10 tons of gravel spread 4 inches deep
A common order for a driveway topping or a large path.
10 tons ÷ 1.4 = 7.1429 yd³, × 324 ÷ 4 = 578.57 ft²
Enough for a strip 10 feet wide and about 58 feet long.
Tons to Cubic Yards Converter
Divide the tons by the material’s density in tons per cubic yard. One ton of gravel fills about 0.71 cubic yards, and a ton of topsoil about 0.91.
Tons to Cubic Yards Formula
Quarries and landscape yards often sell stone, sand and soil by the ton, but the space you need to fill is measured in cubic yards. Converting tells you whether the load you are about to buy will actually cover your driveway, path or bed.
Cubic yards = tons ÷ density (tons per yd³)
Cubic feet = cubic yards × 27
- Find the density of the material in tons per cubic yard. Your supplier's ticket or product sheet is the best source.
- Divide the tons by the density to get cubic yards.
- Check the coverage with the cubic yards to square feet converter, using the depth you plan to spread.
For example, 10 tons of gravel at 1.4 tons per yard is 10 ÷ 1.4 = 7.1429 cubic yards.
How Many Cubic Yards Are in a Ton?
The lighter the material, the more space a ton of it fills.
| Material | Tons per cubic yard | Cubic yards per ton | Cubic feet per ton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravel or crushed stone | 1.4 | 0.71 | 19.29 |
| Sand | 1.4 | 0.71 | 19.29 |
| Topsoil | 1.1 | 0.91 | 24.55 |
| Bark or wood mulch | 0.3 | 3.33 | 90 |
| Concrete (mixed) | 2 | 0.5 | 13.5 |
Sand and gravel start at the same figure here, but sand that has been rained on can be heavier. Read how many tons are in a cubic yard for the ranges behind these numbers.
Tons to Cubic Yards Chart
| Tons | Gravel or sand (1.4) | Topsoil (1.1) | Mulch (0.3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.7143 yd³ | 0.9091 yd³ | 3.3333 yd³ |
| 2 | 1.4286 yd³ | 1.8182 yd³ | 6.6667 yd³ |
| 5 | 3.5714 yd³ | 4.5455 yd³ | 16.6667 yd³ |
| 10 | 7.1429 yd³ | 9.0909 yd³ | 33.3333 yd³ |
| 15 | 10.7143 yd³ | 13.6364 yd³ | 50 yd³ |
| 20 | 14.2857 yd³ | 18.1818 yd³ | 66.6667 yd³ |
| 25 | 17.8571 yd³ | 22.7273 yd³ | 83.3333 yd³ |
Will the Load Cover My Area?
Once you have cubic yards, do what every CY Calculator coverage chart does: multiply by 324 and divide by the depth in inches to see how many square feet the load covers.
5 tons of topsoil spread 6 inches deep
Typical when building up a low lawn or filling several raised beds.
5 tons ÷ 1.1 = 4.5455 yd³, × 324 ÷ 6 = 245.45 ft²
Tons to Cubic Yards FAQ
How many cubic yards is 5 tons of sand?
About 3.57 cubic yards at 1.4 tons per yard. Damp sand is heavier, so the same 5 tons can fill a little less space.
How many cubic yards are in 20 tons of gravel?
About 14.29 cubic yards at 1.4 tons per yard. At 4 inches deep that spreads over roughly 1,157 square feet.
How many cubic yards of mulch are in a ton?
About 3.33 cubic yards at 0.3 tons per yard. Mulch is light, so a ton of it goes much further than a ton of stone, though wet bark weighs more and fills less.
How do I convert metric tonnes to cubic yards?
Divide the tonnes by 0.9072 to get US tons, then divide by the density. Ten tonnes of gravel is 11.02 US tons, or about 7.87 cubic yards at 1.4 tons per yard.
More Converters
Need it the other way round? Use the cubic yards to tons converter. To work out the volume of a whole bed, slab or trench first, the cubic yard calculator handles nine shapes and any mix of units.
- Cubic Yards to Tonsyd³ → tonsWeight of gravel, sand, soil, mulch or concrete from its volume.
- Square Feet to Cubic Yardsft² → yd³Cubic yards to order for an area spread at a chosen depth.
- Cubic Yards to Square Feetyd³ → ft²How many square feet a delivery covers at a chosen depth.
- Cubic Feet to Cubic Yardsft³ → yd³Divide by 27: bag sizes and small volumes in yards.
- Cubic Yards to Cubic Feetyd³ → ft³Multiply by 27: a delivery in cubic feet or bags.
- Cubic Yards to Cubic Metersyd³ → m³US yards to metric volume, with liters.
- Cubic Meters to Cubic Yardsm³ → yd³Metric volume to US yards, for quotes and plans.