A cubic yard of gravel usually weighs about 2,400 to 3,000 pounds. This is about 1.2 to 1.5 tons of gravel per yard. The exact weight changes based on the type of rock, how big the pieces are, and if the gravel is wet or dry. Knowing the weight of crushed stone per cubic yard or pea gravel weight per yard is important for many projects. It helps you plan for delivery, know what equipment to use, and figure out how much you need.
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Grasping a Cubic Yard
Before we talk about how much gravel weighs, let’s be clear on the size we are using. We are talking about a cubic yard.
What is a cubic yard?
Imagine a box.
The box is 3 feet wide.
It is 3 feet tall.
It is 3 feet deep.
That box is one cubic yard in size.
When you buy bulk gravel weight, it is often sold by the cubic yard or by the ton. A cubic yard is a measure of volume. Weight is a measure of how heavy something is. Different things take up the same amount of space (one cubic yard) but can weigh different amounts. Think about a box full of feathers versus the same box full of rocks. The box size is the same, but the weight is very different.
So, when we talk about the cubic yard of gravel weight, we are talking about how heavy that 3-foot by 3-foot by 3-foot box filled with gravel is.
What Changes Gravel Weight?
The weight of a cubic yard of gravel is not always the same. Several things make the weight change. Knowing these things helps you guess the weight better.
Stone Type Matters
Gravel comes from different kinds of rock. Some rocks are heavier than others for the same amount of space. This relates to the density of gravel.
- Hard Rocks: Rocks like granite or basalt are very hard. They are also usually more dense. This means a piece of granite is heavier than a piece of limestone of the same size. A cubic yard of granite gravel will weigh more than a cubic yard of limestone gravel.
- Softer Rocks: Rocks like limestone or sandstone are softer. They are often less dense. Gravel made from these rocks will usually weigh less per cubic yard.
- Manufactured Materials: Sometimes, gravel is made from recycled concrete or slag. Slag is a leftover from making metal. These materials can have different weights than natural rock gravel.
Size and Shape Count Too
The size and shape of the gravel pieces change how they pack together. This affects how much empty space (air) is in the cubic yard.
- Larger Stones: If the gravel has big, round stones (like some river rock weight per cubic yard), there can be bigger gaps between the stones. More air in the yard means less rock. Less rock means less weight.
- Smaller Stones: Small, angular stones (like some weight of crushed stone per cubic yard) can often pack together more tightly. The pointed edges fit closer. This leaves less empty space. More rock in the yard means more weight.
- Mixed Sizes: Gravel with many different sizes packs very tightly. The smaller stones fill the gaps between the larger stones. This leaves very little air. Gravel with mixed sizes tends to be heavier per cubic yard.
- Pea Gravel Shape: Pea gravel weight per yard can be lighter or heavier depending on the source rock. Because the stones are small and round, they don’t interlock much. There can be more air spaces compared to tightly packed crushed stone of similar size.
Water Adds Weight
Water is heavy. When gravel gets wet, the water fills the spaces between the stones. This adds a lot of extra weight.
- Dry Gravel: This is the base weight.
- Wet Gravel: Gravel soaked with water can weigh much more. A cubic yard of wet gravel might weigh 200 to 400 pounds more than a dry cubic yard. This is a big difference! If you order bulk gravel weight on a rainy day, expect it to be heavier.
How Packed Down It Is
How the gravel sits in the truck or in a pile affects its weight per yard.
- Loose Gravel: Gravel that is just dumped forms a loose pile. There is more air in a cubic yard of loose gravel.
- Compacted Gravel: When gravel is rolled or packed down, the stones settle closer together. There is less air. A cubic yard of compacted gravel weighs more than a cubic yard of loose gravel.
This is why suppliers usually measure gravel volume before it is dumped or compacted. The weight they quote is usually for loose volume in the truck.
Figuring Out Weights for Common Gravels
While the exact weight changes, we can give you average ranges for different types of gravel you might buy for landscaping gravel weight or other projects.
