How to Convert Tons to Cubic Yards
Cubic yards = tons × 2,000 ÷ pounds per cubic yard. The only number that changes from one material to the next is the pounds per cubic yard, so the whole job is picking the right one. Going the other way, tons = cubic yards × pounds per cubic yard ÷ 2,000.
- Convert tons to pounds. Multiply by 2,000, since the US ton used by landscape suppliers is 2,000 lb. A 10 ton delivery is 20,000 lb.
- Find the weight of one cubic yard. Use the table below for your material, or the figure on your supplier’s quote. Loose gravel is about 2,700 lb.
- Divide. 20,000 ÷ 2,700 = 7.41 cubic yards.
- Check the range. A lighter or heavier version of the same material changes the answer, so work out both ends before you decide the load is enough.
The calculator above does the three steps for ten materials and shows the range between the light and heavy ends. Choose My supplier’s weight to use your own tons per cubic yard instead.
Tons per Cubic Yard by Material
The weight of a cubic yard depends on the material, its moisture and how tightly it is packed. This table shows the figures behind the calculator. Where a published source gives a range, the range is kept, and where it gives one figure, so does the table. Suppliers quote their own tons per cubic yard, so treat these as planning figures.
| Material | lb per cu yd | Typical lb per cu yd | Tons per cu yd | Typical tons per cu yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil, dirt or fill dirt | 2,000 to 3,400 | 2,400 | 1.00 to 1.70 | 1.20 |
| Clay | 2,700 to 2,970 | 2,835 | 1.35 to 1.49 | 1.42 |
| Compost | 800 to 1,600 | 1,000 | 0.40 to 0.80 | 0.50 |
| Mulch (wood chips) | 233 to 711 | 494 | 0.12 to 0.36 | 0.25 |
| Sand, dry | 2,620 to 2,800 | 2,700 | 1.31 to 1.40 | 1.35 |
| Sand, wet | 3,213 | 3,213 | 1.61 | 1.61 |
| Gravel or river rock | 2,400 to 2,900 | 2,700 | 1.20 to 1.45 | 1.35 |
| Gravel, wet | 3,375 | 3,375 | 1.69 | 1.69 |
| Crushed base, compacted | 3,560 to 3,960 | 3,760 | 1.78 to 1.98 | 1.88 |
| Granular backfill, compacted | 3,240 to 3,320 | 3,280 | 1.62 to 1.66 | 1.64 |
Sand, clay and gravel are from Engineering Toolbox, the Minnesota Stormwater Manual and a retail bag size. Compost is from Oregon State University Extension (EM 9217), which gives about 1,000 lb per cubic yard at 50% moisture and a range of 800 to more than 1,600. Mulch is the wood chip bulk density in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual, converted to pounds per cubic yard. The two compacted rows are from a Wisconsin DOT study of aggregate weights as installed. Topsoil, dirt and fill dirt use the 1.0 to 1.7 ton planning range, with 1.2 tons as the baseline, that the Topsoil Calculator and the Cubic Yard Calculator already use. The sources do not split gravel by stone size, so pea gravel, river rock and crushed stone share one row.
How Many Yards in a Ton?
Divide 2,000 by the pounds per cubic yard. Heavy materials give fewer yards per ton and light ones give many more, so there is no single answer. The table shows the range, and the typical figure in cubic yards and cubic feet.
