Home › Tons to yards calculator · Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources
Tons to Yards Calculator
Pick the material and enter the tons, the cubic yards, or the size of the area. The ticket gives the answer, plus the range you can expect, because a yard of stone never weighs exactly the same twice.
Weight per cubic yard by material
Default figures used by the calculator, with the typical range from published supplier and calculator tables. Loose and dry unless noted.
| Material | Tons per yd³ | Typical range | lb per yd³ | Yards per ton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel / crushed stone (¼–2 in) | 1.4 | 1.35–1.7 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Pea gravel | 1.4 | 1.35–1.7 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Road base / crusher run | 1.5 | 1.4–1.5 | 3,000 | 0.67 |
| River rock | 1.4 | 1.39–1.7 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Crushed limestone | 1.32 | 1.32–1.7 | 2,640 | 0.76 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.35 | 1.3–1.4 | 2,700 | 0.74 |
| Sand (dry) | 1.35 | 1.3–1.5 | 2,700 | 0.74 |
| Sand (wet) | 1.6 | 1.5–1.7 | 3,200 | 0.63 |
| Topsoil (dry) | 1.1 | 1–1.3 | 2,200 | 0.91 |
| Fill dirt (compacted) | 1.4 | 1.3–1.5 | 2,800 | 0.71 |
| Crushed asphalt / millings | 1.8 | 1.62–1.96 | 3,600 | 0.56 |
| Mulch | 0.3 | 0.2–0.4 | 600 | 3.33 |
Quick conversions
| Tons | Gravel (yd³) | Sand, dry (yd³) | Topsoil (yd³) | Road base (yd³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.91 | 0.67 |
| 2 | 1.43 | 1.48 | 1.82 | 1.33 |
| 5 | 3.57 | 3.70 | 4.55 | 3.33 |
| 10 | 7.14 | 7.41 | 9.09 | 6.67 |
| 15 | 10.71 | 11.11 | 13.64 | 10.00 |
| 20 | 14.29 | 14.81 | 18.18 | 13.33 |
The formula
Cubic yards = tons ÷ tons per cubic yard
Tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard
Cubic yards for an area = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (in ÷ 12) ÷ 27
Metric: 1 US ton per cubic yard = 1.19 tonnes per cubic metre. Switch to metric and the calculator converts everything.
Worked examples
Volumes are before any extra; weights use the default figure for each material.
| Project | Material | Cubic yards | Tons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway base, 12 × 40 ft, 4 in | Road base / crusher run | 5.93 | 8.9 |
| Garden bed, 10 × 20 ft, 6 in | Topsoil (dry) | 3.70 | 4.1 |
| Path, 3 × 30 ft, 2 in | Pea gravel | 0.56 | 0.8 |
| Planting bed, 8 × 25 ft, 3 in | Mulch | 1.85 | 0.6 |
Measuring odd shapes
- L-shapes and irregular beds: split them into rectangles, work out each one in “Measure an area”, and add the results.
- Circles: area = 3.14 × radius × radius (radius = half the width across).
- Triangles: area = ½ × base × height.
- Sloped or uneven ground: measure the depth in several places and use the average.
Loose, compacted or wet
The same material weighs different amounts depending on its state. Dry soil runs about 1.0–1.3 tons per cubic yard, compacted soil 1.3–1.5 and wet soil 1.5–1.7; sand goes from 1.3–1.5 dry to 1.5–1.7 wet (Inch Calculator). Bases that will be compacted need more loose material than the finished depth suggests, so ask your supplier how much extra they recommend for the material you're buying.
Buying by the ton or by the yard
Quarries and landscape yards usually weigh stone, sand and soil on a scale and sell by the ton; mulch and some soils are sold by the yard. Use “Yards → tons” to turn the volume you need into the weight you order, and the range on the ticket tells you how much it can vary.
Questions
How many cubic yards are in a ton of gravel?
About 0.71 cubic yards, using 1.4 tons per cubic yard. Gravel runs 1.35–1.7 tons per yard depending on stone size and moisture, so one ton is 0.59–0.74 yards.
How many tons is a yard of topsoil?
About 1.1 tons when dry (1–1.3). Wet soil is heavier, so if it rained before delivery the same yard can weigh more.
How many tons in a yard of sand?
Dry sand is about 1.35 tons per cubic yard (1.3–1.5); wet sand about 1.5–1.7.
How much area does 10 tons of gravel cover?
About 1157 square feet at 2 in deep, 771 at 3 in and 579 at 4 in (at 1.4 tons per yard). Use Measure an area to work it out for your own depth.
Is mulch sold by the ton?
Rarely. Mulch is light (about 0.2–0.4 tons per yard) and is normally sold by the cubic yard or by the bag. The calculator still converts it if a supplier quotes weight.
Why does my supplier’s figure differ?
Weight per yard depends on the quarry, the stone size, how wet the load is and whether it is loose or compacted. If your supplier gives you their figure, type it into “Weight per volume” and the ticket uses it.
Guides: Gravel base under a concrete slab
Sources
Material weights: SelectSG, landscape rock weights; Aggregate Markets, material calculators; Inch Calculator, cubic yards to tons. Defaults sit inside the published ranges; your supplier's own figure is always better.