BagTally

Material weight chart: pounds per cubic yard

How much a cubic yard weighs decides everything downstream — whether your truck can carry it, what the per-ton quote converts to, and whether hauling it yourself is sensible or delivery is the safer call. This chart covers 30+ landscaping and construction materials with a typical loose weight, a realistic range, and a source for every figure. Rows that have a BagTally calculator share its data, so the chart and the calculators can never disagree.

Quick conversions

  • 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
  • Tons per yd³ = (lb per yd³) ÷ 2,000
  • lb per cubic foot = (lb per yd³) ÷ 27
  • kg per m³ ≈ (lb per yd³) ÷ 1.6856

Gravel & stone

Loose, as sold by the yard or ton. Dense-graded bases (crusher run, paver base) compact 15–25% after placement — their calculators order for that. Not sure which gravel your job needs? Start at the gravel calculator.

Material lb/yd³ tons/yd³ Range (lb/yd³) Notes & source
Crusher Run (ABC / road base) calculator → 3,000 1.50 2,850–3,150 [1]
Rip-Rap (placed) 3,000 1.50 2,400–3,400 placed, voids included — NRCS guidance runs 1.2–1.7 tons/yd³ by stone size [1]
Pea Gravel (3/8") calculator → 2,800 1.40 2,660–2,940 decorative, not compacted [1]
Decomposed Granite calculator → 2,800 1.40 2,660–2,940 [1]
Paver Base (Dense-Graded) calculator → 2,800 1.40 2,400–3,000 crushed base w/ fines; 0.5 cu ft / 52.86 lb bag implies ≈2,854 lb/yd³; quarry quotes 2,400–2,800 by rock type [1][2][3]
Crushed Granite 2,600 1.30 2,410–2,800 loose; granite runs heavier than limestone (not decomposed granite) [1][2]
Asphalt Millings (loose) 2,600 1.30 2,410–2,970 loose recycled pavement; compacts hard once rolled and wetted [1]
River Rock (1"–3") calculator → 2,550 1.27 2,420–2,680 decorative, not compacted [1]
Crushed Limestone (3/4") 2,500 1.25 2,410–2,650 loose; supplier calculators estimate 2,410, published density tables ≈2,620 [1][2]
White Marble Chips 2,500 1.25 2,410–2,650 loose [1][2]
#57 Crushed Stone (3/4") calculator → 2,400 1.20 2,160–2,640 clean open-graded #57; drainage/decorative, not compacted [1]
Recycled Concrete (RCA) 2,400 1.20 2,050–2,600 loose; supplier calculators often use 2,410, while 3/4"–1.5" crushed concrete runs ≈2,460–2,510 — mortar content and gradation swing it both ways [1][2]
Slate Chips 2,350 1.18 2,200–2,450 loose; flat, platy pieces pack differently than rounded gravel [1][2]
Lava Rock (landscape, 1–2.5") 1,400 0.70 1,250–1,950 porous and far lighter than solid stone; supplier listings for 3/4" lava gravel run ≈1,950 [1][2][3]

Sand & soil

Moisture is the swing factor here: the same yard of soil or sand can gain hundreds of pounds after rain.

Material lb/yd³ tons/yd³ Range (lb/yd³) Notes & source
Sand (wet) 3,370 1.69 3,000–3,510 saturated — water adds roughly a quarter over dry sand (≈2,700) [1][2]
Concrete / Sharp Sand calculator → 2,700 1.35 2,565–2,835 [1]
Mason Sand calculator → 2,500 1.25 2,375–2,625 [1]
Play Sand calculator → 2,500 1.25 2,375–2,625 not compacted [1]
Screened Topsoil calculator → 2,200 1.10 2,000–2,400 as-delivered with typical moisture; bone-dry ≈2,000 lb/yd³, saturated 2,400+ [1][2]
Fill Dirt 2,200 1.10 1,800–2,800 dry loose ≈1,900; wet or clay-heavy loads reach 2,800 [1][2]
Clay (dry, excavated) 1,835 0.92 1,750–2,000 loose; wet or compacted clay runs well above 2,200 [1]
Garden Soil / Compost Blend calculator → 1,500 0.75 1,400–1,800 compost-amended, lighter than screened topsoil; bagged product implies ≈1,440 lb/yd³ [1][2]

Mulch & organic materials

Light per yard but bulky — these are the materials a pickup usually can carry by the yard.

