How Much Does a Yard of Gravel Weigh? Weights, Tons and Coverage
A loose cubic yard of crushed stone, gravel, sand or pea gravel weighs about 2,400 to 2,700 pounds, and a compacted yard of dense-graded base is close to 2 tons. Here are the conversion numbers, coverage per yard and per ton, and how to order without coming up short.
How much a yard of gravel weighs depends mostly on the stone: a loose cubic yard of crushed stone, gravel, sand or pea gravel runs about 2,400 to 2,700 pounds, or 1.2 to 1.35 tons. Once dense-graded base is compacted in place, the same cubic yard of space holds close to 2 tons, which is why base orders figured from loose weights come up short.
Quick answer
Plan on 1.2 to 1.35 tons per loose cubic yard for clean crushed stone, gravel, sand and pea gravel. A compacted yard of dense-graded base (crusher run, road base, 2A modified) takes about 2 tons of material. One cubic yard covers 324 square feet divided by the depth in inches.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh?
A loose cubic yard of gravel weighs about 2,500 pounds, or 1.25 tons, per Ohio DOT conversion factors. Clean crushed limestone runs closer to 2,400 pounds, while bank-run gravel, sand and pea gravel run about 2,700 pounds. Compacted dense-graded base packs about 2 tons into each cubic yard of finished space.
How much do 1/2, 2, 5 or 10 yards of gravel weigh?
Multiply the yards by what one yard weighs. The table does that math for the three loose weights in the material table below: 2,400 lb for clean crushed limestone, 2,500 lb for gravel, and 2,700 lb for sand, pea gravel and bank-run gravel.
| Yards | Crushed limestone (2,400 lb/yd) | Gravel (2,500 lb/yd) | Sand, pea gravel (2,700 lb/yd) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 yd | 1,200 lb (0.6 tons) | 1,250 lb (0.63 tons) | 1,350 lb (0.68 tons) |
| 1 yd | 2,400 lb (1.2 tons) | 2,500 lb (1.25 tons) | 2,700 lb (1.35 tons) |
| 2 yd | 4,800 lb (2.4 tons) | 5,000 lb (2.5 tons) | 5,400 lb (2.7 tons) |
| 3 yd | 7,200 lb (3.6 tons) | 7,500 lb (3.75 tons) | 8,100 lb (4.05 tons) |
| 4 yd | 9,600 lb (4.8 tons) | 10,000 lb (5 tons) | 10,800 lb (5.4 tons) |
| 5 yd | 12,000 lb (6 tons) | 12,500 lb (6.25 tons) | 13,500 lb (6.75 tons) |
| 10 yd | 24,000 lb (12 tons) | 25,000 lb (12.5 tons) | 27,000 lb (13.5 tons) |
Need it for your exact job? Our free gravel weight calculator turns length, width and depth into cubic yards and tons for #57 stone, crusher run, pea gravel, river rock and stone dust, or plug in your supplier’s own factor.
Weight per cubic yard by material
Stone yards sell by the ton because a certified scale is the most consistent measure. Volume changes with how the material is handled: a yard of stone fluffed up in a truck bed and the same stone packed under a plate compactor are very different amounts of rock.
The most useful public numbers come from state DOTs, which convert between tons and cubic yards to pay contractors. Ohio DOT’s specifications list loose weights measured in the delivery truck. Producer data sheets fill in sand and pea gravel.
| Material | Weight per cubic yard | Tons per yard | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed limestone, No. 57 or No. 4 | 2,400 lb | 1.20 | Loose, in the truck |
| Gravel, No. 57 or No. 4 | 2,500 lb | 1.25 | Loose, in the truck |
| Limestone crusher run (dense-graded) | 2,500 lb | 1.25 | Loose, in the truck |
| Bank-run gravel or gravel crusher run | 2,700 lb | 1.35 | Loose, in the truck |
| Recycled concrete | 2,250 lb | 1.13 | Loose, in the truck |
| Pea gravel, 3/8 in. | about 2,700 lb | about 1.35 | Figured from coverage per ton |
| Sand (concrete or bank fill) | 2,670 to 2,700 lb | 1.34 to 1.35 | Producer unit weight |
| Dense-graded base, compacted | 3,800 to 4,000 lb | 1.9 to 2.0 | Compacted in place |
A few notes on where those numbers come from:
- Sand. Graniterock lists a unit weight of 99 lb per cubic foot for its concrete sand and 100 lb per cubic foot for its bank fill sand. Times 27 cubic feet, that’s 2,673 to 2,700 lb per yard.
