Cubic yards to tons: how to convert landscape materials
Landscape yards sell by the cubic yard, quarries by the ton — and the conversion depends on the material. Here's how to switch between the two without guessing.
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Yards measure space, tons measure weight
A cubic yard is a volume: a cube 3 feet on each side, or 27 cubic feet. A ton (in the US, a short ton) is a weight: 2,000 pounds. To go from one to the other you need the material's density — how much one cubic yard of it weighs.
Conversion chart
| Material | Tons per cubic yard (typical) | Cubic yards per ton |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone | 1.4–1.7 | 0.6–0.7 |
| Pea gravel | about 1.4 | about 0.7 |
| River rock | 1.2–1.6 | 0.6–0.8 |
| Crusher run / road base | 1.4–1.6 (loose) | 0.6–0.7 |
| Dry sand | 1.3–1.4 | 0.7–0.75 |
| Wet sand | 1.5–1.7 | 0.6–0.65 |
| Topsoil | 1.0–1.4 (dry to moist) | 0.7–1.0 |
| Compost | about 0.5 | about 2 |
| Wood mulch | about 0.2–0.4 | 2.5–5 |
| Hot-mix asphalt, compacted | about 1.96 | about 0.51 |
Planning values. Density changes with rock type, particle size and especially moisture — ask your supplier which figure they use.
Worked examples
How many tons is 5 cubic yards of crushed stone?
- 5 yd³ × 1.4 t/yd³ = 7 tons (up to 8.5 tons for heavier stone)
How many cubic yards is a 10-ton load of sand?
- 10 t ÷ 1.35 t/yd³ = 7.4 yd³ of dry sand; if it's wet, closer to 6.3 yd³
How many tons of gravel for a 10 × 20 ft patio base, 4 inches deep?
- Volume: 10 × 20 × 4 ÷ 12 = 66.7 ft³ = 2.47 yd³
- Weight: 2.47 × 1.4 = 3.5 tons, or about 3.8 tons with 10% for compaction
Why the same yard weighs more or less
- Moisture: water fills the gaps between grains. Wet sand and soil can weigh 20% or more than the same volume dry — and you pay for that water when you buy by the ton.
- Shape: angular crushed stone locks together more tightly than round pebbles, so more rock fits in a yard.
- Fines: blends with dust and small particles (crusher run) fill gaps and weigh more than clean, washed stone of a single size.
- Compaction: material in the truck is loose. Once compacted it takes up less space, which is why calculators add around 10%.
Checking your truck or trailer
Weight matters when you haul it yourself. A cubic yard of gravel weighs roughly 2,800 lb or more — more than many half-ton pickups can carry safely. Check the payload on the door-jamb sticker, and remember that a trailer also has a maximum load and a tongue weight limit.
Frequently asked questions
Is a ton of gravel more than a yard?
No, less. A cubic yard of crushed stone weighs about 1.4 tons, so one ton is roughly 0.7 cubic yards.
How many cubic feet are in a ton of gravel?
About 19 cubic feet (0.7 yd³ × 27), at 1.4 tons per yard.
Should I buy by the yard or by the ton?
Whichever your supplier uses — just convert both quotes to the same unit to compare. When buying wet material by the ton, you're paying partly for water.