Cubic yards to tons calculator.
Convert cubic yards (or cubic metres) to tons in seconds — now with a database of 40+ materials across soils, sand, gravel and aggregate, crushed stone, concrete and masonry, asphalt, and organic and landscaping products. Pick a material and its typical density fills in automatically. Supplier quoted a different figure, or ordering something the list doesn't cover? Type your own density straight into the Density field and the material switches to Custom automatically, so the figure driving the result is always visible and always yours to change. Every material's density is sourced below, alongside a full reference table in kg/m³, lb/yd³, t/m³ and US tons per yd³. Switch between metric and imperial units at any time; whatever you've already entered converts automatically. Use our Cubic Yard Calculator first if you need to work out the volume from length, width and depth.
How we calculate this.
Convert cubic yards (or cubic metres) to tons in seconds — now with a database of 40+ materials across soils, sand, gravel and aggregate, crushed stone, concrete and masonry, asphalt, and organic and landscaping products. Pick a material and its typical density fills in automatically. Supplier quoted a different figure, or ordering something the list doesn't cover? Type your own density straight into the Density field and the material switches to Custom automatically, so the figure driving the result is always visible and always yours to change. Every material's density is sourced below, alongside a full reference table in kg/m³, lb/yd³, t/m³ and US tons per yd³. Switch between metric and imperial units at any time; whatever you've already entered converts automatically. Use our Cubic Yard Calculator first if you need to work out the volume from length, width and depth.
tonnage = volume × density for the selected material, or your own entered density. Recomputes instantly on every change, no "Calculate" button needed.
| Material | kg/m³ | lb/yd³ | t/m³ | US tons/yd³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soils & earth | ||||
| Topsoil, loose | 950 | 1,601 | 0.95 | 0.80 |
| Topsoil, compacted | 1,200 | 2,023 | 1.20 | 1.01 |
| Common earth, loose | 1,500 | 2,528 | 1.50 | 1.26 |
| Common earth, compacted | 1,750 | 2,950 | 1.75 | 1.47 |
| Clay, dry | 1,700 | 2,865 | 1.70 | 1.43 |
| Clay, wet | 2,000 | 3,371 | 2.00 | 1.69 |
| Subsoil / general fill | 1,600 | 2,697 | 1.60 | 1.35 |
| Sand | ||||
| Sand, dry loose | 1,600 | 2,697 | 1.60 | 1.35 |
| Sand, damp | 1,750 | 2,950 | 1.75 | 1.47 |
| Sand, wet | 1,900 | 3,203 | 1.90 | 1.60 |
| Sharp / concreting sand | 1,700 | 2,865 | 1.70 | 1.43 |
| Building / soft sand | 1,600 | 2,697 | 1.60 | 1.35 |
| Gravel & aggregate | ||||
| Type 1 MOT (compacted) | 2,150 | 3,624 | 2.15 | 1.81 |
| Type 3 MOT (compacted) | 1,950 | 3,287 | 1.95 | 1.64 |
| Crusher run (compacted) | 2,100 | 3,540 | 2.10 | 1.77 |
| Crushed concrete (compacted) | 2,000 | 3,371 | 2.00 | 1.69 |
| Gravel, compacted | 1,900 | 3,203 | 1.90 | 1.60 |
| Pea gravel | 1,750 | 2,950 | 1.75 | 1.47 |
| Ballast (sand & gravel mix) | 1,800 | 3,034 | 1.80 | 1.52 |
| River / round gravel, loose | 1,650 | 2,781 | 1.65 | 1.39 |
| Crushed stone | ||||
| Limestone, crushed | 1,600 | 2,697 | 1.60 | 1.35 |
| Granite, crushed | 1,650 | 2,781 | 1.65 | 1.39 |
| Sandstone, crushed | 1,500 | 2,528 | 1.50 | 1.26 |
| Crushed stone, #57 grade | 1,600 | 2,697 | 1.60 | 1.35 |
| Crusher / stone dust | 1,750 | 2,950 | 1.75 | 1.47 |
| Riprap / rock armour | 1,800 | 3,034 | 1.80 | 1.52 |
| Concrete & masonry | ||||
| Concrete, wet mix | 2,400 | 4,045 | 2.40 | 2.02 |
| Broken concrete / rubble | 2,000 | 3,371 | 2.00 | 1.69 |
| Cement, bagged (loose) | 1,440 | 2,427 | 1.44 | 1.21 |
| Mortar, mixed | 2,100 | 3,540 | 2.10 | 1.77 |
| Sand/cement screed | 1,900 | 3,203 | 1.90 | 1.60 |
| Brick rubble / hardcore | 1,900 | 3,203 | 1.90 | 1.60 |
| Hardcore, general fill | 1,950 | 3,287 | 1.95 | 1.64 |
| Asphalt & bituminous | ||||
| Asphalt, surface course (compacted) | 2,300 | 3,877 | 2.30 | 1.94 |
| Asphalt, binder course (compacted) | 2,400 | 4,045 | 2.40 | 2.02 |
