
10 tons	6.67 yd³	6.9 yd³	12.5 yd³	12.5 yd³	8 yd³	42.28 yd³	20 yd³

Each cell is the weight divided by the weight of a cubic yard in the first table.

Questions

Why does a yard of gravel weigh different amounts in different places?

The sources measure different cases, and each row says what its source states: loose, or that the source does not say. The gravel calculator page names the other sources next to its default.

How do I turn cubic yards into tons?

Multiply the cubic yards by the weight of a cubic yard in the first table. The chart gives that for a few common amounts, and the gravel calculator does it for your own sizes.

Does the weight include wet material?

The tables use the sources' own figures and say in each row what the source states. The sources' figures are not a weight for your load, so ask your supplier for the weight of what you are buying.

Calculate it for your project

Enter your own sizes to get the amount to buy or the layout figures, with the working shown and a page to print.

Work out the tons for your own job

Estimates for planning, not professional advice. This page is provided as is. Its figures are estimates worked out from what you enter and from published product data. It is not engineering, architectural, building-code, legal or contractor advice. Products and local codes vary, so check product labels, your supplier and your local building department. For structural work, consult a licensed professional.

HoneyDoMath is software from The Stroop LLC. It is not an engineering firm, architect, contractor, building department or retailer, it is not a substitute for a licensed professional, and nothing on this page creates a professional relationship with you. The full disclaimer and limits of liability are in the Terms of Use. By using this page, you agree to those terms. See something wrong? Report an error.

Sources (5)

DGLVR Materials Calculator, data file road-aggregate-fill-materials.xml (opens in new tab), Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, data entry dated Monday, March 20, 2017 (value is in the calculator's data file, not in prose). Code or government.
“Transcribed from the entry AASHTO 57 (PennDOT 2B) of the calculator's data file: 1.50 tons per cubic yard.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 1)
DGLVR Materials Calculator (opens in new tab), Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies, web page (page text, undated; calculator data dated March 20, 2017). Code or government.
“the estimates generated will always appear as cubic yards of loose material and US tons as-shipped (loose) ... The volume to weight conversion factors used for the calculator are averages from across PA, based on observations by Center field staff.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 2)
Conversion Factors for Construction Materials and Common Minerals (opens in new tab), New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Division, undated one-page table, adapted from BLM H-3890-1 Handbook for Mineral Examiners. Code or government.
“To convert cubic yards to short tons, multiply the commodity production cubic yardage by the conversion factors listed below. ... Base course 1.25 ... Fill Dirt 0.8 ... Gravel ¼" – 2" 1.42 ... Sand 1.45 ... Top Soil 0.8”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 3)
Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (opens in new tab), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, April 2016; table on PDF p. 5. Code or government.
“Wood Chips, green cubic yard 473 ... Wood Chips, dry cubic yard 243”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 4)
Interpreting Compost Analyses (EM 9217) (opens in new tab), Oregon State University Extension Service, published October 2018, reviewed 2023. Code or government.
“As a rule of thumb, screened composts that contain 50% moisture will have a bulk density of about 1,000 lb/cu yd. Very wet composts can have a bulk density of over 1,500 lb/cu yd.”
Checked November 12, 2026. Figures and codes change; verify with the source. Back to where this is used (Source 5)

These are summaries of what the sources say, not professional advice. Codes and product data change. Check with your building department and the product label about your own project.

Made with HoneyDoMath.com. Estimates for planning; check product labels and local codes before you buy or build.