| Material | Cu yd per ton | Typical cu yd per ton | Typical cu ft per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil, dirt or fill dirt | 0.59 to 1.00 | 0.83 | 22.5 |
| Clay | 0.67 to 0.74 | 0.71 | 19 |
| Compost | 1.25 to 2.50 | 2.00 | 54 |
| Mulch (wood chips) | 2.81 to 8.58 | 4.05 | 109.3 |
| Sand, dry | 0.71 to 0.76 | 0.74 | 20 |
| Sand, wet | 0.62 | 0.62 | 16.8 |
| Gravel or river rock | 0.69 to 0.83 | 0.74 | 20 |
| Gravel, wet | 0.59 | 0.59 | 16 |
| Crushed base, compacted | 0.51 to 0.56 | 0.53 | 14.4 |
| Granular backfill, compacted | 0.60 to 0.62 | 0.61 | 16.5 |
A ton of topsoil at the baseline is about 0.83 cubic yards, a ton of dry sand or loose gravel is about 0.74, and a ton of finished compost is about 2.0. For a bed, path or pad, the Soil Weight Calculator runs the same idea from the area side and returns a weight for a light-to-heavy range.
Tons to Cubic Yards Chart
The chart gives cubic yards for common delivery weights, at the typical weight of each material.
| Tons | Topsoil, dirt or fill dirt | Compost | Mulch (wood chips) | Sand, dry | Gravel or river rock | Crushed base, compacted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.83 | 2.00 | 4.05 | 0.74 | 0.74 | 0.53 |
| 2 | 1.67 | 4.00 | 8.10 | 1.48 | 1.48 | 1.06 |
| 5 | 4.17 | 10.00 | 20.24 | 3.70 | 3.70 | 2.66 |
| 10 | 8.33 | 20.00 | 40.49 | 7.41 | 7.41 | 5.32 |
| 15 | 12.50 | 30.00 | 60.73 | 11.11 | 11.11 | 7.98 |
| 20 | 16.67 | 40.00 | 80.97 | 14.81 | 14.81 | 10.64 |
| 25 | 20.83 | 50.00 | 101.21 | 18.52 | 18.52 | 13.30 |
| 30 | 25.00 | 60.00 | 121.46 | 22.22 | 22.22 | 15.96 |
Cubic Yards to Tons Conversion
To plan a truck or check a delivery ticket, convert the yards you ordered into the tons you should receive. Multiply by the pounds per cubic yard and divide by 2,000. The chart uses the typical weight of each material, so a wet or compacted load will come in heavier.
| Cubic yards | Topsoil, dirt or fill dirt | Compost | Mulch (wood chips) | Sand, dry | Gravel or river rock | Crushed base, compacted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.20 | 0.50 | 0.25 | 1.35 | 1.35 | 1.88 |
| 2 | 2.40 | 1.00 | 0.49 | 2.70 | 2.70 | 3.76 |
| 5 | 6.00 | 2.50 | 1.24 | 6.75 | 6.75 | 9.40 |
| 10 | 12.00 | 5.00 | 2.47 | 13.50 | 13.50 | 18.80 |
| 15 | 18.00 | 7.50 | 3.71 | 20.25 | 20.25 | 28.20 |
| 20 | 24.00 | 10.00 | 4.94 | 27.00 | 27.00 | 37.60 |
| 25 | 30.00 | 12.50 | 6.17 | 33.75 | 33.75 | 47.00 |
| 30 | 36.00 | 15.00 | 7.41 | 40.50 | 40.50 | 56.40 |
If you only know the size of the job, start with the Gravel Calculator, the Sand Calculator or the Mulch Calculator, which turn an area and a depth into cubic yards and tons in one step.
Metric Tonnes and Cubic Meters
In metric, a tonne is 1,000 kg and the volume is in cubic meters. One cubic meter is 1.308 cubic yards, and one US ton is 0.907 tonnes. The calculator does the conversion when you pick Metric. The table gives the same materials in tonnes per cubic meter.
| Material | Tonnes per m³ | Typical tonnes per m³ | Typical m³ per tonne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Topsoil, dirt or fill dirt | 1.19 to 2.02 | 1.42 | 0.70 |
| Clay | 1.60 to 1.76 | 1.68 | 0.59 |
| Compost | 0.47 to 0.95 | 0.59 | 1.69 |
| Mulch (wood chips) | 0.14 to 0.42 | 0.29 | 3.41 |
| Sand, dry | 1.55 to 1.66 | 1.60 | 0.62 |
| Sand, wet | 1.91 | 1.91 | 0.52 |
| Gravel or river rock | 1.42 to 1.72 | 1.60 | 0.62 |
| Gravel, wet | 2.00 | 2.00 | 0.50 |
| Crushed base, compacted | 2.11 to 2.35 | 2.23 | 0.45 |
| Granular backfill, compacted | 1.92 to 1.97 | 1.95 | 0.51 |
Why the Weight Changes
Three things move the pounds per cubic yard, and a supplier’s quote already reflects them.
