How Much Does A Cubic Yard Weight In Dirt?

The weight of a cubic yard of dirt will vary considerably depending on the consistency and density of the dirt you wish to weigh. For commercial purposes, a cubic yard of dry dirt can be defined as weighing 70 to 80 pounds per cubic foot, which can then be converted to 1,890 to 2,160 pounds per cubic yard respectively.

In comparison, a cubic yard of mud or wet dirt is estimated, for commercial purposes, as weighing 2,808 to 3,024 pounds per cubic yard. If the dirt that you are trying to measure is in fact mulch, then the weight will be significantly less. Mulch is most commonly made up of organic materials that can be used as topsoil when growing crops. This matter is much lighter than dirt and sand so a cubic yard of mulch may weigh as little as 300 to 500 pounds. These approximations just go to show the stark contrast there can be, in terms of weight, between two different densities of dirt. The contents of the dirt, particularly if it includes sand or water, can have an extreme effect on its weight.

For the most accurate calculation about how much a particular cubic yard of dirt will weigh, you will need to determine which type of dirt it is, and then work out the measurements. One cubic yard is made up of 27 cubic feet, so by weighing one cubic foot of dirt you can then go on to figure out how much the whole cubic yard will weigh. If you are trying to buy a cubic yard of dirt make sure you know what it consists of and how much it weighs. Be wary of any sellers that have a general price for a cubic yard of dirt without specifying what the contents are, as you may not be getting a deal that represents good value for money.

First you need to qualify the dirt. There are all kinds: Top soil, clay based dirt, sand, dirt mixed with rock, etc. And whether it is wet or dry. Generally speaking, a cubic yard of top soil delivered in bulk will weigh approximately 2,000 lbs to 2,700 pounds.  

Because sand is tightly compacted, a cubic yard will weigh approximately 2,700 lbs.

And stiff clay would weigh more and it usually is water saturated, approximately 3,000 lbs to 4,000+ lbs depending on its density and moisture content.

Hope this helps.

It can vary, depending on how much moisture is in the soil. A good average weight for a cubic yard of dirt is 2,400 lbs.

If you go by the NIST standard of 120 lbs per cubic foot, and if you say there are 2000 lbs in a ton, then 1 cubic yard will weigh 1.6 tons.

One pound.

Excavated - dry 2,106 lbs, moist 2,430 lbs, wet 2700 lbs per cubic yard !

To convert into cubic yards just find the area in square feet and multiply times 9 to get square yards then divide by 27 to get cubic yard

Varies greatly with the type of soil and percentage of rock etc.
A very general average might be approx. 125 pounds, less for topsoil (approx. 100 pounds)

On average general dirt would wiegh 30 pounds per cubic foot, times 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard; this would equal 810 pounds.  This is highly variable by the type on dirt, however and the moisture content.

27 cubic ft. X
at least 30lbs per ft =810lbs. A cubic yard

1 yd³ = (1 yd)*(1 yd)*(1 yd)    of dirt, or anything else.

This is entirely dependant on the density of the dirt. If it's 'light' dirt, say soil with a lot of air pockets, it's going to weigh a lot more than 'heavy' dirt, say with lots of sand or stone in it.
Hope this helps.