Material Weights
What one loose cubic yard of each landscape material weighs, as delivered. Use it to compare quotes by the ton and to check your truck's payload.
| Material | Low lb | Typical lb | High lb | Tons / yd | Yd / ton | Bags / yd | Sq ft at 3 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shredded hardwood mulch | 400 | 600 | 800 | 0.3 | 3.33 | 13.5 (2 cu ft) | 108 |
| Pine bark nuggets | 300 | 400 | 500 | 0.2 | 5 | 13.5 (2 cu ft) | 108 |
| Rubber mulch | 450 | 550 | 800 | 0.28 | 3.64 | 33.8 (0.8 cu ft) | 108 |
| Playground wood chips or engineered wood fiber | 400 | 550 | 700 | 0.28 | 3.64 | 13.5 (2 cu ft) | 108 |
| Pea gravel | 2,600 | 2,800 | 2,900 | 1.4 | 0.71 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| #57 crushed stone | 2,400 | 2,600 | 2,800 | 1.3 | 0.77 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| #3 or #4 base stone | 2,400 | 2,600 | 2,800 | 1.3 | 0.77 | bulk | 108 |
| Crusher run (dense grade, with fines) | 2,800 | 3,100 | 3,400 | 1.55 | 0.65 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| Stone screenings (stone dust) | 2,600 | 2,800 | 3,000 | 1.4 | 0.71 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| River rock | 2,500 | 2,700 | 2,900 | 1.35 | 0.74 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| Decomposed granite | 2,700 | 2,850 | 3,000 | 1.43 | 0.7 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| Topsoil (screened) | 2,000 | 2,200 | 2,700 | 1.1 | 0.91 | 36 (0.75 cu ft) | 108 |
| Fill dirt | 2,000 | 2,400 | 2,700 | 1.2 | 0.83 | 36 (0.75 cu ft) | 108 |
| Compost | 800 | 1,000 | 1,200 | 0.5 | 2 | 27 (1 cu ft) | 108 |
| Sand (dry, masonry or play) | 2,600 | 2,750 | 2,900 | 1.38 | 0.73 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| Paver base (crushed) | 2,800 | 3,000 | 3,200 | 1.5 | 0.67 | 54 (0.5 cu ft) | 108 |
| Ready-mix or bagged concrete | 4,000 | 4,050 | 4,100 | 2.03 | 0.49 | 45 (0.6 cu ft) | 108 |
Pounds per loose cubic yard. Values are typical published ranges, not a guarantee: always check your supplier's scale ticket or bag label. Compactible materials (crusher run, screenings, DG, paver base, compacted fill) shrink 15 to 20 percent when compacted, so you order more than the finished volume.
Cite this chart
Free to reference with a link to haulonce.com/material-weights. Sources for every value are listed below, and the methodology is on How we calculate.
Questions people ask
How much does a cubic yard of gravel weigh?
Roughly 2,400 to 3,400 lb depending on the stone, about 1.2 to 1.7 tons. Clean stone is lighter; crusher run with fines is heavier.
How much does a cubic yard of dirt weigh?
Dry topsoil runs about 2,000 to 2,700 lb per cubic yard. Wet soil is heavier.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh?
Shredded hardwood mulch is about 400 to 800 lb per cubic yard, depending mostly on moisture.
Why do weights vary so much?
Moisture, grade, stone type, and how loosely the material is piled. A pile after a rainstorm can weigh noticeably more than the same pile dry.
How much can a pickup truck carry?
Payload ranges widely: roughly 1,100 to 1,700 lb for midsize pickups and 1,500 to 2,300 lb for full-size half-tons. Your exact number is on the driver's door-jamb sticker.
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension, How deep should the mulch layer be around trees and shrubs?
- University of Florida IFAS Extension, Alachua County, Mulch brochure
- Washington State University Extension, Mulching fact sheet
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Public Playground Safety Handbook (Publication 325), section 2.5 and Table 2
- Rubberific rubber mulch, product and coverage information
- The Engineering ToolBox, Dirt and Mud: Densities (dry, moist, and wet soils, sand, and gravel)
- Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies
- Kafka Granite, decomposed granite products and installation guidance
- Penn State Extension, Lawn Establishment (seeding rates and timing)
- Caterpillar, Earthwork Volumes Reference Tables (swell and load factors)
- Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association (formerly ICPI), interlocking paver installation guidance
- QUIKRETE, Concrete Mix No. 1101 data sheet (bag yields, post setting method)
- QUIKRETE, Concrete Mix product information (bag yields by weight)
- NHTSA, Tires: the Tire and Loading Information placard on the driver's door jamb
Last reviewed: . How we calculate