ConstructionCalc

Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator (by Material)

Convert cubic yards to tons, or tons back to yards, for gravel, sand, soil, concrete and more, each with a sourced density.

By Marko VisicBSc Physics, University of Ljubljana

1.35–1.50tons

short tons for this volume

that weighs 2,700–3,000 lb

1 yd³3 ft3 ft3 ft
Metric tons
1.22–1.36 t
Pounds
2,700–3,000 lb
Cubic yards
1.00 yd³

Density: dry, 2,700–3,000 lb/yd³ (Army TM). A range because moisture and compaction move it.

Direction

1.35–1.50 tons

One cubic yard of loose dry gravel weighs 2,700 to 3,000 lb, about 1.35 to 1.50 short tons. There is no single tons-per-yard figure, because moisture and compaction move density, so this tool gives a sourced range for every material instead of one number.

Suppliers sell by the ton, but you plan a job in cubic yards and haul it against a payload limit, so this converts both ways. For a job sized from area and depth, start with the gravel calculator or the cubic yard calculator; the cubic yard guide explains the unit.

Estimate only: densities are sourced ranges that shift with moisture and compaction. Weigh a load or confirm with your supplier before you rely on a ticket.

Tons per cubic yard by material

One density per material, from the sourced loose, wet or compacted figure. Weight per cubic yard is the published density; short tons and metric tons per yard follow from it. Paving is bought by the ton rather than the yard, so the asphalt calculator goes straight to tons, and for masonry units see how much a concrete block weighs.

Ranges reflect moisture and compaction. Concrete and asphalt densities are converted from pounds per cubic foot; dense base from tons per cubic yard.
Materiallb / yd³short tons / yd³t / m³Source
Gravel, loose dry2,700–3,0001.35–1.501.60–1.78Army TM
Gravel, loose wet2,800–3,1001.40–1.551.66–1.84Army TM
Dense-graded base, compacted3,600–3,7201.80–1.862.14–2.21WisDOT
Sand, loose dry2,600–2,9001.30–1.451.54–1.72Army TM
Sand, loose wet2,800–3,1001.40–1.551.66–1.84Army TM
Earth (loam/silt), loose dry1,900–2,2000.95–1.101.13–1.31Army TM
Earth (loam/silt), loose wet2,800–3,2001.40–1.601.66–1.90Army TM
Clay, dry loose1,700–2,0000.85–1.001.01–1.19Army TM
Fresh concrete3,780–4,1851.89–2.092.24–2.48FHWA
Broken concrete, loose1,8550.931.10SC DHEC
Hot-mix asphalt, compacted3,915–3,9691.96–1.982.32–2.35Iowa DOT
Wood chips, dry2430.120.14EPA
Wood chips, green4730.240.28EPA

Why the same yard weighs more or less

Three things move a material’s weight per yard. Moisture is the biggest: loose dry earth runs 1,900 to 2,200 lb a yard, but wet it climbs to 2,800 to 3,200 lb. Compaction packs more mass into the same volume. Ordinary compaction shrinks loose material by 30 percent or more. And the same soil occupies different volumes bank, loose and compacted, so a supplier’s loose yard is not the ground’s bank yard.

Bank, loose and compacted: the same soil, three volumesbankloosecompactedin grounddug + hauledtamped
Loose material you buy swells above its in-ground volume, then shrinks when compacted.

Worked example: ordering gravel by the ton

You need gravel for a bed that works out to three cubic yards, but the quarry sells by the ton. Convert, order, then check the reverse.

Yards → tons: 3 yd³ × 2,700–3,000 lb = 8,100–9,000 lb ÷ 2,000 = 4.05 to 4.50 short tons. Order about four and a half tons.

Tons → yards: if the ticket reads five tons, that is 10,000 lb ÷ 2,700–3,000 = 3.3 to 3.7 cubic yards of loose gravel.