Here are some common types and their typical weights per cubic yard:
| Gravel Type | Typical Weight per Cubic Yard (Pounds) | Typical Weight per Cubic Yard (Tons) | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crushed Stone | 2,400 – 2,900 lbs | 1.2 – 1.45 tons | Driveways, bases, drainage, pathways |
| Pea Gravel | 2,400 – 2,800 lbs | 1.2 – 1.4 tons | Paths, playgrounds, drainage, decorative |
| River Rock | 2,500 – 3,000 lbs | 1.25 – 1.5 tons | Landscaping beds, drainage, decorative, ponds |
| Dense Grade | 2,700 – 3,000 lbs+ | 1.35 – 1.5 tons+ | Road base, paver base, needing compaction |
| Lightweight Slag | 1,800 – 2,200 lbs | 0.9 – 1.1 tons | Special uses where weight is a concern |
Note: These are average ranges. The actual weight can vary.
Let’s look closer at some of these types.
Crushed Stone Weight
Crushed stone weight per cubic yard is a very common number to need. This gravel is made by breaking larger rocks into smaller pieces. The pieces have sharp, angular edges. This helps them lock together when compacted.
- Typical Range: As the table shows, crushed stone often weighs between 2,400 and 2,900 pounds per cubic yard.
- Why it Varies: The type of rock crushed makes a big difference. Crushed granite will be on the higher end of the range. Crushed limestone will be on the lower end. The size of the crushed stone also matters slightly. Smaller crushed stone can pack tighter.
- Common Uses: Crushed stone is used under roads, driveways, and patios. It’s also used for drainage and as a general base material.
Knowing the weight of crushed stone per cubic yard is key if you are building a driveway or foundation. You need to know the load it puts on the ground and your truck.
Pea Gravel Weight
Pea gravel weight per yard refers to the weight of small, round stones. They look like peas, which is how they got their name. They are naturally rounded by water.
- Typical Range: Pea gravel usually weighs between 2,400 and 2,800 pounds per cubic yard.
- Why it Varies: Like other gravels, the rock type matters. Pea gravel made from dense river stone will be heavier. Pea gravel made from lighter stone will weigh less. The round shape means the stones don’t interlock. This can lead to more air space compared to crushed stone of the same size. This extra air can make it slightly lighter per yard than crushed stone from the same rock type.
- Common Uses: Pea gravel is popular for garden paths, playgrounds, decorative areas in landscaping, and French drains.
The pea gravel weight per yard is important for calculating how much material you need for these decorative or light-traffic areas.
River Rock Weight
River rock weight per cubic yard covers a range of sizes. River rock has been smoothed by flowing water. It is typically larger than pea gravel, though small river rock can exist. It is usually sold by size range (e.g., 1-inch to 3-inch river rock).
- Typical Range: River rock generally weighs between 2,500 and 3,000 pounds per cubic yard. It can even go higher for very large, dense rocks.
- Why it Varies: The size of the rocks greatly affects the amount of air in the yard. Larger river rocks leave bigger gaps between them. This can reduce the weight per yard compared to smaller, more tightly packed river rock. The type of rock is also a factor, just like with crushed stone or pea gravel.
- Common Uses: River rock is used for decoration in garden beds, around ponds, in dry creek beds for drainage, and sometimes as ground cover.
Knowing the river rock weight per cubic yard is important because these stones are often heavier than smaller gravels, and the large size can affect coverage and handling.
Why Gravel Weight Matters a Lot
Knowing the cubic yard of gravel weight is more than just a number. It affects many parts of your project.
For Delivery and Hauling
This is one of the biggest reasons weight is key.
- Truck Limits: Trucks that deliver gravel have weight limits. A small pickup truck can carry only a little bit of weight safely. A large dump truck can carry many tons of gravel per yard. If you order 10 cubic yards of gravel that weighs 2,800 pounds per yard, the total weight is 28,000 pounds (14 tons). A smaller truck cannot haul this much at once. You need to know the total bulk gravel weight to order the right size truck or plan multiple trips.
- Safety: Overloading a vehicle is dangerous. It affects steering and braking. Knowing the weight helps ensure safe transport.
