Weight of a cubic yard, by material
Each row is one supplier’s published figure for its own product. Another supplier’s material with the same name can weigh differently, and wet material weighs more; ask for your supplier’s figure when you order.
| Material | lb per cubic yard | US tons per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| South Bay Materials 3/8-inch pea gravel | 2,440 | 1.22 |
| Sakrete All-Purpose Gravel | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Sands and Soils washed stone #57 or #67 | 2,500 | 1.25 |
| Palmetto #57 washed granite | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Sands and Soils river rock, 3 to 7 inch | 2,500 | 1.25 |
| Granite Landscape Centers cobble, 2 to 3 inch | 2,600 | 1.3 |
| Sands and Soils crush and run base | 2,500 | 1.25 |
| Yard Works crusher run base | 2,450 | 1.23 |
| Sands and Soils masonry sand | 2,600 | 1.3 |
| Wild Toad bedding sand | 3,000 | 1.5 |
| Sands and Soils screened topsoil | 2,200 | 1.1 |
| BlueStar screened topsoil | 2,600 | 1.3 |
| Sands and Soils garden mix | 1,500 | 0.75 |
| Wild Toad planting blend | 2,600 | 1.3 |
| Compost, University of Minnesota working figure | 1,000 | 0.5 |
| Mr. Mulch double shredded hardwood | 571 | 0.29 |
| Sands and Soils triple shredded hardwood | 600 | 0.3 |
| Sands and Soils large pine bark | 600 | 0.3 |
Where a supplier gives a range, the upper figure is used so a load is not underestimated.
Weight of 1 to 10 cubic yards
Whole loads, from one figure in the table above for each material: washed #57 stone for gravel (2,500 lb a yard), masonry sand (2,600 lb a yard), screened topsoil (2,200 lb a yard), compost at the University of Minnesota’s working figure (1,000 lb a yard) and triple shredded hardwood mulch (600 lb a yard). Pounds first, then US tons of 2,000 lb; the last row turns one ton back into cubic yards.
| Cubic yards | Gravel | Sand | Topsoil | Compost | Hardwood mulch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,500 lb1.25 tons | 2,600 lb1.3 tons | 2,200 lb1.1 tons | 1,000 lb0.5 tons | 600 lb0.3 tons |
| 2 | 5,000 lb2.5 tons | 5,200 lb2.6 tons | 4,400 lb2.2 tons | 2,000 lb1 ton | 1,200 lb0.6 tons |
| 3 | 7,500 lb3.75 tons | 7,800 lb3.9 tons | 6,600 lb3.3 tons | 3,000 lb1.5 tons | 1,800 lb0.9 tons |
| 4 | 10,000 lb5 tons | 10,400 lb5.2 tons | 8,800 lb4.4 tons | 4,000 lb2 tons | 2,400 lb1.2 tons |
| 5 | 12,500 lb6.25 tons | 13,000 lb6.5 tons | 11,000 lb5.5 tons | 5,000 lb2.5 tons | 3,000 lb1.5 tons |
| 6 | 15,000 lb7.5 tons | 15,600 lb7.8 tons | 13,200 lb6.6 tons | 6,000 lb3 tons | 3,600 lb1.8 tons |
| 7 | 17,500 lb8.75 tons | 18,200 lb9.1 tons | 15,400 lb7.7 tons | 7,000 lb3.5 tons | 4,200 lb2.1 tons |
| 8 | 20,000 lb10 tons | 20,800 lb10.4 tons | 17,600 lb8.8 tons | 8,000 lb4 tons | 4,800 lb2.4 tons |
| 9 | 22,500 lb11.25 tons | 23,400 lb11.7 tons | 19,800 lb9.9 tons | 9,000 lb4.5 tons | 5,400 lb2.7 tons |
| 10 | 25,000 lb12.5 tons | 26,000 lb13 tons | 22,000 lb11 tons | 10,000 lb5 tons | 6,000 lb3 tons |
| In one ton | 0.8 yd³ | 0.77 yd³ | 0.91 yd³ | 2 yd³ | 3.33 yd³ |
How many trips?
A vehicle’s payload is printed on the tire and loading label on the driver’s door pillar, as the sentence “The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed” followed by a number. That limit includes everyone riding along. The federal rule’s own example is a 1,400 lb label with five 150 lb passengers, which leaves 650 lb for cargo.
A 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow filled level with topsoil at 2,200 lb a yard carries about 489 lb; with gravel at 2,700 lb it is 600 lb. The calculator shows the weight of each full load, so you can fill it less.
Tons to cubic yards
Some yards sell stone by the ton. Choose “Weight, and want the volume” to turn tons into cubic yards: multiply the tons by 2,000 and divide by the weight of one cubic yard. Then check that volume against the cubic yard calculator for your area and depth.