One cubic yard of typical crushed gravel weighs about 1.4 tons, so to go from yards to tons you multiply by 1.4, and to go from tons to yards you divide by 1.4. That single number is the whole conversion, and it exists because quarries sell by weight while landscape yards sell by volume.
Here are the tables both directions, what a ton actually covers, and the densities that change the answer.
Cubic yards to tons
| Cubic yards | Tons (at 1.4) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1.4 |
| 2 | 2.8 |
| 3 | 4.2 |
| 5 | 7.0 |
| 10 | 14.0 |
| 15 | 21.0 |
Tons to cubic yards
| Tons | Cubic yards |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.7 |
| 5 | 3.6 |
| 10 | 7.1 |
| 15 | 10.7 |
| 20 | 14.3 |
The gravel calculator does both conversions from your actual area and depth, so you can hand one number to the dispatcher and check the other against the quote.
What one ton actually covers
Coverage is the question behind most conversions: you know the area, you want to know how many tons to order. These figures allow for the 10 to 20 percent that compaction consumes:
| Depth | Coverage per ton |
|---|---|
| 2 in | about 100 sq ft |
| 3 in | about 70 sq ft |
| 4 in | about 50 sq ft |
| 6 in | about 35 sq ft |
So a 12 x 40 ft driveway at 4 inches (480 sq ft) needs roughly 10 tons. Note that pure geometry would say closer to 8; the difference is compaction, and it is why a load that looks right on paper leaves you a thin spot at the end.
Density changes the answer
The 1.4 figure is an average for crushed stone. Swap the material and the ton count moves:
| Material | Tons per cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Crushed stone, #57 or crusher run | 1.4 |
| Crushed limestone | 1.45 |
| Pea gravel | 1.4 |
| Dry sand | 1.3 |
| Decomposed granite | 1.6 |
Wet material weighs more than dry, and quarries vary, so if your supplier quotes a density, use theirs. The crushed limestone calculator defaults to limestone's slightly higher 1.45, and the sand calculator handles sand's lighter 1.3.
Which unit should you buy in?
It is the same pile of rock either way, so compare the delivered price per cubic yard and let the conversion do the work. At 1.4 tons per yard, a $50 per ton quote is about $70 per cubic yard. Quarries and dump-truck deliveries usually price by the ton; landscape yards and bagged material usually by the yard.
Two ordering notes worth the reminder:
- A full-size dump truck carries 10 to 16 tons, so most single-driveway jobs are one or two loads.
- Round up to the next half yard or half ton. Suppliers sell in those increments anyway, and a second delivery for one short yard costs another delivery fee.
Sizing a specific project? The gravel driveway guide has tonnage by driveway size and the layer structure, and the paver patio base guide covers the 4 inch base under a patio.