- Delivery Cost: Delivery costs can sometimes be based on weight or number of truckloads needed. More weight might mean higher delivery costs or needing a bigger, more expensive truck.
Understanding tons of gravel per yard is crucial here because truck capacity is often talked about in tons. If a truck can carry 10 tons, and your gravel weighs 1.4 tons per yard, that truck can carry about 7 yards (10 / 1.4 = 7.14).
For Your Project’s Structure
The weight of the gravel puts a load on whatever is underneath it.
- Driveways and Patios: The landscaping gravel weight adds load to the base layer and the ground below it. This is especially true for the weight of crushed stone per cubic yard used as a base. If the ground or base is not strong enough, it can sink or crack under the weight.
- Retaining Walls: If you use gravel as backfill behind a retaining wall, its weight pushes against the wall. The weight is part of the pressure the wall must hold back.
- Raised Garden Beds: Filling a large, raised garden bed with gravel for drainage (like pea gravel weight per yard or river rock weight per cubic yard) adds significant weight to the structure of the bed and the ground below.
You need to consider this load during planning, especially for large or deep gravel areas.
For Calculating Costs
Suppliers sell gravel either by the cubic yard or by the ton.
- Comparing Prices: To compare prices fairly between suppliers who sell by the yard and those who sell by the ton, you need to convert. If you know the cubic yard of gravel weight, you can figure out how many yards are in a ton (or vice versa).
- Budgeting: Knowing the weight helps you calculate the total cost accurately, especially when transport costs are based on weight.
- Ordering the Right Amount: While volume tells you how much space it fills, weight tells you how much you are actually paying for if the price is per ton. If you under- or overestimate the weight-to-volume conversion, you might order too much or too little.
For Equipment Use
Moving gravel is heavy work. You often need machinery.
- Shovels and Wheelbarrows: If you are moving gravel by hand, a wheelbarrow load of gravel can be very heavy. Knowing the weight helps you understand the effort involved.
- Bobcats and Loaders: These machines have limits on how much weight they can lift. If you are using a small loader, you need to know the bulk gravel weight per scoop to avoid overloading the machine. A bucket full of wet weight of crushed stone per cubic yard might be too heavy for a small loader.
Understanding the weight helps you choose the right tools for the job and use them safely.
How to Figure Out Gravel Weight
You can estimate the weight of the gravel you need or have. It involves a few steps.
Start with Volume
First, figure out the volume of gravel you need in cubic yards. This is how much space the gravel will fill.
- Measure the Area: Measure the length, width, and depth of the area where the gravel will go. Use feet as your unit.
- Example: You need gravel for a path that is 20 feet long and 3 feet wide. You want the gravel to be 4 inches deep.
- Convert Depth to Feet: If your depth is in inches, divide by 12 to get feet.
- Example: 4 inches / 12 inches/foot = 0.33 feet (about one-third of a foot).
- Calculate Cubic Feet: Multiply length by width by depth (in feet).
- Example: 20 feet * 3 feet * 0.33 feet = 19.8 cubic feet.
- Convert Cubic Feet to Cubic Yards: There are 27 cubic feet in one cubic yard (3 feet * 3 feet * 3 feet = 27 cubic feet). Divide your cubic feet by 27.
- Example: 19.8 cubic feet / 27 cubic feet/yard = 0.73 cubic yards.
So, you need about 0.73 cubic yards of gravel.
Use Density Estimates
Now that you have the volume in cubic yards, you can use the average density of gravel to estimate the weight. Density tells you the weight for a certain volume, like pounds per cubic foot or pounds per cubic yard.
We already gave you the typical weights per cubic yard earlier (2,400 to 3,000 pounds). These are average density numbers for gravel by the yard.
- Choose a number from the typical range for the type of gravel you are using.
- For general crushed stone, maybe use 2,700 pounds per cubic yard as a starting point if you don’t know the exact type.
- For pea gravel weight per yard, maybe use 2,600 pounds.
- For river rock weight per cubic yard, maybe use 2,800 pounds.
Remember to think about if the gravel will be wet. If so, add 200-400 pounds per yard to your estimate.