| Asphalt, base course (compacted) | 2,450 | 4,130 | 2.45 | 2.06 |
| Asphalt, generic (compacted) | 2,350 | 3,961 | 2.35 | 1.98 |
| Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) | 2,000 | 3,371 | 2.00 | 1.69 |
| Organic & landscaping | ||||
| Bark mulch | 300 | 506 | 0.30 | 0.25 |
| Wood chip mulch | 320 | 539 | 0.32 | 0.27 |
| Compost / soil conditioner | 700 | 1,180 | 0.70 | 0.59 |
| Leaf mould / soil improver | 650 | 1,096 | 0.65 | 0.55 |
| Decorative stone / pebbles | 1,500 | 2,528 | 1.50 | 1.26 |
| Assumption | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Soils & earth density range | 950–2,000 kg/m³ | Typical loose-to-wet bulk density range for common earthworks soil types -- standard geotechnical reference figures (see the material density reference table below for each individual figure). |
| Sand density range | 1,600–1,900 kg/m³ | Typical dry-to-wet bulk density range for sand -- standard construction-materials reference figures. |
| Gravel & aggregate density range | 1,650–2,150 kg/m³ | Type 1 MOT, Type 3 MOT, crusher run, crushed concrete and gravel figures are shared verbatim with the Aggregate & Sub-base Calculator's own densities (docs/ESTIMATING_TOOLS_STRATEGY.md §13); the rest are standard aggregate-supplier reference figures. |
| Crushed stone density range | 1,500–1,800 kg/m³ | Typical bulk density range for crushed rock products -- standard aggregate-supplier reference figures. |
| Concrete & masonry density range | 1,440–2,400 kg/m³ | Bagged-cement bulk density is shared verbatim with the Concrete Mix Ratio Calculator's own figure; the rest are standard reference densities for fresh concrete, mortar, screed and rubble. |
| Asphalt & bituminous density range | 2,000–2,450 kg/m³ | Surface, binder, base and generic course figures are shared verbatim with the Asphalt Tonnage Calculator's own densities; reclaimed asphalt pavement is a standard reference figure. |
| Organic & landscaping density range | 300–1,500 kg/m³ | Typical loose bulk density range for landscaping materials -- standard supplier reference figures. |
| Compaction basis | material-specific | Each material's listed density is its own stated loose or compacted condition (see its option label) — no separate universal compaction factor is applied on top of it. |
| Custom density | user-supplied | Typing your own figure (e.g. from a supplier's certificate) overrides the selected material's default outright — there is no assumption to cite, the visitor is the source. |
This is an early-appraisal planning estimate, not a quotation or a substitute for a surveyed takeoff. Last reviewed 1 Sep 2026.
It depends entirely on the material — this calculator uses each material's typical density (e.g. 2,150 kg/m³ for Type 1 MOT, 950 kg/m³ for loose topsoil) to convert volume to tonnage directly. See the reference table above for every material's figure.
Pick whichever matches what you're ordering, grouped by soils, sand, gravel & aggregate, crushed stone, concrete & masonry, asphalt, and organic & landscaping materials. See our Aggregate & Sub-base Calculator for the same aggregate densities applied to an area and depth instead of a volume.
Type your own density straight into the Density field — the Material select switches to "Custom" automatically and the tonnage recalculates from your figure. Use a supplier's own certificate or test result if you have one.
Compacted gravel is typically around 1,900 kg/m³ (about 1.44 US tons per cubic yard) — pick "Gravel, compacted" from the Material list, or type your own figure if your supplier quotes a different density.
Where a material's typical figure is a compacted density (e.g. Type 1 MOT, asphalt courses), that's already reflected in the number — no separate factor is needed. Loose-measure materials (e.g. loose topsoil, mulch) use their own loose density instead; pick whichever condition matches what you're ordering.
Yes — use the metric/imperial switch above the calculator. Values you've already entered convert automatically; nothing is lost switching back and forth.
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