Cubic Yards vs Tons: What’s the Difference?

Cubic yards measure volume — how much space a material takes up. Tons measure weight. The two are only comparable once you know the material's density, because a cubic yard of pea gravel weighs less than a cubic yard of crusher run.

Suppliers price some materials (like topsoil and mulch) by the cubic yard, and others (like gravel and asphalt) by the ton — always confirm which unit your supplier uses before ordering.

Every bulk-material calculator on this site shows both units so you can order in whichever one your supplier quotes.

As a worked example: 2 cubic yards of crushed stone at roughly 2,700 lbs per cubic yard is 5,400 lbs, or 2.7 tons. The same 2 cubic yards of mulch, at roughly 500 lbs per cubic yard, is only about 1,000 lbs — barely half a ton. Mixing up the two units on an order can lead to a wildly wrong weight estimate.