Using a Simple Formula
Once you have the volume in cubic yards and an estimated weight per cubic yard, multiply them.
-
Formula: Total Estimated Weight = Volume (in cubic yards) * Estimated Weight per Cubic Yard (in pounds)
-
Example: You need 0.73 cubic yards of crushed stone. You estimate crushed stone is about 2,700 pounds per cubic yard.
- Total Estimated Weight = 0.73 yards * 2,700 pounds/yard = 1,971 pounds.
So, you would need about 1,971 pounds of gravel. This is just under one ton (1 ton = 2000 pounds). This also answers how much does a yard of gravel weigh in pounds (or in this case, a bit less than a yard).
If you want the weight in tons, divide the total pounds by 2,000 (since one standard ton is 2,000 pounds).
- Example: 1,971 pounds / 2,000 pounds/ton = 0.98 tons.
This calculation helps you figure out how much your delivery will weigh or how many bags you might need if buying in smaller quantities. Knowing the tons of gravel per yard (or the conversion) is very helpful here.
The Gravel Weight Calculator Tool
Calculating volume and weight can involve a few steps. Luckily, there are tools to help.
- Online Calculators: Many websites for material suppliers or landscaping companies have a gravel weight calculator.
- How They Work: You usually put in the dimensions of your area (length, width, depth) and choose the type of material (like crushed stone, pea gravel, or river rock). The calculator uses built-in formulas for volume and average density of gravel for that type. It then gives you an estimated volume in cubic yards and an estimated weight in pounds or tons.
Using a gravel weight calculator is the easiest way to get a good estimate. Just make sure the calculator asks for the type of gravel, as this greatly affects the cubic yard of gravel weight.
Gravel Weight for Your Yard and Big Jobs
The weight of gravel is important whether you are doing a small garden path or a large construction project.
Landscaping Projects
Landscaping gravel weight needs careful thought.
- Paths and Patios: Even a thin layer of gravel adds weight. If you use gravel around stepping stones or as a patio surface, consider the base layer. Often, crushed stone is used as a compactable base under decorative gravel. You need to calculate the weight of crushed stone per cubic yard for the base and then the pea gravel weight per yard or river rock weight per cubic yard for the top layer.
- Garden Beds: Gravel used for drainage at the bottom of raised beds adds substantial weight.
- Ground Cover: A layer of gravel over fabric to stop weeds adds load to the soil below. For large areas, this landscaping gravel weight adds up.
Think about the total weight on the ground or on any built structures.
Buying Bulk Gravel
When you need a lot of gravel, you buy it in bulk. Bulk gravel weight is often sold by the ton. This is where knowing the conversion from yards to tons is vital.
- Ordering by Ton: If a supplier sells by the ton and you calculated you need 5 cubic yards, you need to know how many tons that is. If the gravel weighs 2,700 pounds per yard (1.35 tons/yard), then 5 yards * 1.35 tons/yard = 6.75 tons. You would order about 7 tons.
- Ordering by Yard: If a supplier sells by the yard and you know your truck can carry 5 tons, you need to know how many yards that is. If the gravel weighs 1.35 tons/yard, then 5 tons / 1.35 tons/yard = 3.7 cubic yards. Your truck can carry almost 4 yards.
Many suppliers have different types of gravel with different densities. They should be able to tell you the average tons of gravel per yard or cubic yard of gravel weight for the specific product they sell.
Smart Tips for Working with Gravel Weight
Here are some tips to help you with your gravel project.
Always Check with Your Supplier
This is the best step you can take.
- Local Variation: The exact density of gravel varies based on where the rock came from. Gravel from a quarry near you might weigh slightly different than the average numbers found online.
- Product Specifics: Suppliers know the specific weight of crushed stone per cubic yard or pea gravel weight per yard for the materials they stock. Ask them for the weight per cubic yard or the conversion from tons to yards for the gravel you want to buy.
- Moisture: Ask if their stored gravel is usually wet or dry. This helps you factor in the extra weight if needed.
Getting numbers from your supplier gives you the most accurate information.
Factor in Water
As mentioned, wet gravel is heavier.
