Gravel is one of the most ordered bulk materials on a construction site, and almost every order starts with the same question: how much does a yard of gravel weigh? The answer drives delivery counts, truck limits, and base thickness. It also shapes design choices, from the gravel texture and low-water landscaping that dominate modern yards to the drainage beds behind retaining walls. Before a single stone reaches the site, the weight per yard has to be pinned down so the right volume arrives in the right number of loads.
A cubic yard is the volume of a cube measuring 3 feet on each side, or 27 cubic feet. Depending on stone type, moisture, and particle shape, that cube of gravel weighs between roughly 2,400 and 3,000 pounds. Spread 3 inches deep, one yard covers about 100 square feet, which is why most home and small commercial jobs are quoted in yards rather than tons.
Why Gravel Weight Matters Before You Order
Weight matters before the dump truck arrives. A standard tandem-axle dump truck legally carries about 10 to 14 tons, so a 3-yard order at 2,800 pounds per yard weighs 8,400 pounds and fits easily, while a 12-yard order pushes 33,600 pounds and needs a tri-axle truck or two separate loads. Ordering by volume alone can overload a truck or underfill a base, and either mistake costs time on delivery day.
What a Cubic Yard Really Is
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread 3 inches deep it covers about 100 square feet; spread 1 inch deep it covers roughly 320 square feet. Coverage shrinks as depth grows, so the same yard that surfaces a small patio disappears into a 6-inch driveway base.
Weight also decides what the ground underneath can take. A 4-inch base of compacted gravel under a shed or fence line applies thousands of pounds to the soil, and the same reasoning that leads crews to fit gravel boards for stronger, longer-lasting fencing applies to any heavy base: the stone needs a stable subgrade and proper compaction before the load goes on top.
Where Weight Estimates Get Used
- Delivery planning: matching yardage to truck capacity and legal axle loads
- Base design: choosing depth so the stone weight spreads across the subgrade
- Cost estimating: suppliers price by the ton in many regions, so volume must be converted
- Compaction specs: angular stone locks together differently than rounded pea gravel
How Much Does a Yard of Gravel Weigh?
The commonly quoted range for one cubic yard of gravel is 2,400 to 3,000 pounds. The most frequently used construction grade, 3/4-inch clean crushed stone, sits near the top of that range at about 2,800 pounds per yard, and most suppliers use 2,800 pounds as the working figure for quotes and truck counts.
Weight by Gravel Type
| Gravel type | Weight per cubic yard | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel (3/8 inch, rounded) | 2,500 to 2,900 lb | Paths, play areas, drainage |
| 3/4-inch crushed stone | 2,700 to 2,900 lb | Base and drainage aggregate |
| 1 1/2-inch crushed rock | 2,600 to 2,800 lb | Open-graded sub-base under slabs |
| Bank run gravel | 2,400 to 2,700 lb | Fills where sand and fines are acceptable |
| Wet gravel, any type | 2,900 to 3,200 lb | Water in the voids adds weight |
Particle shape changes the numbers. Rounded stones such as pea gravel leave fewer voids between pieces, so more stone fits into the same cube. Angular crushed rock leaves more air space, which means slightly fewer pounds per yard even though the individual pieces are denser rock.
The 2,800-Pound Benchmark
Most estimator math starts at 2,800 pounds per yard. If a supplier quotes per ton, divide to convert: 2,000 pounds in a ton divided by 2,800 pounds per yard equals 0.714 cubic yards per ton, so about 1.4 tons makes a yard. The same benchmark applies whether the stone goes under a sidewalk or a shed pad, and it sits behind the gravel vs concrete shed foundation debate, since the base material’s weight and drainage behavior are part of that choice.
Calculating How Many Yards of Gravel You Need
Yardage comes from three numbers: the length and width of the area in feet and the depth in inches. The formula is length x width x depth in feet, divided by 27, because one cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet.
Coverage by Depth
| Depth | Coverage per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| 1 inch | About 320 sq ft |
| 2 inches | About 160 sq ft |
| 3 inches | About 108 sq ft, commonly quoted as 100 |
| 4 inches | About 81 sq ft |
| 6 inches | About 54 sq ft |
Worked Example: A 10 by 12 Shed Pad
A 10 by 12 foot pad at 4 inches deep computes as 10 x 12 x 0.333 equals 40 cubic feet, divided by 27, which rounds to 1.5 yards. At 2,800 pounds per yard that is 4,200 pounds of stone, more than most pickup trucks can carry legally, so a delivery or trailer is the practical route.
