Cubic yards vs tons
Mulch and soil are sold by the cubic yard, stone and sand often by the ton. A yard of stone weighs well over a ton, so the two prices don't compare directly.
A cubic yard is a volume: 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet, or 27 cubic feet. About nine full wheelbarrows. Mulch, soil and compost are almost always sold this way.
A ton is a weight: 2,000 pounds. Quarries and sand and gravel yards often sell stone, gravel and sand by the ton because they weigh each truck on a scale.
The two don't convert cleanly, because every material weighs something different. Typical weights per cubic yard:
| Material | Weight of one cubic yard |
|---|---|
| Mulch | 400 to 800 lb (about a quarter to a half ton) |
| Topsoil, dry | about 2,000 to 2,200 lb (about 1 ton) |
| Sand | about 2,500 to 2,800 lb (about 1.3 tons) |
| Gravel and crushed stone | about 2,500 to 3,000 lb (about 1.3 to 1.5 tons) |
Wet material weighs more. Ask the yard what factor it uses for the stone you're buying; a good yard will tell you.
What this means for price
A price per ton and a price per yard for the same stone are different numbers. On this site, prices stay in the unit the yard posted. Yards that post gravel and stone prices have a middle price of $30 per ton (77 yards) and $44 per yard (133 yards).
Measured loads
You can't tell a loader bucket's size by looking at it, and the bucket isn't regulated. Some yards say their bucket is a certified full yard, or weigh every load on a certified truck scale. Use the Weighed or measured loads filter to find them, and measure a delivered pile before the truck leaves if the amount looks short: length × width × height in feet, divided by 27.