Guides / Materials · Updated
Material weight per cubic yard
Typical weights from an equipment maker's materials chart. Moisture moves these a lot, so treat them as a starting point.
Short answer
A yard of dirt or gravel weighs 1 to 1 3/4 tons. A yard of mulch is a few hundred pounds. A yard of concrete is about 2 tons. One yard of wet dirt is more than any half-ton pickup is rated to carry.
Weight of a cubic yard
| Material | Pounds per yard | Tons per yard |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil, dry loam | 2,106 | 1.05 |
| Dirt, dry and packed | 2,550 | 1.27 |
| Dirt, wet | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Clay, dry | 1,836 | 0.92 |
| Clay, wet | 3,078 | 1.54 |
| Sand, dry | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Sand, wet | 3,240 | 1.62 |
| Gravel, loose and dry | 2,565 | 1.28 |
| Gravel, wet | 3,375 | 1.69 |
| Crushed stone | 2,700 | 1.35 |
| Bark mulch | 405 | 0.20 |
| Wood chips, fresh | 473 | 0.24 |
| Concrete | 4,050 | 2.02 |
Wet sand weighs 20% more than dry, and wet gravel about 30% more. If the pile at the yard is soaked, plan on the wet number.
To turn yards into tons for a job, use the gravel, pea gravel or river rock calculator.
Will it fit in my truck?
Look at the payload sticker on the driver's door jamb. That number covers you, your passengers and everything in the bed. Half-ton pickups top out around 2,200 to 2,440 lb when they're set up for it, and most trims carry less.
| Truck, best case | Max payload | Yards of dry topsoil | Yards of mulch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 2,440 lb | 1.2 | 6.0 |
| Ram 1500 | 2,370 lb | 1.1 | 5.9 |
| Chevy Silverado 1500 | 2,260 lb | 1.1 | 5.6 |
Before you load up
Overloaded trucks don't stop or steer like they should. If the math says one yard is close to your limit, take half a yard twice or pay for delivery.