How Much Does A Yard Of Gravel Weigh?

One cubic yard of gravel typically weighs between 2,400 to 3,000 lbs. That’s approximately one and one half tons. Gravel comes in a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and rock types. It’s used for all sorts of projects ranging from gardening, landscaping, construction and paving roads. In construction, the 3/4 inch clean gravel we typically use for footings and slabs weighs approximately 2,800 lbs. per yard. A cubic yard is a volume measurement which is a 3 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot cube. One cubic yard of gravel covers approximately 100 square foot with 3 inches of gravel. With 1 1/2 inch of gravel, you can cover 200 sq. ft. And with 1 inch of gravel, you cover 300 sq. ft. The deeper the gravel, the less area you can cover per yard.

Gravel comes in different shapes and sizes which is why the weight per yard varies so much. Smaller, rounder rocks compact more so you can fit more of them per yard. However, larger, more jagged rocks don’t compact as well, so there’s more space. This means less rocks and a lighter load per yard of material. In general, you get more stones and a heavier yard the smaller and smoother the aggregate is.

When you order bulk gravel, it’s either ordered per yard or per ton. If you order per ton, you have to do some math to convert tons into yards. The calculation is easy. A ton of gravel is 2,000 lbs. which is .714 of a yard. A typical yard of masonry gravel weighs 2,800 lbs. So to find out how many yards are in 1 ton of gravel, you divide 2000/ 2800 = 0.714 cubic yard. There are 0.714 cubic yards in a ton of gravel.

How Much Gravel Weighs Per Yard

There are many different types of gravel, but the most common type we use in construction is clean 3/4 inch smooth. We use it for walkways, driveways, gardens, landscaping and as a base material for pouring concrete.

The weight of gravel per yard of material depends on the type of rock, compaction, moisture content and how clean the gravel is.

On average, a cubic yard of gravel, which is 3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall, weighs approximately 2,800 pounds or 1.5 tons. For estimating purposes, one cubic yard of gravel weighs around 3000 pounds or 1.5 tons.

Gravel is categorized according to its size.

Fine gravel (1/4 inch, 4 – 8 mm),
Medium gravel (1/2 inch, 8 – 16 mm)
Coarse gravel (3/4 inch, 16 – 32 mm)
Pebbles (1 – 2 inch, 32 – 64 mm)
Cobbles (2 – 10 inch, 64 – 256 mm)

A yard of gravel is enough to fill a 3 yard by 3 yard by 3 yard cube. That’s 3 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot.

A cubic yard is made up of 27 cubic feet. Each cubic foot of gravel weighs just over 100 lbs. when dry. When wet, the weight of gravel per cubic foot is approximately 125 lbs.

Multiple the weight of gravel per cubic foot, about 103 lbs. x 27, and you get approximately 2800 lbs.

When wet, gravel weighs approximately 3400 lbs. per cubic yard.

Calculating How Many Yards Of Gravel You Need?

A cubic yard is the volume of material which fits in a cube one yard wide by one yard deep by one yard high, or 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. Because 1 yard = 3 ft.

Remember, calculating gravel is not just about square footage, but also depth. The easiest way to calculate how much material you’ll need is to first measure the dimensions of your project space.

First, measure the length and width of area you want to cover with gravel. Then determine the depth.

Here are some basic calculations I’ve already done for you.

1 yard of gravel at 3 inches deep will cover 100 sq. ft. or a 10 ft. x 10 ft. area.
A yard of gravel at 1 1/2 inches deep covers 200 sq. ft. or a 20 ft. x 10 ft. area.
At 1 inch deep, a yard of gravel covers 300 sq. ft. which is a 30 ft. x 10 ft. area.

When ordering gravel, I always recommend buying more than you need. Typically, loose bulk gravel is sold by the ton or broken down by 1/4 tons. However, if you buy it by the bag in small amounts the bags are usually around 50 lbs.

If you buy gravel by the bag, 40 x 50 lb. bags = 1 ton of gravel.

How Much Does A Yard Of Pea Gravel Weigh?

A cubic yard of 3/4″ or pea gravel, which visually is 3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall, typically weighs between 2,400 to 2,900 pounds or up to one and a half tons. The average weight we figure in construction for pea gravel per ton is 2800 lbs. This allows for some moisture content inside the rocks.

If the gravel is super dry, the weight per yard will be on the lower end near 2,400 lbs. However, most of the time the gravel will contain moisture which pushes the weight to around 2,800 lbs.

Generally, a yard of pea gravel provides enough material to cover a 100 square foot area at 3 inches of depth. Keep in mind that some materials compact more than others, so coverage can vary.

Generally speaking, the smaller and smoother the stones, the tighter it will compact. pea gravel is very smooth and round so it naturally compacts quite well. But there are still enough spaces between the rocks to allow for drainage. This is why pea gravel is such a common type of gravel.

How Much Does A Yard Of Dry Gravel Weigh?