- Moisture. Water adds weight but not volume. Engineering Toolbox lists wet sand at 119 lb per cubic foot against 97 dry, and wet gravel at 125 against 105. Oregon State Extension says very wet compost can top 1,500 lb per cubic yard against about 1,000 at 50% moisture.
- Compaction. Material measured in place weighs more per yard than the same material loose in a pile. A Wisconsin DOT study measured compacted dense-graded base at 1.78 to 1.98 tons per cubic yard.
- Particle size and mix. Clay, sand, stone dust and organic matter all pack differently, which is why topsoil ranges from 1.0 to 1.7 tons per cubic yard.
The light-to-heavy buttons in the tool show how much room that leaves in the answer. When the order is large, ask the supplier for the weight per yard of the exact product.
Worked Example
Say a delivery ticket reads 14 tons of pea gravel, and you want to know whether it fills a path bed 3 inches deep.
- Pounds: 14 × 2,000 = 28,000 lb.
- Cubic yards: 28,000 ÷ 2,700 = 10.37 cubic yards.
- Range: at 2,900 lb per cubic yard the load is 9.66 cubic yards, and at 2,400 lb it is 11.67.
- Cubic feet: 10.37 × 27 = 280 cubic feet.
- Coverage at 3 inches: 280 ÷ 0.25 ft = about 1,120 square feet.
So the load covers roughly 1,120 square feet at 3 inches, a little more or less depending on the stone. Paste the same ticket into the tool above and it shows the same range. To size a stone base from the area first, the Gravel Calculator returns the tons you would order.
Common Mistakes
- Using one weight for every material. A cubic yard of mulch is about a quarter ton and a cubic yard of gravel is closer to one and a third, so a single factor is wrong for at least one of them.
- Mixing tons and tonnes. A US ton is 2,000 lb and a metric tonne is about 2,205 lb. The difference is about 10 percent, which is enough to short an order.
- Ignoring moisture. A pile that has been rained on weighs more per yard. Pick the wet row, or the heavy end, when the stockpile is outdoors.
- Comparing loose yards to compacted yards. A yard of compacted base weighs about 1.9 tons and a yard of loose stone about 1.35, so the same ticket can mean different finished volumes.
- Treating the result as exact. The figures are planning ranges from published sources, not a scale reading. For a big or heavy order, get the weight per yard from the supplier.
Tons to Cubic Yards FAQ
Can I use this as a tons to yards calculator for any material?
Yes, for the ten materials in the list, plus any material you have a weight for. Pick the material, enter the tons, and the tool returns cubic yards, cubic feet and the range between the light and heavy ends. For anything else, choose My supplier’s weight and type the tons per cubic yard from your quote or delivery ticket.
How do I convert yards to tons?
Multiply the cubic yards by the material’s pounds per cubic yard and divide by 2,000. Ten cubic yards of dry sand at 2,700 lb per cubic yard is 10 x 2,700 / 2,000 = 13.5 tons. Switch the tool to Cubic yards to tons and it does this for any material, with a range.
How many cubic yards is 10 tons of gravel?
About 7.4 cubic yards at 2,700 lb per cubic yard. Across the 2,400 to 2,900 lb range it is 6.9 to 8.3 cubic yards, with the heavier stone giving the smaller volume. Ask the supplier which figure they use before you compare quotes.
Is 1 ton the same as 1 cubic yard?
