Ballast calculator
Work out how much ballast you need in tonnes and bulk bags.
Ballast calculator
Use your supplier's density
You need
- Volume
- Weight
- Area
| Order by | Exact | Order, rounded up for anything sold in whole bags |
|---|
Fewer than three independent suppliers publish a density for this material, so treat this range as provisional and use your supplier's figure where you have one.
Enter your measurements to see what to order.
One cubic metre of ballast weighs about 1.8 tonnes and covers about 20 square metres at 50mm.
How to work out how much ballast you need
- Measure the area in metres and multiply length by width.
- Pick a depth in mm and multiply it by the area to get a volume.
- Multiply the volume by the bulk density, 1800 kg per cubic metre for ballast, to get a weight.
- Divide the weight by your supplier's tonne or bulk bag to get what to order, and round up. Suppliers do not sell part bags.
- Add 10 percent. Covers settlement, uneven ground and the material lost around the edges. A second delivery for half a yard costs more than the extra you did not use.
How many tons in a cubic yard of ballast?
About 1.52 US tons, at 1800 kg per cubic metre. Because published densities run from 1500 to 2100, the honest answer is a range: between 1.26 and 1.77 tons per cubic yard depending on grading and how wet the load is.
How many cubic yards in a ton of ballast?
About 0.66 cubic yards. One tonne is about 0.56 cubic metres.
How much does ballast weigh?
Between 1500 and 2100 kg per cubic metre, a spread of 40 percent. All-in aggregate, sand and stone together. Screened and washed grades differ. The calculator above uses 1800, and you can replace it with your own supplier's figure.
3 published figures from 2 suppliers, read 2026-09-20.
Fewer than three independent suppliers publish a figure for this material. Treat the range as provisional and use your supplier's own density where you have one.
| Supplier | Published figure | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Mainland Aggregates LtdUK | Approx 1.8 tonnes per cubic metre | unstated |
| Smith & Sons (Bletchington) LtdUK | Approximately 2.1 Tonnes Per Cubic Metre | screened |
| Smith & Sons (Bletchington) LtdUK | Approximately 2 Tonnes Per Cubic Metre | washed |
What you can order ballast in
| Pack | Where | Size |
|---|---|---|
| 850kg bulk bag | UK | 850 kg (suppliers state 700 to 1000 kg) |
| 25kg bag | UK | 25 kg |
| tonne | UK, AU | 1,000 kg |