Tons to cubic yards

To go from a weight back to a volume, divide the pounds by the density. Because a heavier density packs more into each yard, a ton of dense material is fewer yards than a ton of a light one. Toggle the tool to tons → yards and it does both bounds of the range at once.

Short tons, metric tons and pounds

A US short ton is 2,000 lb. A metric ton (tonne) is 2,204.623 lb, about 10% heavier, so a figure in metric tons is a smaller number than the same load in short tons. US suppliers quote short tons unless they state otherwise; always name the ton on an order.

Will it fit your truck or dumpster?

Weight, not volume, is what a vehicle has to carry. A half-ton pickup tops out near 2,440 lb, so a single cubic yard of gravel, sand or wet soil already overloads it. A 10-yard roll-off dumpster is usually capped around 2 to 3 tons of included weight, which is why heavy debris like soil and broken concrete fills the weight limit long before the box is full.

One cubic yard: wood chips 243 lb versus sand 2,700 lbwood chips243 lbdry sand2,700 lbsame 1 yd³, about 11× heavier
A cubic yard is a fixed volume, not a fixed load.

Cubic yards to tons FAQ

How many cubic yards are in a ton?

It depends on the material. For loose dry gravel at about 2,700 to 3,000 lb per cubic yard, one short ton is about 0.70 cubic yards. Lighter wood chips give far more yards per ton; wet soil far fewer.

How do I convert cubic yards to tons?

Multiply cubic yards by the material’s density in pounds per cubic yard, then divide by 2,000 for short tons. The tool holds a sourced density for each material so you only enter the yards.

How many cubic yards are in a ton of rock?

Crushed rock and gravel run about 2,700 to 3,000 lb per loose cubic yard, so a short ton is roughly 0.70 cubic yards. Toggle the tool to tons → yards to read it directly.

Is a ton of soil the same as a ton of gravel?

By weight, yes: a ton is 2,000 lb either way. By volume, no: a ton of light dry earth fills more cubic yards than a ton of dense gravel, because earth weighs 1,900 to 2,200 lb per yard against gravel’s 2,700 to 3,000.

What is the difference between a short ton and a metric ton?

A US short ton is 2,000 lb; a metric ton (tonne) is 2,204.623 lb, about 10% heavier. Suppliers in the US quote short tons unless they say otherwise.

Sources

  1. Headquarters, Department of the Army. TM 3-34.62/MCRP 3-40D.9 Earthmoving Operations, Table 1-2 (Material weight, swell percentages, and load factors), pp. 3–4. 30 May 2025, incl. Change 1 (29 July 2026)
  2. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (Wisconsin Highway Research Program). Weight-Volume Relationships and Conversion Factors for Soils and Aggregates of Wisconsin, WHRP 0092-22-05 (G22-05): Executive Summary Table E2, p. iv; Table 1.2. December 2023
  3. Federal Highway Administration. FHWA-HRT-05-057, Appendix C – Proposed Revisions to the AASHTO Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, Art. 3.3.6 (dead load) background. October 2006
  4. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling (now hosted by SC Dept. of Environmental Services). Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (CR-011175). 5/17 (May 2017 print code)
  5. Iowa Department of Transportation. Design Manual, Chapter 1, 1B-4: Densities for Use in Estimating Quantities, Table 1: HMA Densities. Revised 5/21/2026 ('New 2026 Update')
  6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016). Apr 2016
  7. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C. General Tables of Units of Measurement. 2026 edition
  8. Ford Motor Company. 2026 Ford F-150 Pickup Technical Specifications (03/31/26, V1.1), Available Maximum Payload. 2026 model year (spec sheet dated 03/31/26)
  9. Republic Services, Inc.. 10-Yard Commercial Dumpster Rental. current product page
  10. Federal Highway Administration (with South Dakota LTAP). Gravel Roads Construction and Maintenance Guide, §3.19 Calculating Quantity, p. 71. August 2015