Tons to Cubic Yards Calculator
Convert between tons and cubic yards for common landscape and construction materials. Pick a material, enter an amount in either unit, and get the other.
Bulk materials are sold sometimes by volume (cubic yards) and sometimes by weight (tons), and converting between the two depends entirely on the material's density. A cubic yard of dense crushed stone weighs three times as much as a cubic yard of light wood mulch, so this calculator uses a typical density for each material to convert cleanly in either direction.
How to convert tons and cubic yards
Multiply cubic yards by the material's density (in tons per cubic yard) to get tons; divide tons by the density to get cubic yards. Enter a value in either box — leave the other blank — and the calculator fills it in.
Cubic yards = Tons ÷ Density
| Material | Typical density (tons/yd³) |
|---|---|
| Wood mulch | ~0.5 |
| Topsoil | ~1.1 |
| Sand (dry) | ~1.35 |
| Gravel (dry) | ~1.4 |
| Fill dirt | ~1.45 |
| Crushed stone | ~1.5 |
| Concrete | ~2.0 |
Worked example
Converting 5 cubic yards of gravel to tons:
| Density of gravel | 1.4 tons/yd³ |
| Tons = 5 × 1.4 | 7 tons |
| In pounds (× 2,000) | 14,000 lb |
Why densities vary
The figures here are dry, typical values. Moisture adds significant weight — wet sand or soil can be 10–20% heavier than dry — and compaction, stone size and organic content all shift the number. For a big order where a few percent matters, ask your supplier for the density of the exact product you're buying and use that in place of the default.