Cubic Yards to Tons Gravel Calculator

Every conversion on this page depends entirely on the material's density — there is no universal yards-to-tons number. The tables use loose, dry averages; moisture alone can move a real delivered load several percent either way.

Last updated: 7 November 2026 · Report an error

The math behind every figure: yards = area (ft²) × depth (in) ÷ 12 ÷ 27, and tons = cubic yards × density. One cubic yard covers 162 ft² at 2 inches, 108 ft² at 3 inches, or 81 ft² at 4 inches. Densities are loose and dry — compaction and moisture push real loads higher.

This is the direction you need when the project is measured but the supplier sells by the ton — which is most bulk yards. The operation is a single multiplication: tons = cubic yards × the material's density in tons per cubic yard. Everything rides on picking the right density row, because the spread across common materials is wide: a cubic yard of #1 stone weighs 1.22 tons while a cubic yard of crusher run weighs 1.60 — a 31% difference hiding inside the same "one yard of gravel".

Worked example: a base job needs 5 yd³ of crushed stone. Crushed stone runs 1.43 t/yd³, so 5 × 1.43 = 7.16 tons. Order 7.5 tons and the load covers the volume with a normal margin; order "5 tons" by confusing the two units and you are 30% short before the truck leaves. A bigger case: 12 yd³ of loose gravel is 12 × 1.42 = 16.99 tons — two loads on most single-axle trucks, which is worth knowing before you promise the driver one trip.

The reverse trip matters when a quote, a leftover pile, or a truck's payload is stated in tons and you need to know how much ground it covers: cubic yards = tons ÷ density. Run the result through the coverage table above and a weight becomes an area again.

Worked example: a supplier offers 10 tons of pea gravel. Pea gravel runs 1.48 t/yd³, so 10 ÷ 1.48 = 6.74 yd³ — at 3 inches deep that covers about 6.74 × 108 ≈ 728 ft². Or take 20 tons of crusher run: 20 ÷ 1.60 = 12.49 yd³, enough for roughly 1,000 ft² of base at 4 inches. Notice the same 10 tons buys far less ground in a dense material than in a light one — another reason "a ton of gravel" is not a unit of coverage.

Every density on this page is a loose, dry figure. Rain changes the arithmetic without changing the pile: water coats the stone and fills part of the void space, adding mass while the volume stays the same. A load that sat uncovered through a wet week can weigh several percent more than the identical load dry — and since bulk gravel is sold by the weighed ton, wet weather literally means paying for water.

The effect is uneven. Fine, dense materials with lots of surface and void space — crusher run, sand, anything with fines — pick up the most moisture weight. Clean, washed, single-size stone (#57, #4) sheds water quickly and stays closest to its dry figure, one more reason it is specified for drainage. Moisture also cuts the other way for the buyer measuring by volume: a yard of damp sand bulks and fluffs, so a "yard" scooped wet can shrink as it dries. Practical takeaways: expect delivered weights a few percent above the dry table after rain, don't schedule a by-the-ton delivery the morning after a storm if the budget is tight, and judge a load by the volume it covers in place — not by how the scale ticket compares to a dry-density estimate.