# Why are some materials sold by the yard and some by the ton?



## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Was wondering this the other day. Best i could figure was that the ones sold by the yard were subject to weight change with rain and moisture. And the ones sold by the ton weren't. So, what is the reason? Thanks.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Morning Wood said:


> Was wondering this the other day. Best i could figure was that the ones sold by the yard were subject to weight change with rain and moisture. And the ones sold by the ton weren't. So, what is the reason? Thanks.


 I'd have to guess that you are correct, but I can't confirm that.:thumbsup:


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

Don't think so.
Sand and gravel are sold
by the ton, and fresh 
from the pit you can be buying
a lot of smelly water. :laughing:


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## BreyerConstruct (May 22, 2006)

My quarry sells crushed stone by the ton, my landscape supply house sells that stone by the yard...

Could it be that it's just how a business is set up? The quarry is set up with scales & very concerned about overloading trucks. Mulch company needs to know how much to charge per "bucketfull", and will fill almost anything you bring to their location.

Side note, it's $8 a ton at the quarry, and $25 a yard at the mulch house... about the same sized pile of product.
Hang of a mark-up!


~Matt


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## guyute65045 (Nov 23, 2006)

I would bet that if you owned a quarry and had a scale you would sell by the ton as it is more accurate, no scale by the yard. Thats what I would do at least.
J


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## Cole82 (Nov 22, 2008)

BreyerConstruct said:


> My quarry sells crushed stone by the ton, my landscape supply house sells that stone by the yard...
> 
> Could it be that it's just how a business is set up? The quarry is set up with scales & very concerned about overloading trucks. Mulch company needs to know how much to charge per "bucketfull", and will fill almost anything you bring to their location.
> 
> ...


 Same here ,but we are cheaper $6 for crushed stone at the quarry and $15 at the mulch/stone/shrub place.


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## BreyerConstruct (May 22, 2006)

Hmm, But if I drive out to Cedar Rapids for my materials I'll probably loose out on the drive time & fuel costs...
Bummer.

~Matt


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## MIT (Sep 1, 2008)

It might be $8 at the quarry but what about the trucking.


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## dayexco (Mar 4, 2006)

most clay fill is hauled off many different jobsites and not quarries. contractor selling and hauling the fill probaby does not have access to a scale close to each jobsite, and much easier to sell his fill with a measurement he has ready access to where he's at....that being the size of the bucket on his loading device at the jobsite, or the volume of material that his trucks will hold cu. yardage wise.


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## rbsremodeling (Nov 12, 2007)

Morning Wood said:


> Was wondering this the other day. Best i could figure was that the ones sold by the yard were subject to weight change with rain and moisture. And the ones sold by the ton weren't. So, what is the reason? Thanks.


It is to add some confusion to the process of purchasing the materials necessary to do certain jobs. 

It basically allows masons and heavy equipment operators to keep the idiots at bay from that line of work.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Local pit here sells stuff by the ton and the yard. They do have a scale. who knows.


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## maq (May 17, 2009)

I’ve found a lot of larger yards sell by the ton and smaller supply yards like landscape sell by the yard. It is a lot easier to get smaller amounts of material by the yard then by the ton and a lot easier for a home owner to measure their flower bed or whatever to get their yardage and not have to figure the conversion to tons plus when dealing with the public a ton seems like a huge amount but a yard seems small so they are not overwhelmed by the volume.

I did happen to buy sand from the pit the other week and they asked if I wanted to buy by the yard or ton since I was getting 300 tons I figured I wanted a more accurate account of what I was getting not just to go off of the number of scoops they made and they charged a bit extra if I went by the yard


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

I can order by the yard.
Then they'll load the trucks
and send me a weigh bill,
XX tons @ $XX.XX


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