No. A ton is a weight (2,000 lb) and a cubic yard is a volume (27 cubic feet), so they only line up for one particular material and density. A cubic yard of gravel at 2,700 lb weighs 1.35 tons, so 20 cubic yards of gravel is about 27 tons, and 20 tons of gravel is only about 14.8 cubic yards.
How many yards are in a ton of gravel?
About 0.74 cubic yards at 2,700 lb per cubic yard. Across the 2,400 to 2,900 lb range, a ton of gravel is 0.69 to 0.83 cubic yards. Going the other way, one cubic yard of gravel weighs 1.20 to 1.45 tons.
How many cubic yards is 20 tons of topsoil or fill dirt?
About 16.7 cubic yards at the 1.2 ton per cubic yard baseline. The 1.0 to 1.7 ton range gives 11.8 to 20.0 cubic yards, which is why a wet or clay-heavy load covers so much less than a dry one. Dirt that is loose and dry sits near the light end of the range.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of mulch?
Far fewer than soil or stone: about 0.25 ton (494 lb) for wood chips, within a range of 0.12 to 0.36 ton. That comes from a wood chip bulk density of 0.138 to 0.422 g/cm3 in the Minnesota Stormwater Manual. Wet mulch weighs more, and mulch is almost always sold by the yard, not the ton.
Is a ton the same as a tonne?
No. A US (short) ton is 2,000 lb, about 0.907 metric tonnes. A metric tonne is 1,000 kg, about 2,205 lb, or 1.102 US tons. Landscape suppliers in the US quote short tons. Pick Metric in the tool to work in tonnes and cubic meters, where one cubic meter is 1.308 cubic yards.
Why does a ton of wet gravel or sand fill fewer yards than a dry ton?
Water adds weight without adding volume. Engineering Toolbox lists dry gravel at 105 lb per cubic foot and wet gravel at 125, and dry sand at 97 and wet sand at 119. A ton of wet sand is about 0.62 cubic yards, against 0.74 for dry sand, so the same ton goes a little less far.
Does compacting the material change the conversion?
Yes. Compacted crushed base packs more weight into each yard than loose stone: 1.78 to 1.98 tons per cubic yard as installed in the Wisconsin DOT study, against about 1.2 to 1.45 for loose gravel. Use the compacted rows when the yardage means finished, packed depth, and the loose rows for a pile on the ground.
What if my supplier quotes a different weight per yard?
Use theirs. Suppliers set their own tons per cubic yard for each product, and stone size, moisture and the pit all move it. Choose My supplier’s weight, type the figure from the quote, and the conversion uses it. If the quote gives pounds per cubic yard, divide by 2,000 to get tons.
How many cubic feet are in a ton of material?
Multiply the cubic yards per ton by 27. At 2,700 lb per cubic yard, a ton of gravel is 0.74 cubic yards, or about 20 cubic feet. A ton of topsoil at the baseline is about 22.5 cubic feet.
Sources & further reading
Sand, gravel, clay and dirt weights per cubic foot are from the Engineering Toolbox page Dirt and Mud: Densities. The clean sand figure of 1.4 tons per cubic yard is from the Minnesota Stormwater Manual page Material conversions for winter parking lot and sidewalk maintenance, and the wood chip bulk density is from its page Wood chips and applications of wood chips in stormwater. Compost weights are from Oregon State University Extension’s EM 9217, Interpreting Compost Analyses, and University of New Hampshire Extension’s Purchasing Compost tip sheet. Compacted base and backfill weights are from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation report Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin (WHRP G22-05), Table E2. The 50 lb, 0.5 cubic foot bag is the size retailers list for QUIKRETE Play Sand. The factor of 62.4 for turning g/cm3 into pounds per cubic foot is the one used by Penn State Extension. For how we source and check the numbers on every calculator, see our methodology page, and for the full topic see the complete guide to topsoil, garden soil, compost and mulch.