- Pea gravel. Graniterock rates its 3/8 in. pebble gravel at 120 square feet per ton at 2 inches deep. That’s 20 cubic feet per ton, so a 27 cubic foot yard is about 1.35 tons.
- Compacted base. Ohio DOT converts aggregate base at 4,000 lb per compacted cubic yard for crushed stone and crushed gravel, and compacted shoulder aggregate at 3,800 to 3,900 lb.
Why wet stone and stone type change the number
Your local stone will not match these to the pound. Granite, limestone, trap rock and river gravel all have different densities, and wet material weighs more than dry because the water rides along on the scale. Ohio DOT even switches to dry weights when delivered stone is more than 2 percent above saturated surface dry. Use the table to plan, then ask your yard for the conversion factor it uses for the exact product.
Published factors don’t even agree with each other. A conversion sheet posted by New Mexico’s Mining and Minerals Division, adapted from the BLM Handbook for Mineral Examiners, uses 1.42 tons per cubic yard for 1/4 to 2 inch gravel and 1.45 for sand. That’s heavier than the Ohio DOT and Graniterock figures above (1.25 for gravel, about 1.35 for sand). Neither is wrong. The sources measure different stone in different ways. The mistake is grabbing one number off the internet and ordering a whole job on it.
Road base, pea gravel and a yard of rock
These three get asked about a lot, and each one has a catch.
- Road base. Road base is dense-graded stone, the same family as crusher run and Pennsylvania’s 2A modified. Loose in the truck, Ohio DOT figures 2,500 lb per cubic yard for limestone crusher run and 2,700 lb for gravel crusher run, and the New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division conversion sheet lists base course at 1.25 tons (2,500 lb). The catch: once it’s compacted, each finished yard takes about 2 tons, so order it by the ton.
- Pea gravel. About 2,700 lb, or 1.35 tons, per cubic yard, figured from Graniterock’s coverage of 120 square feet per ton at 2 inches deep. It’s round and doesn’t pack down much, so the loose number is the one to use.
- A yard of rock. Big rock can weigh less per yard, not more. The same New Mexico sheet lists riprap and gabion stone at 1.05 tons, about 2,100 lb, per cubic yard, against 1.42 tons for 1/4 to 2 inch gravel. A pile of big rock has no smaller stones or fines to fill the gaps between pieces, so more of that yard is air. Martin Marietta notes riprap commonly starts at 4 inches and that sizes and designations vary by state, so ask the quarry for its factor on the exact rock.
Putting that base under a patio or walk? Our pavers and patios guide covers design, base and care. Moving soil instead of stone? The same New Mexico sheet puts fill dirt and topsoil at 0.8 tons per yard; see topsoil vs fill dirt for which one goes where.
Tons vs cubic yards: how to convert
The math is one step either way:
- Yards to tons: cubic yards × tons per yard. Five yards of sand at 1.35 tons per yard is 6.75 tons.
- Tons to yards: tons ÷ tons per yard. Ten tons of No. 57 limestone at 1.2 tons per yard is about 8.3 cubic yards.
So how many yards are in a ton? For loose stone, gravel and sand, a ton is about 0.74 to 0.83 cubic yards (2,000 lb divided by 2,700 or 2,400 lb). For more on the difference between clean stone like No. 57 and dense-graded crusher run, see our 57 stone vs crusher run comparison.
How many square feet a yard of gravel covers
A cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread 1 inch thick, it covers 324 square feet. Divide 324 by your depth in inches and you have the coverage.
| Depth | Sq ft per cubic yard | Sq ft per ton (2,700 lb/yd) | Sq ft per ton (2,400 lb/yd) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in. | 162 | 120 | 135 |
| 3 in. | 108 | 80 | 90 |
| 4 in. | 81 | 60 | 68 |
| 6 in. | 54 | 40 | 45 |
The 2-inch figure for 2,700 lb material lands right on Graniterock’s own 120 square feet per ton for pea gravel, which is a good check that the math holds.
