Same formula, different weights
Every bulk material starts the same way: length × width × depth gives cubic feet, and dividing by 27 gives cubic yards. What changes is weight. A cubic yard of mulch weighs well under a ton, crushed stone about 1.4 tons and concrete about 2 tons. Use the cubic yard calculator for volume alone, or a material page for tons and bags.
Bulk or bagged?
One cubic yard is 54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet or 13.5 bags of 2 cubic feet. Past about one yard, bulk delivery is usually cheaper per yard, even after the delivery fee.
Which calculator should I use?
| You are buying | Start here | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Stone for a driveway or path | Gravel calculator | Tons, yards and bags by stone type |
| Pavement | Asphalt calculator | Tons of hot mix by compacted thickness |
| Soil for a lawn or raised bed | Topsoil calculator | Cubic yards for a given depth |
| Fill for a low spot | Dirt calculator | Yards and truckloads |
| Decorative stone | Rock calculator | Tons and yards of landscape rock |
| Bedding or play sand | Sand calculator | Yards and tons of sand |
| Bark or wood mulch | Mulch calculator | Yards and bags |
| A slab or footing | Concrete calculator | Yards and bags of mix |
How to use them
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet, or use the square feet if you have them.
- Pick the depth. The material pages list common depths, such as 2 to 3 inches for mulch and 4 inches for a patio base.
- Choose the material, and add 5 to 10% for settling and spills.
- Round up and ask the supplier for the delivered price, since tons and yards are sold differently.
Typical weight of a cubic yard
Weight is why a yard of stone and a yard of mulch cost so differently to move. These are typical figures from supplier spec sheets, and your supplier's number is the one to use.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Pounds per cubic yard |
|---|---|---|
| Mulch | 0.3 | 600 |
| Topsoil | 1 | 2,000 |
| Sand | 1.35 | 2,700 |
| Crushed stone | 1.4 | 2,800 |
| Asphalt | 1.9575 | 3,915 |
| Concrete | 2 | 4,000 |
The material weight chart lists more materials. If you are working from tons, the tons to cubic yards calculator converts both ways.
Who runs this site
CubicYardMath is published by Hassan Nawaz. The formulas are shown on every page, and the weights and bag sizes are listed with their sources. Read how pages are checked in the editorial policy. If a number looks wrong for your project, use the contact page and say which page and what you expected.