How much a cubic yard of stone weighs
Quarries and landscape yards sell by the ton. The calculator turns your cubic yards into tons with these figures.
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| Stone | Tons per cubic yard | Pounds per cubic yard | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 1.35 tons | 2,700 lb | Earth Stone Rock |
| Crushed stone (#57) | 1.4 tons | 2,800 lb | Dirt Connections |
| River rock | 1.45 tons | 2,900 lb | Earth Stone Rock |
| Decomposed granite | 1.35 tons | 2,700 lb | Earth Stone Rock |
| Lava rock | 0.61 tons | 1,220 lb | Eartheasy |
Planning numbers, not scale weights. Wet stone and bigger stone sizes weigh more, so check the yard's own figure before you order by the ton.
Pea gravel: area to yards, tons and bags
A 2 inch layer, the usual starting point for a pea gravel path.
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| Area at 2 in deep | Cubic yards | Tons | 0.5 cu ft bags |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.31 cu yd | 0.42 tons | 17 |
| 100 sq ft | 0.62 cu yd | 0.83 tons | 34 |
| 200 sq ft | 1.23 cu yd | 1.67 tons | 67 |
| 500 sq ft | 3.09 cu yd | 4.17 tons | 167 |
| 1,000 sq ft | 6.17 cu yd | 8.33 tons | 334 |
One cubic yard is 54 of the 0.5 cu ft bags. Bags round up to the next whole bag. A 3 inch layer takes half again as much.
Measuring for gravel
Measure twice. Stone does not go back on the truck.
- Paths and rectangles: length times width, in feet.
- L-shaped or stepped areas: split them into rectangles and add each one with the Add another area button.
- Curved beds and dry creek beds: measure the outline on a map with the lawn size calculator, then enter the total square feet.
- Depth is the finished layer, not the trench. If you are digging out the area, measure the dig depth you plan to fill.