How Many Yards in a Ton of Gravel?
How many yards in a ton of gravel? For typical crushed stone, about 0.71 cubic yards: one ton fills a little under three quarters of a cubic yard. Put the other way, a cubic yard of crushed stone weighs about 1.40 tons. Those figures use a planning density; the exact answer depends on the material, so the tables below give it for several types and for 1 to 25 tons.
Ton vs cubic yard
A ton measures weight: a US short ton is 2,000 pounds. A cubic yard measures volume: a cube 3 feet on each side, or 27 cubic feet. Suppliers sell gravel by one or the other, so you need the material’s density, its weight per cubic yard, to convert between them.
cubic yards = tons ÷ tons per cubic yard
tons = cubic yards × tons per cubic yard
Why the number of tons per yard varies
Different stone weighs different amounts for the same volume. Dense rock, small stones that fill the gaps between bigger ones, and water all add weight; rounded stones of one size leave more air between them. The values below are typical planning figures, not measured or standard ones. Ask your supplier for the density of the material they will deliver, and use it in the tons to cubic yards calculator for an exact conversion.
| Material | Tons per yd³ | Pounds per yd³ | Cubic yards per ton | Tonnes per m³ | Cubic metres per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed stone (#57) | 1.40 | 2,800 | 0.71 | 1.66 | 0.60 |
| Class 5 / road base / crusher run | 1.50 | 3,000 | 0.67 | 1.78 | 0.56 |
| Pea gravel | 1.35 | 2,700 | 0.74 | 1.60 | 0.62 |
| River rock / round gravel | 1.45 | 2,900 | 0.69 | 1.72 | 0.58 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.30 | 2,600 | 0.77 | 1.54 | 0.65 |
| Crushed concrete (recycled) * | 1.30 | 2,600 | 0.77 | 1.54 | 0.65 |
How many yards is a ton? Tons to cubic yards, 1 to 25 tons
Find your number of tons in the first column. Each row has its own link, for example 10 tons or 20 tons.
| Tons | Crushed stone (1.40) | Road base / Class 5 (1.50) | Pea gravel (1.35) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ton | 0.71 yd³ | 0.67 yd³ | 0.74 yd³ |
| 2 tons | 1.43 yd³ | 1.33 yd³ | 1.48 yd³ |
| 3 tons | 2.14 yd³ | 2.00 yd³ | 2.22 yd³ |
| 4 tons | 2.86 yd³ | 2.67 yd³ | 2.96 yd³ |
| 5 tons | 3.57 yd³ | 3.33 yd³ | 3.70 yd³ |
| 6 tons | 4.29 yd³ | 4.00 yd³ | 4.44 yd³ |
| 7 tons | 5.00 yd³ | 4.67 yd³ | 5.19 yd³ |
| 8 tons | 5.71 yd³ | 5.33 yd³ | 5.93 yd³ |
| 9 tons | 6.43 yd³ | 6.00 yd³ | 6.67 yd³ |
| 10 tons | 7.14 yd³ | 6.67 yd³ | 7.41 yd³ |
| 11 tons | 7.86 yd³ | 7.33 yd³ | 8.15 yd³ |
| 12 tons | 8.57 yd³ | 8.00 yd³ | 8.89 yd³ |
| 13 tons | 9.29 yd³ | 8.67 yd³ | 9.63 yd³ |
| 14 tons | 10.00 yd³ | 9.33 yd³ | 10.37 yd³ |
| 15 tons | 10.71 yd³ | 10.00 yd³ | 11.11 yd³ |
| 16 tons | 11.43 yd³ | 10.67 yd³ | 11.85 yd³ |
| 17 tons | 12.14 yd³ | 11.33 yd³ | 12.59 yd³ |
| 18 tons | 12.86 yd³ | 12.00 yd³ | 13.33 yd³ |
| 19 tons | 13.57 yd³ | 12.67 yd³ | 14.07 yd³ |
| 20 tons | 14.29 yd³ | 13.33 yd³ | 14.81 yd³ |
| 21 tons | 15.00 yd³ | 14.00 yd³ | 15.56 yd³ |
| 22 tons | 15.71 yd³ | 14.67 yd³ | 16.30 yd³ |
| 23 tons | 16.43 yd³ | 15.33 yd³ | 17.04 yd³ |
| 24 tons | 17.14 yd³ | 16.00 yd³ | 17.78 yd³ |
| 25 tons | 17.86 yd³ | 16.67 yd³ | 18.52 yd³ |
How many tons in a yard of gravel? Cubic yards to tons, 1 to 15 yards
For example, 5 yards of crushed stone is 7.00 tons.
| Cubic yards | Crushed stone (1.40) | Road base / Class 5 (1.50) | Pea gravel (1.35) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 yd³ | 1.40 tons | 1.50 tons | 1.35 tons |
| 2 yd³ | 2.80 tons | 3.00 tons | 2.70 tons |
| 3 yd³ | 4.20 tons | 4.50 tons | 4.05 tons |
| 4 yd³ | 5.60 tons | 6.00 tons | 5.40 tons |
| 5 yd³ | 7.00 tons | 7.50 tons | 6.75 tons |
| 6 yd³ | 8.40 tons | 9.00 tons | 8.10 tons |
| 7 yd³ | 9.80 tons | 10.50 tons | 9.45 tons |
| 8 yd³ | 11.20 tons | 12.00 tons | 10.80 tons |
| 9 yd³ | 12.60 tons | 13.50 tons | 12.15 tons |
| 10 yd³ | 14.00 tons | 15.00 tons | 13.50 tons |
| 11 yd³ | 15.40 tons | 16.50 tons | 14.85 tons |
| 12 yd³ | 16.80 tons | 18.00 tons | 16.20 tons |
| 13 yd³ | 18.20 tons | 19.50 tons | 17.55 tons |
| 14 yd³ | 19.60 tons | 21.00 tons | 18.90 tons |
| 15 yd³ | 21.00 tons | 22.50 tons | 20.25 tons |
How to convert tons to cubic yards yourself
- Get the density from your supplier in tons per cubic yard. If they give pounds per cubic yard, divide by 2,000.
- Divide your tons by the density to get cubic yards.
- If you are working out an order from measurements, add an allowance (10% is the calculators’ default) before converting.
Example: 12 tons of road base at 1.50 tons per cubic yard is 12 ÷ 1.50 = 8.00 cubic yards. In metric, divide tonnes by the density in tonnes per cubic metre: 10 tonnes of crushed stone at 1.66 t/m³ is about 6.02 cubic metres.
Frequently asked questions
How many tons is a yard of gravel?
About 1.40 tons for crushed stone at the planning density used here, 1.50 tons for road base or Class 5, and 1.35 tons for pea gravel. Your supplier’s figure may differ.
How many yards is 10 tons of gravel?
About 7.14 cubic yards of crushed stone, 6.67 cubic yards of road base, or 7.41 cubic yards of pea gravel.
How many yards is 5 tons?
About 3.57 cubic yards of crushed stone, 3.33 cubic yards of road base, or 3.70 cubic yards of pea gravel.
How many tons is 5 yards of gravel?
About 7.00 tons of crushed stone, 7.50 tons of road base, or 6.75 tons of pea gravel.
How many tons is 10 yards of gravel?
About 14.00 tons of crushed stone, 15.00 tons of road base, or 13.50 tons of pea gravel.
How much does a yard of crushed concrete weigh?
Recycled crushed concrete varies more than quarried stone. This site uses a rough planning value of 1.30 tons (2,600 pounds) per cubic yard; ask your supplier for theirs. See crushed concrete in the types guide.