- If you are ordering bulk gravel weight for delivery on a rainy day, be aware it will weigh more. This is especially important if you are close to your truck’s weight limit.
- If you are calculating the load on a structure (like a retaining wall or a deck supporting a planter with gravel), consider the weight when the gravel is wet, as this will be the maximum load.
Think About the Base
Before placing landscaping gravel weight, think about the ground or base layer.
- Is the soil firm enough?
- Is there a proper base (like compacted crushed stone) if needed?
- Can the structure (like a raised bed frame or a deck) handle the weight?
The total weight on the ground includes the base material plus the gravel on top.
Deciphering the Numbers
Let’s go over the main ideas about gravel weight.
The weight of a cubic yard of gravel is not a fixed number.
It changes based on the type of rock. Hard rocks weigh more.
It changes based on the size and shape of the stones. Tightly packed stones weigh more.
It changes based on how much water is in it. Wet gravel is heavier.
It changes based on how packed down it is.
A good average for cubic yard of gravel weight is around 2,700 pounds, or 1.35 tons.
But weight of crushed stone per cubic yard, pea gravel weight per yard, and river rock weight per cubic yard have slightly different typical ranges.
Knowing the density of gravel helps you figure this out.
Knowing the weight matters for:
* Safely moving and hauling the gravel.
* Making sure the ground or structure can hold the weight.
* Figuring out how much the gravel will cost, especially if buying bulk gravel weight by the ton.
You can estimate the weight by calculating volume and using average weights. Using a gravel weight calculator online makes this easier.
Always ask your local supplier for their specific gravel weights. This gives you the most accurate number for your project. Knowing how much does a yard of gravel weigh in pounds (or tons) helps you plan better and avoid problems.
Questions People Ask About Gravel Weight
Here are answers to common questions about how much gravel weighs.
How much does a yard of gravel weigh in pounds?
A cubic yard of gravel usually weighs between 2,400 and 3,000 pounds. The exact weight depends on the type of rock, the size of the stones, and if it is wet or dry.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of gravel?
There are typically about 1.2 to 1.5 tons of gravel per yard. This is because one ton equals 2,000 pounds, and a yard of gravel is generally heavier than 2,000 pounds. For example, a yard weighing 2,700 pounds is 2,700 / 2,000 = 1.35 tons.
Does pea gravel weigh less than crushed stone?
Pea gravel weight per yard is often similar to or slightly less than weight of crushed stone per cubic yard from the same type of rock. Pea gravel stones are round and may have more air space between them than angular crushed stones which pack tighter. However, if the pea gravel is made from a very dense rock and the crushed stone from a lighter rock, this could be different. They are generally in a similar weight range per cubic yard (around 2,400-2,800 lbs for pea gravel, 2,400-2,900 lbs for crushed stone).
Does wet gravel weigh a lot more?
Yes, wet gravel weighs more than dry gravel. Water fills the spaces between the stones. Water adds about 8.3 pounds per gallon. There can be many gallons of water in a cubic yard of gravel. A wet cubic yard can weigh 200 to 400 pounds extra compared to a dry one.
Is there a simple gravel weight calculator I can use?
Yes, you can find many gravel weight calculator tools online. You typically enter the length, width, and depth of your area and select the type of gravel. The calculator then figures out the volume in cubic yards and estimates the weight in pounds or tons based on average densities.
Is river rock heavier than other gravels?
River rock weight per cubic yard is often in the higher range of gravel weights (2,500 to 3,000 lbs). This is because river rocks are often made of dense stone and can be larger. However, if the river rock is large, the gaps between the stones can be bigger, which might make the yard slightly lighter compared to a very densely packed fine gravel.
How does the density of gravel affect its weight?
The density of gravel is a measure of how much the rock itself weighs for its size. More dense rock types (like granite) weigh more than less dense rock types (like limestone) for the same volume. This directly affects the cubic yard of gravel weight because a yard filled with denser stones will weigh more.
Knowing the weight of gravel is a key part of planning any project that uses it. By understanding the factors that affect weight and using simple tools or estimates, you can manage your project safely and effectively.