The same calculation sits behind choosing the right base for your shed, where the pad depth and stone type are set before framing starts.
Step-by-Step Yardage Calculation
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet
- Convert the planned depth from inches to feet by dividing by 12
- Multiply length x width x depth to get cubic feet
- Divide the result by 27 to get cubic yards
- Add 10 percent for compaction and irregular edges
Compaction is the variable most people miss. Loose gravel settles 10 to 15 percent when compacted, so a base ordered at exactly the calculated volume comes up short after the plate compactor runs. Ordering the extra 10 percent is cheaper than paying for a second delivery.
How Moisture and Stone Size Change the Weight
Dry gravel is lighter than wet gravel, sometimes by a wide margin. Water fills the voids between stones and clings to particle surfaces, so a yard hauled on a rainy morning can weigh several hundred pounds more than the same stone delivered after a dry week.
Wet vs Dry Gravel
A dry yard of 3/4-inch crushed stone typically weighs 2,600 to 2,800 pounds. The same yard saturated can reach 3,000 to 3,200 pounds. The swing matters twice: trucks hit their legal limits sooner with wet loads, and base material placed too wet compacts poorly and can rut under traffic.
Density in Foundation and Dam Work
Engineers treat moisture content as a design variable, not an afterthought. The same principle that governs sand and gravel foundation treatment methods for dam construction applies to any structural fill: density is measured and controlled, not guessed.
Well-graded mixes that include fines reach higher compacted densities than single-size rock. A dense, well-compacted base carries more load per inch, which is why specifications call for compacted depth rather than loose dumped depth.
Gravel Weight by Volume: Half a Yard to Ten Yards
Multiplying the 2,800-pound benchmark by the yardage gives quick answers for common order sizes, from a single wheelbarrow load up to a full driveway rebuild.
| Volume | Approximate weight | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 yard | 1,400 lb | Small paths and planter beds |
| 1 yard | 2,800 lb | About 100 sq ft at 3 inches |
| 2 yards | 5,600 lb | Shed base or small driveway patch |
| 3 yards | 8,400 lb | Walkways and drainage trenches |
| 5 yards | 14,000 lb | Driveway top course |
| 10 yards | 28,000 lb | Full driveway rebuild or large yard |
What a Scoop and a Ton Deliver
A front-end loader scoop is not a standard measure, but most loader buckets hold between 1/2 and 1 cubic yard, so a scoop usually lands between 1,400 and 2,800 pounds depending on the machine. A ton is always 2,000 pounds, which converts to about 0.71 cubic yards at the 2,800-pound benchmark.
A cubic foot of gravel weighs about 104 pounds at the same density, 2,800 divided by 27, a useful figure for small quantities such as planter fill or French drain trenches. A half yard, the smallest practical delivery in many areas, weighs about 1,400 pounds and fits in the bed of a full-size pickup.
Ordering Gravel: Yards, Tons, and Delivery Limits
Suppliers quote gravel two ways: by the cubic yard for volume work, or by the ton where scales are available. Ask which basis the price uses, because the difference is about 40 percent of a load at typical densities. A yard of gravel is 1.4 tons, so a yard quoted at 45 dollars per ton costs about 63 dollars per yard.
Converting Between Tons and Yards
To convert tons to yards, divide 2,000 by the weight per yard. At the 2,800-pound benchmark, 2,000 divided by 2,800 equals 0.714, so one ton is about 0.71 cubic yards and 1.4 tons makes a full yard. At 3,000 pounds per yard, a ton drops to 0.67 yards, so the conversion shifts with the stone type you order.
Ordering the Right Amount for the Job
Order 10 percent over the calculated yardage to cover compaction, spillage, and irregular edges, and confirm the truck size with the supplier so the delivery fits the site. For driveway work the sequence matters as much as the quantity; crews that follow a proven process to build a gravel driveway avoid rework.
Weight drives the last decision too: which stone suits the traffic. Base courses take angular crushed rock that locks together, while surface courses use smaller rounded stone that stays put under tires. Spend the time selecting the right gravel for driveways before the first load is ordered.