These are loose numbers. They work for decorative stone, pea gravel paths and drainage stone, which don’t compact much. They do not work for base.
Why compacted base needs more material than you think
Dense-graded base, called crusher run, road base, quarry process or 2A modified in Pennsylvania, is made to lock together. The fines fill the gaps between the larger stones, and a plate compactor or roller squeezes out the air.
Ohio DOT’s own numbers show how much that matters. It converts limestone crusher run at 2,500 lb per loose yard in the truck and gravel crusher run at 2,700 lb. Compacted in place, it counts 3,800 to 4,000 lb per yard for crushed stone and 3,900 to 4,000 lb for crushed gravel. That works out to:
- 3,800 to 4,000 ÷ 2,500 = 1.5 to 1.6 loose yards for every compacted yard (crushed limestone)
- 3,900 to 4,000 ÷ 2,700 = about 1.45 to 1.5 loose yards for every compacted yard (crushed gravel)
A walk-behind plate compactor may not reach DOT density, so treat these as the upper end. The safe way to order base is by the ton: figure the compacted volume, multiply by about 2 tons per cubic yard, and add a little for waste at the edges.
Not sure which stone to order? Our crushed stone sizes chart puts #1 through #10, 2A and crusher run in real inches and matches each one to a job. For a larger base, our guide to pole barn and garage pads covers base depth, compaction in lifts and drainage.
Builder’s note: Order base by weight and keep the scale ticket. A “yard” scooped by a loader bucket can vary a lot, but the ticket tells you exactly how many tons landed in your driveway. If the yard only sells by volume, ask how they measure it and order the extra for compaction.
How much gravel do I need? Two worked examples
A pea gravel path. A path 4 feet wide and 40 feet long at 3 inches deep:
- 4 × 40 = 160 square feet
- 160 × 0.25 ft = 40 cubic feet
- 40 ÷ 27 = 1.48 cubic yards
- 1.48 × 1.35 = about 2 tons
A patio base. We put 6 inches of compacted 2A modified under patios, more on clay or wet ground. For a 12 by 16 foot patio:
- 12 × 16 = 192 square feet
- 192 × 0.5 ft = 96 cubic feet
- 96 ÷ 27 = 3.56 compacted cubic yards
- 3.56 × 2 tons = about 7.1 tons, or roughly 5.3 to 5.7 loose yards if the yard sells by volume
Base depth changes with use and soil, so check our guide to paver base depth for patios and walks, and gravel driveway base depth if you’re building a driveway. Our free paver calculator works out base gravel in tons for you, along with pavers and sand.
Run your own numbers in our free gravel calculator: area and depth to cubic yards and tons for #57 stone, crusher run, pea gravel, river rock and stone dust.
Truck loads and delivery
Legal loads depend on the truck and the state, so there’s no single answer for how much a dump truck holds. As one example, Graniterock in California lists hauling capacities of 24 to 25 tons for its transfer dump trucks, 18 to 21 tons for end dumps and 17 to 19.5 tons for its super tag trucks. Smaller single-axle trucks carry much less.
Before you order, ask three questions:
- How many tons does your truck carry, and is there a short-load fee under that?
- Can the driver spread the load, or does it come off in one pile?
- Where can the truck safely dump? A loaded truck is heavy enough to crack a sidewalk or a thin driveway apron, and it can rut a soft lawn.
If the stone is going over bare soil, decide on fabric before delivery day. Our article on landscape fabric under gravel covers when it helps and when it doesn’t.
When to call a pro
Ordering a few tons of pea gravel or drainage stone is an easy DIY job. Hire help when:
- The base needs to be compacted in lifts for a patio, walk or driveway, and you don’t own a plate compactor
- You’re moving more than a couple of truckloads by wheelbarrow
- The site is soft, wet or clay, where the base depth and fabric choice matter more than the tonnage
Planning this in central PA? We figure the tonnage, haul the stone and compact the base for driveways and pads. See our excavation in Lock Haven and excavation in Williamsport pages (the same crew covers South Williamsport, Loyalsock and Montoursville).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many tons is a yard of gravel?
A loose cubic yard of crushed stone, gravel or sand is about 1.2 to 1.35 tons. A cubic yard of dense-graded base compacted in place takes about 2 tons of material.