Material lb/yd³ tons/yd³ Range (lb/yd³) Notes & source
Composted Manure 1,100 0.55 800–1,500 a compost by feedstock — extension bulk-density range applies; dairy blends with sand bedding run heavier [1][2]
Compost (screened) 1,000 0.50 800–1,500 finished compost at ~50% moisture (university extension guidance) [1][2]
Shredded Hardwood calculator → 800 0.40 500–1,000 bulk as-delivered (moist); bone-dry runs 500–700 lb/yd³, rained-on 1,000+ [1][2]
Dyed Mulch (Black/Brown/Red) calculator → 800 0.40 500–1,000 dyed shredded wood; colorant adds no meaningful weight [1][2]
Wood Chips (arborist) 800 0.40 550–1,200 aged/dry chips at the light end; fresh green chips run notably heavier [1][2]
Rubber Mulch 700 0.35 612–800 doesn't absorb water; landscape grade is lighter than playground grade [1][2]
Leaf Compost 600 0.30 500–700 screened municipal leaf compost — lighter than mixed-feedstock compost [1]
Pine Bark (Shredded / Nuggets) calculator → 500 0.25 350–800 lighter than hardwood; dry nuggets 350–500 lb/yd³, fresh or wet loads run heavier [1][2]
Peat Moss (dry, loose) 365 0.18 320–400 fluffed loose; compressed bales are 2–3× denser by package volume [1][2]

Concrete & asphalt (solid)

Solid, in-place weights — what a demolition or saw-cut job hauls away, not a loose bulk product.

Material lb/yd³ tons/yd³ Range (lb/yd³) Notes & source
Concrete (solid, cured) 4,050 2.02 3,700–4,050 solid slab at ≈150 lb/cu ft — demolition debris, not a loose bulk material [1][2]
Asphalt Pavement (in place) 3,996 2.00 3,834–3,996 compacted hot-mix at 142–148 lb/cu ft (Asphalt Institute) [1]

FAQ

How do I convert pounds per cubic yard to tons?

Divide by 2,000 (a US short ton). A material at 2,800 lb per cubic yard is 1.4 tons per cubic yard; going the other way, multiply tons per yard by 2,000. The chart shows both columns already converted, so you can read whichever your supplier quotes.

Why do different sites list different weights for the same material?

Four reasons. Moisture: wet material can weigh 20–50% more than the same yard dry. Rock type and gradation: granite runs heavier than limestone, and fine material packs tighter than coarse. State: loose as-delivered is lighter than the same material compacted in place. And supplier rounding: some supplier calculators apply one flat per-yard estimate across many different products. That is why every row here shows a typical loose value plus a range and the state it describes, with the source linked.

How much does a cubic yard of dirt weigh?

It depends which "dirt." Screened topsoil as delivered runs about 2,200 lb — just over a ton. Fill dirt runs about 1,800–2,000 lb dry and up to 2,800 lb wet or clay-heavy. Dry excavated clay sits near 1,835 lb. Moisture is the swing factor: a rained-on load carries hundreds of pounds more per yard than the same soil dry, which matters for both hauling and price-per-ton orders.

What are the heaviest and lightest materials on this chart?

Solid cured concrete tops the chart at about 4,050 lb per cubic yard, with in-place asphalt pavement next around 4,000. Among loose landscaping materials, wet sand leads at roughly 3,370. The lightest is dry loose peat moss at roughly 365 lb — about a tenth of concrete. The practical takeaway: a yard of stone, sand, or soil is a 1–2 ton order you plan delivery around, while a yard of mulch or peat is something one person can move a bag at a time.

Can a half-ton pickup carry a cubic yard?

Check the payload figure on the door-jamb sticker, not the truck's nickname. Many half-ton pickups carry roughly 1,200–1,900 lb as optioned, and max-payload configurations can exceed 2,000 lb — passengers and gear count against that sticker number. A yard of most stone, sand, or soil (2,200–3,400 lb) is past nearly all of them, so plan a delivery or split the load; a yard of most mulches (500–1,000 lb) is usually fine. Stay under payload and GVWR — overloading is a safety problem before it is a suspension problem.

Weights are planning estimates for loose material unless noted — moisture, gradation, and regional rock type all move the number, which is why each row carries a range. How we source and verify densities is documented on the methodology page; confirm final quantities with your supplier before ordering.