Gravel Weight Calculator

Density varies with gradation and moisture: wet gravel weighs more per yard, washed stone a little less. All figures here are loose, dry averages — good for planning and comparing loads, not supplier specifications.

Last updated: 8 November 2026 · Report an error

These same figures power every calculator on the site from one shared data file — a density can't silently differ between pages. Generally gravel runs 1.4–1.7 tons per cubic yard depending on type and compaction; our loose, dry values sit in the lower part of that band.

A cubic yard is a box; density asks how much stone you can pack into it. Two things decide that:

• Void space. Uniform round or washed stones leave big gaps — a clean single-size stone like #57 leaves roughly 40% air between pieces. Mixed sizes and crushed faces nest together, and the fines in crusher run fill the remaining voids almost solid. That's why crusher run is the heaviest material per yard on the table.
• The mineral itself. Granite, limestone, and basalt differ in particle density by roughly 10% — a smaller effect than packing, but real.

And three things that change the number between the table and your actual load:

• Moisture. Water fills the voids. A soaked stockpile can weigh 5–10% more per yard than the same stone dry — and you pay by weight.
• Compaction. Tamping a base squeezes out voids: same weight, less volume — 10–15% for dense-graded bases.
• Gradation. "¾-inch minus" means a range, and every quarry's range differs. Your supplier's sieve sheet wins over any table.

For ordering, convert your plan into the supplier's unit with the tool above, add the deliberate 5–15% margin described in what calculators can't know, and confirm the final figure with your quarry.