Weights per yard are the working figures suppliers publish for Anchorage material; moisture and how tight the pit loads it move them. Round up. If the number lands between two loads, order the extra half load, not the short one.
How the numbers are built
Volume is length times width times depth, in feet, divided by 27 to get cubic yards. We add ten percent because crushed material compacts and topsoil settles; that allowance is about right for D-1 rolled in lifts and slightly generous for a loose landscape spread. Tons come from a per-yard weight for each material, using the working figures Anchorage pits publish, about 1.4 tons a yard for D-1, lighter for topsoil, heavier for wet sand. Loads assume our trucks: dual axle, 12-yard beds rated for 12 tons, so each load is whichever limit comes first. Topsoil fills the bed; D-1 reaches 12 tons at about 8.5 yards.
Common jobs, already worked out
| Job | Size | Material and depth | Loose yards | Loads (12 yd, 12 t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driveway top course | 60 x 12 ft | D-1, 4 in | about 10 | 2 |
| Driveway base | 60 x 12 ft | Pit run, 8 in | about 20 | 3 |
| Two-car parking pad | 24 x 24 ft | D-1, 6 in | about 12 | 2 |
| Shop pad base | 40 x 60 ft | Pit run, 12 in | about 98 | 11 |
| New lawn | 5,000 sq ft | Topsoil, 5 in | about 85 | 8 |
| French drain | 100 ft x 2 ft | Sewer rock, 18 in | about 12 | 2 |
Depth: what the job actually needs
- Walkway or patio base: 3 to 4 inches of D-1 or 3/4 minus, compacted.
- Driveway top course: 4 inches of D-1, 6 on a slope or for trucks.
- Driveway base: 6 to 12 inches of pit run or 3-inch minus, more on wet ground.
- Equipment pad: 8 to 12 inches of base plus 6 inches of D-1.
- Lawn: 4 to 6 inches of screened topsoil over graded fill.
- Raised bed: 12 inches of topsoil and peat mix.
Converting what a supplier quoted
Pits quote crushed rock by the ton and topsoil by the yard, and haulers do both. To compare, divide tons by the per-yard weight: 14 tons of D-1 at 1.4 tons per yard is 10 yards. To go the other way, multiply. If two quotes are in different units, put them both in yards before you compare, and check that both include trucking to your address rather than to a radius.
Questions we get about this
Does the calculator include compaction?
Yes, ten percent. If your contractor specifies a compacted thickness, order the loose yards this gives you, not the compacted figure.
What if my driveway is not a rectangle?
Break it into rectangles and add them up, or measure the longest length and the average width. For a circle, length times width times 0.8 is close enough.
Can I order in tons instead?
Yes. Tell us the tons and the material and we will confirm the yards on the quote. Crushed rock is sold by the ton at most pits anyway.
Why does D-1 take more loads than topsoil?
Weight. Our trucks carry 12 yards or 12 tons, whichever comes first. A yard of topsoil weighs about a ton, so a load is a full 12 yards; a yard of D-1 weighs about 1.4 tons, so a load tops out near 8.5 yards. The calculator counts loads both ways and uses the larger number.