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Gravel Cubic Yards to Tons Calculator

Convert a gravel volume in cubic yards into short tons, for suppliers who price and weigh by the ton.

Computed in your browser — nothing you enter is uploaded. Figures are presented for United States against IRC 2024, and every formula is cited under regulatory standards below.

Last verified 2026-08-26 · v1.0.0

Market
Imperial · sales tax

Approximate weight

14 short tons

High confidence

Assumes about 1.4 short tons per cubic yard for dry crushed gravel — a typical figure, not a measured one for your material. Confirm the density with your supplier before ordering by weight — this is a planning figure, not a specification.

Conversion factor applied
1.4 short tons per cu yd

Aggregate is measured on site by volume and sold by many suppliers by weight, which makes this conversion an ordering necessity rather than an academic one. Unlike the geometric conversions, it is not exact: it runs through bulk density, and density shifts with stone type, gradation, and above all moisture. The figure used here, about 1.4 short tons to the cubic yard, is a standard planning value for dry crushed stone, but a saturated load after rain weighs noticeably more, and lightweight or heavily washed products differ again. Treat the answer as a budgeting and haulage-planning number, confirm the actual density with the yard before placing an order priced by the ton, and check the resulting weight against the payload limit of whatever is collecting it.

Add the equipment this sizes

This result is a specification — 14 short tons — not a quantity. Put the thing it sizes into your project: how many, what you call it, and your supplier’s price.

Preliminary estimate, not certified engineering. This tool produces an indicative quantity calculation for planning purposes only — it is not a certified structural analysis, a guaranteed material takeoff, or a substitute for building department approval. Always verify measurements on-site and have a licensed contractor or structural engineer review any load-bearing, code-sensitive, or safety-critical work before purchasing materials or starting construction. Spotted an arithmetic or standards error? Report it to contact@craftquantities.com with your inputs — confirmed fixes become pinned regression tests.

[Schema Verified] Computed in alignment with American Concrete Institute (ACI 318-19) formulas and International Residential Code (IRC 2024) spatial boundaries.

Regulatory standards & verification citations

  • Commonly cited bulk density for dry crushed stone/gravel: approximately 1.4 short tons per cubic yard (about 2,800 lb/cu yd)
  • Density varies materially with stone type, gradation and moisture content — the supplier's ticket weight governs

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Frequently asked questions

How accurate is 1.4 tons per yard?
It is a reasonable planning figure for dry crushed stone, but real densities range meaningfully either side of it. Washed river gravel, dense-graded aggregate and lightweight volcanic stone differ substantially, and the supplier can give the actual figure for the product you are buying.
Does rain change the weight?
Yes, appreciably. Saturated aggregate can weigh several percent more than the same material dry, which matters when you are being charged by weight and when you are checking a load against a vehicle's payload limit.
Why do some yards sell by weight and others by volume?
Weight is what a weighbridge can verify, so bulk suppliers with a scale price by the ton. Landscape suppliers without one often sell by volume. Knowing both figures lets you compare quotes that are not stated in the same unit.