Debris weights / Rock and gravel
EPA conversion factor · read 2026-10-20
Rock and gravel: weight per yard and dumpster size
EPA puts a loose cubic yard of rock and gravel at 999 pounds (0.5 tons at the figure). That is heavy enough that no roll-off size can be filled level without passing the low end of its published weight capacity, so loads of rock and gravel are sized by weight, not by yards.
- 1One cubic yard 999 lb
- 2Per 32-gal bag about 167 lb
- 3Fills level No size
- 410-yard limit 4 of 10 yd
How much rock and gravel fits in each dumpster
| Size | Full box | Republic capacity | Yards before the low limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 yard | 5 t | 2–3 t | 4 yd |
| 15 yard | 7.5 t | 2–3 t | 4 yd |
| 20 yard | 10 t | 4–5 t | 8 yd |
| 30 yard | 15 t | 6–7 t | 12 yd |
| 40 yard | 20 t | 8–9 t | 16 yd |
Even the 10-yard reaches 2 tons at 4 cubic yards of rock and gravel, so the practical rule is to fill a small box partway. Republic lists heavy materials such as concrete, brick and dirt only for its 10 and 15-yard sizes, and Dumpsters.com offers a heavy-debris dumpster with a limit of up to 10 tons. It is 2.1 times as heavy per yard as mixed construction debris.
Worked loads of rock and gravel
| Loose yards | Weight | Smallest size that takes it | Fill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1,998 lb (1 t) | 10-yard, weight-limited | 20% |
| 5 | 4,995 lb (2.5 t) | 2 hauls of a 10-yard, weight-limited | 25% |
| 10 | 9,990 lb (5 t) | 3 hauls of a 10-yard, weight-limited | 33% |
| 20 | 19,980 lb (10 t) | 5 hauls of a 10-yard, weight-limited | 40% |
"Takes it" means the volume fits and the weight stays at or below the low end of Republic Services' published capacity for that size, using only the sizes Republic lists for heavy materials.
Taking rock and gravel to a town transfer station instead
For a small amount, a pickup run to the transfer station can cost less than a rental. One 8-ft pickup bed holds about 2.5 cubic yards (the conversion Stratham, NH and Sudbury, MA publish), or 2,498 lb of rock and gravel. At the 9 towns on this site that price concrete, that load would cost from $0 in Brookline, NH to $438 in Stratham, NH.
| Town | Published rate | One pickup bed |
|---|---|---|
| Brookline, NH | free | free |
| Bismarck, ND | free | free |
| Kern County, CA | $16.85 per ton | $21 |
| Lexington County, SC | $28 per ton | $35 |
| Larimer County, CO | $20 per cubic yard | $50 |
| Henderson County, NC | $55 per ton (loads of 320 lb or less $10) | $69 |
| Fairfax County, VA | $109 per ton ($49–$109 minimum) | $136 |
| New Boston, NH | $0.14 per pound ($5 minimum) | $350 |
| Stratham, NH | $175 per cubic yard | $438 |
Most transfer stations take residents only and need a sticker; each town page lists the rules.
Materials of similar weight
Dirt and sand (929 lb) · Concrete (860 lb). Mixed loads take on the weight of their heaviest part, so a remodel load with shingles or tile in it should be sized as if it were mostly those. The guide to what you cannot put in a dumpster covers the items haulers refuse.
Source: U.S. EPA Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016), row "C&D · Aggregate · Large rock / small rock and gravel" (EPA source note 18), read 2026-10-20. Size capacities: Republic Services size pages. Methodology.