How much does a yard of pea gravel weigh?
About 2,700 pounds, or 1.35 tons. That figure comes from producer coverage data of 120 square feet per ton at 2 inches deep.
How many square feet does a ton of gravel cover?
At 2 inches deep, a ton covers roughly 120 square feet of sand or pea gravel and about 135 square feet of clean crushed limestone. At 4 inches, cut those numbers in half.
How many yards are in a ton of gravel?
About 0.74 to 0.83 cubic yards per ton for loose stone and sand. Heavier material gives you fewer yards per ton.
Why does my supplier sell gravel by the ton instead of the yard?
Weight on a certified scale is exact, while volume changes with moisture and how loose the stone sits. Selling by the ton keeps every load consistent, and you convert to yards with the supplier’s factor for that product.
Can a pickup truck carry a yard of gravel?
Usually not in one trip. A loose yard of stone, gravel or sand weighs about 2,400 to 2,700 pounds, and Ford lists a maximum payload of 2,430 pounds for a properly configured F-150, with many configurations rated lower. Check your own truck’s payload rating and plan on half a yard or less per trip in a half-ton pickup.
How much does a yard of 57 stone weigh?
Ohio DOT converts No. 57 stone at 2,400 pounds per loose cubic yard for crushed limestone and 2,500 pounds for gravel, or about 1.2 to 1.25 tons. No. 57 is clean stone with few fines, so it does not pack down much once it is spread.
How much does a yard of crusher run weigh?
Loose in the truck, Ohio DOT figures limestone crusher run at 2,500 pounds per cubic yard and gravel crusher run at 2,700 pounds. Compacted in place, dense-graded base counts 3,800 to 4,000 pounds per cubic yard, so order about 2 tons for every finished cubic yard.
How many tons of gravel does a dump truck hold?
It depends on the truck and state weight limits. Graniterock, a California producer, lists 24 to 25 tons for its transfer dump trucks, 18 to 21 tons for end dumps and 17 to 19.5 tons for its super tag trucks. Smaller single-axle trucks carry much less, so ask your supplier what its truck holds.
How much does 1/2 yard of gravel weigh?
About 1,200 to 1,350 pounds, or 0.6 to 0.68 tons, loose. That is half of the 2,400 to 2,700 pounds a full loose yard of stone, gravel or sand weighs.
How much do 10 yards of gravel weigh?
About 24,000 to 27,000 pounds, or 12 to 13.5 tons, loose. That is 10 times the 2,400 to 2,700 pounds one loose yard of stone, gravel or sand weighs.
How much does a yard of road base weigh?
Loose in the truck, about 2,500 to 2,700 pounds, or 1.25 to 1.35 tons, based on Ohio DOT’s crusher run factors. Compacted in place it takes about 2 tons per finished cubic yard, so order road base by the ton.
How much does a yard of rock weigh?
Large rock often weighs less per loose yard than gravel, because there are no smaller stones or fines to fill the gaps between pieces. A New Mexico conversion sheet lists riprap and gabion stone at 1.05 tons, about 2,100 pounds, per cubic yard, compared with 1.42 tons for 1/4 to 2 inch gravel. Ask your quarry for its factor for the exact rock.
Sources: Ohio DOT Construction and Material Specifications (2013), Item 410, Table 410.06-1 loose conversion factors; Ohio DOT Construction and Material Specifications (2005), Item 304 Aggregate Base, 304.07; Ohio DOT Construction and Material Specifications (2010), Item 617, Table 617.06-1; New Mexico EMNRD Mining and Minerals Division, Conversion Factors for Construction Materials and Common Minerals (adapted from BLM Handbook for Mineral Examiners H-3890-1); Martin Marietta, Rip Rap Aggregates (common sizes and state designations); Graniterock, Pixie Pebbles 3/8 in. gravel (coverage per ton); Graniterock, Santa Cruz Concrete Sand (ASTM unit weight); Graniterock, Santa Cruz Bank Fill Sand (ASTM unit weight); Graniterock, Transportation (truck hauling capacities); Ford, F-150 payload specifications (max available payload, properly configured). Weight-by-yards figures are calculated by us from the per-yard weights above.
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Written and reviewed by Thayne Muthler, owner of Muthler Landscaping & Construction. How we check facts: editorial policy.