Volume-to-weight tool

Cubic yards to tons calculator

Enter a known gravel volume and the loose bulk density for the exact product. If you only know area, start with square yards and depth. The calculator keeps uncertain density as a weight range.

Maintained by L at Floor2.5 ·

Quick answer: Convert 1 cubic yard using your supplier’s density

Multiply cubic yards by the supplier’s loose bulk density for the exact product. With this page’s illustrative only range of 1.45–1.60 US short tons per yd³, 1 yd³ works out to 1.45–1.60 US short tons, or 1.32–1.45 metric tonnes. That range is a worked math assumption, not a density claim for generic gravel, pea gravel, crushed stone, base, or sand.

Use the live cubic-yards-to-tons converter with your supplier density

Common order-size reference

For 1, 2, 3, 5, or 10 cubic yards, compare the two weight units below. It applies only the same 1.45–1.60 US short tons per yd³ worked range, so replace it with the density and weight unit on the supplier’s quote before ordering.

Worked example only: 1.45–1.60 US short tons per yd³, with the same results expressed in metric tonnes.
Cubic yardsUS short tonsMetric tonnes
1 yd³1.45–1.601.32–1.45
2 yd³2.90–3.202.63–2.90
3 yd³4.35–4.803.95–4.35
5 yd³7.25–8.006.58–7.26
10 yd³14.50–16.0013.15–14.51

A US short ton is 2,000 lb. A metric tonne is 1,000 kg. Do not substitute one for the other, and keep the density unit paired with the supplier’s quoted weight unit.

Convert volume to weight

Worked example values — either 4.2 yd³, or 36 yd² at 3 in deep; both use 1.45–1.60 US short tons/yd³ only to demonstrate the calculation. It is not a density for a generic material. Replace it with your exact product and supplier information.

Supplier loose bulk density and quoted unit

No universal density is assumed. Use the loose bulk density for the exact product you will buy, with the same US short-ton or metric-tonne unit used on the supplier quote. The prefilled range is only the worked example from this page.

View conversion

How to convert square yards to tons

Square yards measure area, so they cannot convert directly to tons. Add the gravel depth to get cubic yards, then multiply by the loose bulk density for the exact product.

Cubic yards = square yards × depth in inches ÷ 36
Short tons = cubic yards × short tons per cubic yard

Example: 100 yd² at 3 in deep is 100 × 3 ÷ 36 = 8.333 yd³. At the page’s example supplier density range of 1.45–1.60 short tons/yd³, that is 12.08–13.33 short tons.

The quick reference below uses that same illustrative 1.45–1.60 short tons/yd³ density range. Replace it with your supplier’s figure before ordering.

DepthCubic yards per yd²Short tons per yd²
1 in0.02780.040–0.044
2 in0.05560.081–0.089
3 in0.08330.121–0.133
4 in0.11110.161–0.178
6 in0.16670.242–0.267

How to convert cubic yards to tons

Short tons = cubic yards × short tons per cubic yard

If a supplier gives density in metric tonnes per cubic meter, stay in that system: metric tonnes = cubic meters × tonnes per cubic meter. Select metric tonnes / m³ in the converter instead of entering a metric density as short tons per yd³. GravelSum then shows both weight units from the same physical estimate.

Worked planning range

Suppose a measured project needs 4.2 yd³ and the supplier says the loose bulk density for the chosen product is between 1.45 and 1.60 short tons/yd³:

CalculationResult
4.2 × 1.456.09 short tons
4.2 × 1.606.72 short tons

Plan for 6.09–6.72 short tons until your supplier confirms the density. If the quarry sells by half-ton increments, apply that rounding at the order stage: 6.5–7.0 short tons.

Why online answers differ

Gradation, rock type, moisture, fines, and how material is measured can change bulk density. A supplier aggregate calculator likewise cautions that densities vary between materials and results are estimates. That is why GravelSum lets you replace both density limits.

Ask the supplier: “What loose bulk density should I use for this exact product, and is your quoted ton a US short ton or a metric tonne?”

Useful exact conversions

For traceable unit conversions, see the NIST unit conversion resources and NIST SP 811 Appendix B.8. These establish unit relationships; they do not establish a loose density for a material. For the supplier variability caution, see Mulzer Crushed Stone’s aggregate calculator notes.

Use the existing project calculator for your scenario

For pea-gravel paths, patios, play areas, and borders, use the pea gravel calculator to calculate volume and whole bags; open this converter when the supplier sells that same product by short ton or metric tonne. For a driveway with separate base and surface products, use the driveway layer calculators so each layer keeps its own density and quote.

Need to calculate volume first? Use the full gravel calculator.