Open data
Pea gravel density data
The figures behind every calculator on this site, published in full so anyone can check them, reuse them or argue with them. Free to use with attribution.
Why this exists
Most calculators hide their density
Volume is arithmetic and every calculator agrees on it. Weight is an assumption. To turn cubic yards into tons a calculator has to pick a density, and almost none of them tell you which one they picked.
That is why two calculators give different answers for the same job. Published figures for pea gravel range from 1.21 to 1.42 US tons per cubic yard, a spread of about 17 percent. On a 3 cubic yard order that is the difference between 3.6 and 4.3 tons, which is a real difference in what you pay.
The density of pea gravel used throughout this site is 100 lb per cubic foot. That is not the midpoint of the range, which would be 1.32 tons per cubic yard. It is the figure most commonly quoted for washed 3/8 inch material, it gives a round 2,700 lb per cubic yard, and it errs heavy by about 3 percent, which is the safer direction when you are ordering by the ton. Everything derived from it is published here.
Table one
Bulk density by material
| Material | Size and shape | lb/ft³ | lb/yd³ | US tons/yd³ | kg/m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pea gravel | 3/8 in, rounded, washed | 100 | 2700 | 1.35 | 1602 |
| Crushed stone #57 | 3/4 in, angular, open graded | 104 | 2808 | 1.40 | 1666 |
| Crushed stone #411 | 3/4 in to fines, angular, dense graded | 100 | 2700 | 1.35 | 1602 |
| River rock | 1 in to 3 in, rounded | 100 | 2700 | 1.35 | 1602 |
| Decomposed granite | 1/4 in minus, angular with fines | 104 | 2808 | 1.40 | 1666 |
| Marble chips | 1/2 in, angular, white | 96 | 2592 | 1.30 | 1538 |
| Lava rock | 3/4 in, vesicular volcanic | 52 | 1404 | 0.70 | 833 |
| Stone dust | screenings, loose | 104 | 2808 | 1.40 | 1666 |
| Screened topsoil | screened, dry | 74 | 1998 | 1.00 | 1185 |
Table two
Conversions
| Quantity | Equals | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cubic yard | 27 cubic feet | cubic volume |
| 1 cubic yard of pea gravel | 2,700 lb, 1.35 US tons, 1.22 tonnes | at 100 lb per cubic foot |
| 1 US ton of pea gravel | 20 cubic feet, 0.74 cubic yards | at 100 lb per cubic foot |
| 1 cubic meter | 35.3147 cubic feet, 1.308 cubic yards | cubic volume |
| 1 cubic meter of pea gravel | 1,602 kg, 1.60 tonnes | at 100 lb per cubic foot |
| 1 tonne of pea gravel | 0.62 cubic meters, 0.82 cubic yards | at 1,602 kg per cubic meter |
| 1 half cubic foot bag | about 50 lb, 0.5 cubic feet | 54 bags fill one cubic yard |
| 1 fifteen litre bag | about 24 kg, 0.53 cubic feet | 42 bags per 1,000 kg |
| Wet pea gravel | about 8 percent heavier than dry | quarries quote dry weight |
| Published range, pea gravel | 1.21 to 1.42 US tons per cubic yard | spread across widely published sources |
Read this first
What the numbers do not tell you
- Your supplier beats any published figure. Bulk density varies with the quarry, the parent stone, the stone size and the moisture in the pile. Ask what their material weighs before ordering by the ton.
- These are loose and uncompacted. Compacted material is denser, which is why a driveway needs a compaction allowance on top of the calculated volume.
- Wet material runs about 8 percent heavier. Quarries quote dry weight, so gravel that has sat through rain arrives heavier than the ticket suggests.
- Topsoil varies more than any stone here. Published figures run 1,500 to 2,200 lb per cubic yard dry, and saturated soil can reach 3,000. The 2,000 lb figure is a round working number in the upper half of that range, not its midpoint, so treat soil weights as looser estimates than aggregate.
- Lava rock really is about half the weight. It is a vesicular volcanic aggregate full of gas holes. Landscape sites often list it close to 100 lb/ft³, which is wrong by roughly a factor of two.
- Rounded and angular stone of the same mineral differ. Angular material with fines packs tighter, which is why crushed stone #411 and decomposed granite sit above pea gravel.
Reuse
Licence and citation
Published under CC BY 4.0. Use it anywhere, including commercially, as long as you credit the source. The same files are mirrored on GitHub, where you can open an issue if you spot an error.
To cite it:
Hussain, E. (2026). Pea gravel and landscaping aggregate density data. Pea Gravel Calculator. https://peagravelcalculators.com/data
If you run a quarry or a yard and your figures differ from these, send them to peagravelcalculators@gmail.com. Regional density data is exactly what makes an estimator more accurate, and corrections are credited.
Transparency
Sources and methodology
- Density, 100 lb/ft³ for pea gravel. A commonly quoted bulk density for rounded water-worn gravel in the 3/8 inch size class, in the upper middle of published figures. Background on aggregate production and classification, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Sand and Gravel (Construction) (PDF).
- Crushed stone figures. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Stone (Crushed) (PDF), with size classes as sold by US landscape suppliers.
- Published range, 1.21 to 1.42 tons per cubic yard. Compiled from densities published by suppliers and quarries. The figure this site uses, 1.35, sits at about the 67th percentile of that range rather than the midpoint, and is stated as such rather than described as an average.
- Unit conversions. 27 ft³ per cubic yard, 2,000 lb per US ton, 2,204.62 lb per tonne, 35.3147 ft³ per cubic meter, 16.0185 kg/m³ per lb/ft³.
- Where these are applied. Every calculator on the site, and explained in full on the weight guide.
Want the numbers applied?
The calculator turns these densities into cubic yards, tons, bags and cost for your own project.