A cubic yard of dry gravel can weigh, which is 3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall, around 2,500 pounds or 1.5 tons.

Gravel almost always contains some amount of moisture held inside the pile. Even if the surface of a gravel pile looks totally dry, once you start digging into it, you’ll generally find some moisture. If the gravel was completely dry all the way to the center of the pile, it would weigh around 2,400 lbs. But even in super dry climates this is very rare. I’ve worked in hot dry climates that didn’t see rain for weeks and still found moisture at the center of a gravel pile. So it’s safe to figure around 2,500 lbs. per yard when the gravel appears to be totally dry.

I recommend always rounding up in weight rather than down. Especially if you’re loading a pickup or dump truck. If you round down you could end up overloading the truck.

Since water adds a lot of weight to gravel, it’s best to buy your gravel when it’s dry rather than wet if you buy it by the ton. However, if you buy your gravel by the yard, the price is the same no matter how much it weighs.

How Much Does A Yard Of Wet Gravel Weigh?

A cubic yard of wet gravel, which visually is 3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall, weighs around 3,400 pounds or 1.7 tons.

A yard of gravel is equal to a 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. cube which contains 27 cubic feet of material. A cubic foot of wet gravel weighs approximately 125 lbs. 125 lbs. x 27 = 3,375 which is rounded up to 3,400 lbs.

Gravel piles can hold a lot of moisture. Even when a pile looks dry on the surface, digging into it will usually reveal wet rocks. In all the years I’ve done construction and landscaping work, I’ve never seen a completely dry pile of gravel.

Water can add a lot of weight to gravel per ton. But you need to determine how much water the gravel is holding.

If the gravel pile appears wet on the surface, it’s soaked all the way through and will weigh around 3,400 lbs. per yard. However, even if it appears dry on the surface it most likely still contains some water. Shovel into the pile until you hit some darker stones. Gravel turns dark when it’s wet which is how you check for water.

If a gravel pile is only wet near the center, it weighs around 2,500 lbs. The wetter the pile is near the surface, the heavier the gravel is per yard.

How Much Does Half A Yard Of Gravel Weigh?

1/2 a cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 1,400 pounds or about 3/4 ton. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, a 1/2 yard of gravel weighs = 2,800 / 2 = 1,400 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, a 1/2 yard of dry gravel weighs approximately 1,200 pounds or just over 1/2 ton. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, a 1/2 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 1,700 pounds or about 3/4 ton.Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 2 Yards Of Gravel Weigh?

2 cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 5,600 pounds or 2 3/4 tons. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, 2 yards of gravel weighs = 2,800 × 2 = 5,600 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, 2 yards of dry gravel weighs approximately 4,800 pounds or just over 2 1/2 tons. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, 2 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 6,800 pounds or just over 3 1/2 tons.Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 3 Yards Of Gravel Weigh?

3 cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 8,400 pounds or about 4 1/2 tons. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, 3 yards of gravel weighs = 2,800 × 3 = 8,400 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, 3 yards of dry gravel weighs approximately 7,200 pounds or just over 2 1/2 tons. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, 3 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 10,200 pounds or just over 5 tons. Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 4 Yards Of Gravel Weigh?

4 cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 11,200 pounds or about 5 1/2 tons. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, 4 yards of gravel weighs = 2,800 × 4 = 11,200 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, 4 yards of dry gravel weighs approximately 9,600 pounds or just under 5 tons. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, 4 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 13,600 pounds or just over 6 1/2 tons. Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 5 Yards Of Gravel Weigh?

5 cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 14,000 pounds or 7 tons. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, 5 yards of gravel weighs = 2,800 × 5 = 14,000 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, 5 yards of dry gravel weighs approximately 12,000 pounds or 6 tons. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, 5 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 17,000 pounds or 8 1/2 tons. Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 10 Yards Of Gravel Weigh?

10 cubic yards of gravel weighs approximately 28,000 pounds or 14 tons. For estimating purposes, 1 yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,800 pounds. So, 10 yards of gravel weighs = 2,800 × 10 = 28,000 pounds.

If the gravel is very dry, 10 yards of dry gravel weighs approximately 24,000 pounds or 12 tons. Because a yard of dry gravel weighs about 2,400 pounds.

If the gravel is wet, 10 yards of wet gravel weighs approximately 34,000 pounds or 17 tons. Because a yard of wet gravel weighs about 3,400 pounds.

How Much Does 1 Yard Of Gravel Weigh?

A yard of Gravel weighs approximately 2800 pounds on average. That’s for 3/4 inch smooth clean gravel with some moisture. When it’s very dry, a yard of gravel weighs approximately 2,400 pounds. But when it’s very wet, a yard of gravel can weigh 3,400 pounds.

A yard of gravel fills a container 1 yard x 1 yard x 1 yard. That’s 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet. A cube that size equals 27 cubic feet. So a yard of gravel weighs approximately 103 pounds per cubic foot. When dry, it weighs about 89 pounds per cubic foot. Or 125 pounds per cubic foot when wet.