HOW MUCH DOES A YARD OF GRAVEL, SAND OR DIRT WEIGH? THE PLANNING NUMBERS.
A cubic yard of gravel or sand weighs about 1.36 tons, roughly 2,700 pounds. Fill dirt runs about 1.05 tons a yard (2,100 pounds) and topsoil about 0.9 tons (1,800 pounds). Those are the same numbers our calculator uses, so what you read here and what the calculator tells you will agree.
WEIGHT BY MATERIAL
One cubic yard is a box 3 feet on every side, 27 cubic feet. Here is what that box weighs, material by material.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Pounds per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel and crushed rock | about 1.36 | about 2,700 |
| Sand | about 1.36 | about 2,700 |
| Asphalt millings | about 1.36 | about 2,700 |
| Road base | about 1.36 | about 2,700 |
| Drainage and heavy rock | about 1.36 | about 2,700 |
| Fill dirt and sandy loam | about 1.05 | about 2,100 |
| Topsoil | about 0.91 | about 1,800 |
Tons are US short tons, 2,000 pounds each. Figures are averages for planning; real material varies by source, batch and moisture.
Rock, sand and millings share one planning number because they are dense, mostly mineral material and their real weights sit close together. Dirt weighs less because it holds air and organic matter, and topsoil, with the most organic matter, is the lightest of the three.
These are averages, not promises. A yard of big clean stone with lots of air between the pieces can weigh a bit less than a yard of crusher run, where the fines fill every gap.
WET VS DRY
Water is heavy, and loose material holds a lot of it.
Every figure above assumes material at a normal, damp-from-the-pile moisture level. After a week of rain, sand and dirt carry more water, and that water counts on the scale. A soaked yard of dirt can run noticeably heavier than the same yard dry.
Clean washed rock changes the least, because water drains off it. Sand, fill dirt and topsoil change the most, because they hold water in the tiny spaces between grains.
What it means for you: a truck has a weight limit, so a load of wet dirt reaches that limit with slightly fewer yards on it. The final tonnage comes off the scale ticket either way, so you always see what was actually weighed.
HOW MANY YARDS FIT IN ONE LOAD
Our trucks haul 14 to 16 tons a load. Divide that by the weight of a yard and you get the yards.
| Material | Yards in a 14 to 16 ton load | Plan on |
|---|---|---|
| Gravel, sand, millings, road base, rock | 10 to 12 | 10 yards, the low end |
| Fill dirt and sandy loam | 13 to 15 | 13 yards, the low end |
| Topsoil | 15 to 17 | 15 yards, the low end |
Heavy material fills a truck by weight long before it fills it by space, which is why a load of rock is fewer yards than a load of topsoil. The math is simple: 14 tons divided by 1.36 is a little over 10 yards of rock; 14 tons divided by 0.91 is a little over 15 yards of topsoil.
For prices by the load, see gravel, sand, asphalt millings and topsoil and fill dirt.
MEASURE YOUR AREA
Three measurements get you from a patch of ground to a number of loads.
- Square feet. Length times width, in feet.
- Cubic yards. Multiply the square feet by the depth in inches, divide by 12, then divide by 27.
- Tons. Multiply the cubic yards by the weight per yard from the table above.
Example: a 12 by 60 foot driveway at 4 inches deep is 720 square feet, about 8.9 cubic yards, or about 12 tons of gravel. That is one load.
The calculator on the materials page takes your length, width and depth and turns them into tons, loads and a delivered price. Not sure about depth or material? Send the quote form with your measurements and we will work it out with you.
WEIGHT QUESTIONS, STRAIGHT ANSWERS
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
About 1.36 tons, which is roughly 2,700 pounds. Crusher run, road base, clean stone and drainage rock all plan out close to that number, and so do sand and asphalt millings.
How many tons are in a yard of dirt?
Fill dirt and sandy loam run about 1.05 tons a cubic yard, roughly 2,100 pounds. Topsoil is lighter at about 0.91 tons, roughly 1,800 pounds, because it holds more organic matter. Wet dirt weighs more than dry dirt.
How many cubic yards are in a dump truck load?
Our loads are 14 to 16 tons. That works out to roughly 10 to 12 cubic yards of rock or sand, roughly 13 to 15 cubic yards of fill dirt, and roughly 15 to 17 cubic yards of topsoil. Final tonnage is by scale ticket.
Does rain make a load weigh more?
Yes. Sand and dirt soak up water, and that water shows up on the scale. A wet load hits the truck weight limit with a few fewer yards on it. Clean washed rock drains fast and changes the least.
How do I convert tons to cubic yards?
Divide the tons by the weight of one yard. For gravel, sand or millings, divide by 1.36; for fill dirt, divide by 1.05; for topsoil, divide by 0.91. To go from yards to tons, multiply instead.
KNOW THE TONS? GET THE LOAD.
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