Key Takeaways
- About 1.4 tons per cubic yard Aggregate Industries for most washed crushed stone
- The number is a density claim, not a fixed conversion factor
- Material type, grading, moisture, and compaction all affect the weight
- Dense graded materials like crusher run run heavier (near 1.5 tons)
- Ask your supplier for their specific density; it beats any published average
This calculation follows standard aggregate industry methodology.
Cubic yard is a unit of volume equal to a cube measuring 3 feet on each side, commonly used in the US for ordering gravel and other aggregates.
Density in gravel calculations refers to the weight of material per unit volume, typically measured in tons per cubic yard or tonnes per cubic metre.
About 1.4 tons, for most washed crushed stone. That is the figure yards quote most often and the one to use if you have nothing better. But it is worth understanding that this is not a conversion in the way that twelve inches to a foot is a conversion. It is a property of the specific pile of rock you are buying, and it moves.
Where the number comes from
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. If a material weighs 103.7 pounds per cubic foot, a cubic yard of it weighs 2800 pounds, which is 1.4 short tons. That is the whole calculation. The 27 and the 2000 are exact and never change. The pounds per cubic foot is the part that varies.
So when someone says “gravel weighs 1.4 tons per yard”, they are making a claim about density, not stating a rule of arithmetic. Every gravel calculator that gives you a tonnage has made that claim somewhere, whether or not it tells you.
How much it actually varies
Enough to matter on a large order, not enough to ruin a small one.
Most washed crushed stone sits between 1.3 and 1.5 tons per cubic yard. Dense graded material such as crusher run runs heavier, nearer 1.5, because the fines fill the voids between the stones instead of leaving air there. Rounded decorative stone tends to sit slightly lower. And lava rock is in a different category entirely, at roughly 0.55, because it is full of holes.
On a two yard job the spread between 1.3 and 1.5 is about a quarter of a ton. On a forty yard driveway it is eight tons, which is most of a truckload.
Four things that move it
The parent rock. Crushed limestone and crushed granite are different rocks with different densities. Same grade, same screen size, different weight.
The grading. Whether the fines were washed out is often a bigger factor than the stone size. Fines fill voids, and filled voids weigh more than air.
Moisture. Wet aggregate weighs more than dry aggregate, which is why a load bought after a week of rain can weigh noticeably more than the same volume in August. You are paying by weight for water that will evaporate.
Compaction. Material settles in a stockpile and settles again when you roll it. Loose density and compacted density are not the same number.
What to do about it
Ask your supplier. They weigh their own product across the scale every day and they will tell you their figure for the material you are buying. That number beats any published average, including the ones on this site, because it describes the actual pile rather than the category.
Then put it in the density field on the gravel calculator, and every result updates to match. If you are working in tons specifically, the tons calculator also handles the step after that: turning a tonnage into an order quantity once the supplier’s minimum and increment are applied.
Going the other way
To convert cubic yards to tons, multiply by the density. Five cubic yards at 1.4 is seven tons. To convert tons to cubic yards, divide. Seven tons at 1.4 is five cubic yards.
There is no universal factor for either direction, because the number in the middle is a density and densities are properties of materials, not constants of the universe.
Editorial note: This article is reviewed for accuracy and updated regularly. All calculations use standard industry formulas. For the latest density figures, consult your gravel supplier directly.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons is a cubic yard of gravel?
About 1.4 tons for most washed crushed stone. The exact weight depends on the material’s density, which ranges from 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard for typical gravels. Dense graded materials like crusher run run heavier.
How do you convert cubic yards to tons?
Multiply cubic yards by the material’s density in tons per cubic yard. For example, 5 cubic yards at 1.4 tons per cubic yard equals 7 tons. There is no universal conversion factor because density varies by material.
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh in pounds?
About 2,800 pounds at 1.4 tons per cubic yard (2,000 pounds per ton). The weight varies from about 2,600 to 3,000 pounds depending on the material’s density.
Why does crusher run weigh more than #57 gravel?
Crusher run retains its fine particles, which fill the voids between larger stones. Those filled voids add weight without adding volume. #57 gravel has the fines washed out, leaving open voids that weigh less.