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Gravel Tons to Cubic Yards Calculator

Convert a quoted or delivered gravel tonnage into cubic yards to check it covers the area you measured.

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 volume

10 cu yd

High confidence

Assumes about 1.4 short tons per cubic yard for dry crushed gravel; the inverse of the volume-to-weight figure. Compare the resulting volume against your compacted requirement, not your finished depth — loose material settles.

Conversion factor applied
0.71 cu yd per short tons

Quotes for aggregate frequently arrive in tons while the site measurement is in yards, so the useful question is whether a quoted tonnage will actually fill the space. Converting through bulk density gives an approximate volume, and the word approximate carries weight here: a saturated load buys fewer yards per ton than a dry one, because part of what is being weighed is water. Two further checks are worth making before accepting the number. Confirm whether the quote is in short tons or metric tonnes, since the latter is about ten percent heavier and quietly changes the comparison between suppliers. And compare the result against your compacted requirement rather than the finished depth, because loose stone loses volume the moment it is rolled.

Add the equipment this sizes

This result is a specification — 10 cu yd — 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

  • Inverse of the commonly cited 1.4 short tons per cubic yard for dry crushed stone
  • 1 short ton = 2,000 lb; 1 metric tonne = 1,000 kg (about 2,205 lb)

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Most jobs need more than one number. Add the calculators you need next and they open right here, underneath this one — your figures stay on screen and nothing is lost to a page change.

Frequently asked questions

Short tons or metric tonnes?
This uses short tons of 2,000 lb, the US convention. A metric tonne is about 2,205 lb, some 10% heavier, so a quote in tonnes represents more material than the same number of short tons. Check which your supplier means before comparing prices.
Will this tonnage cover my driveway?
Convert to volume here, then divide by your area to get depth. Bear in mind that a sub-base is specified as a compacted thickness, and loose material compacts down — so the loose volume that arrives must exceed the finished depth you are aiming for.
Why did my delivery cover less than expected?
Usually moisture or compaction. Wet aggregate weighs more per yard, so a fixed tonnage delivers fewer yards than the dry assumption predicts, and what does arrive then loses volume as it is rolled.