Soil and concrete weight calculator
How heavy is it? Choose the material, enter the volume or the area and depth, and see roughly how many tonnes it weighs and how that compares with skip weight limits.
How much each material weighs
The calculator multiplies the volume by one published density for each material. Broken concrete, bricks and rubble are measured as a pile; a slab is measured in place, and takes about 1.6 times the room once it’s broken up (our arithmetic: 2.4 ÷ 1.5). Soil and clay can be measured either way: dug out of the ground, they take about 1.3 times the room (Landscape Design Institute, low-plasticity clay). EPA’s 1.8 t/m³ is for stockpiled soil; we apply it to the volume dug (our assumption; wet clay can weigh more).
Weight per cubic metre by material
| Material | Tonnes per m³ | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Topsoil or garden soil | 1.8 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Soil” |
| Clay | 1.8 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Soil” (no separate clay figure) |
| Sand | 1.7 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Sand/recycled sand” |
| Clean fill | 1.335 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Fill Material” |
| Concrete slab, path or footing (measured in place) | 2.4 t/m³ | Holcim Australia, concrete in place |
| Broken concrete (in a pile) | 1.5 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Concrete” |
| Bricks (in a pile) | 1.2 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Bricks” |
| Rubble or masonry (in a pile) | 1.0 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Masonry” |
| Plasterboard | 0.22 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Plasterboard” |
| Green waste, loose | 0.15 t/m³ | EPA Victoria, “Green waste – uncompacted/loose” |
| Mixed general waste | Not estimated | No EPA Victoria figure |
Each figure comes from one source, as published. EPA Victoria’s are conversion factors for stockpiled waste (Publication 2040, January 2022, Table 3); it gives one figure for soil, so topsoil and clay share it, and we use its “Masonry” figure for rubble. Holcim Australia’s is for concrete in place. EPA has no figure for mixed general waste, so the calculator doesn’t weigh it. Checked 6 October 2026.
Skip weight limits for heavy waste
Every skip has a weight limit as well as a volume. These are the limits Yarra Valley Skip Bins publishes; the calculator compares your weight with the heavy-load column.
Published skip weight limits
| Skip size | Heavy mixed load | Light mixed load |
|---|---|---|
| 2 m³ | 0.9 t | 0.6 t |
| 3 m³ | 1.0 t | 0.8 t |
| 4 m³ | 1.3 t | 1.0 t |
| 6 m³ | 1.5 t | 1.2 t |
| 8 m³ | 1.8 t | 1.5 t |
| 10 m³ | 2.0 t | 1.6 t |
Yarra Valley Skip Bins’ published weight limits for mixed loads; other companies set their own. Single-material skips: one material only, filled level with the top edge. Yarra Valley Skip Bins’ price applies to 100% concrete, 100% dry dirt, 100% brick or rubble, or 100% green waste or timber, and it doesn’t offer these loads in 10 m³ or larger skips; mixed heavy loads cost more and carry a weight limit (its “heavy” price for 4 m³ is $725, up to 1.3 t). ASAP Bin Hire’s clean fill means 100% clean soil, 100% bricks or 100% concrete, with no 10 m³ or larger option published. GST not stated by either. Checked 1 October 2026.
Fill to the top edge, no higher
- Yarra Valley Skip Bins: “The quoted figure is based on the bin being filled level with the top edge of the bin.”
- M Tucker & Sons: “Overfilled bins cannot be transported and will incur a return fee charge of $110.00”.
- With soil and concrete, weight usually runs out first: stop at the limit, even if there’s room left.
Over the limit
- M Tucker & Sons charges $40.00 per 100 kg over its limit.
- Yarra Valley Skip Bins moves an overweight light load to its heavy price and adds a charge to an overweight heavy load.
- Clean soil, concrete or bricks on their own are often priced separately from mixed heavy loads: ask which applies.
Common questions about soil and concrete weight
How much does a cubic metre of soil weigh?
EPA Victoria’s conversion factor for stockpiled soil is 1.8 tonnes per cubic metre, so 1 m³ comes to about 1.8 tonnes. EPA gives one figure for soil and doesn’t list topsoil and clay separately. EPA’s 1.8 t/m³ is for stockpiled soil; we apply it to the volume dug as well (our assumption; wet clay can weigh more), and dug soil takes about 1.3 times the room once loose (Landscape Design Institute, for low-plasticity clay).
How much does a concrete slab weigh?
Holcim Australia puts the density of most concrete at about 2,400 kg per cubic metre. A 10 m² path 10 cm thick is 1 m³, so about 2.4 tonnes. Broken up, it takes more room: EPA Victoria’s factor for stockpiled concrete is 1.5 tonnes per m³, so by our arithmetic it fills about 1.6 m³ loose.
How many skips for a concrete slab?
Going by Yarra Valley Skip Bins’ published heavy-load limits, the 2.4 tonnes from a 10 m² path 10 cm thick needs 2 × 4 m³ skips. A clean load of concrete alone is often priced differently, and each company sets its own weight limit, so ask before you book.
Why doesn’t the calculator weigh mixed general waste?
There’s no reliable figure for it. EPA Victoria’s conversion table has none, and a skip of furniture weighs very differently from one of timber and plasterboard. Light mixed loads have their own published limits: Yarra Valley Skip Bins lists 0.6 t for a 2 m³ skip up to 1.6 t for a 10 m³ skip.
How full can I fill a skip with soil or concrete?
Level with the top edge, and no higher. Yarra Valley Skip Bins says “The quoted figure is based on the bin being filled level with the top edge of the bin”, and M Tucker & Sons says “Overfilled bins cannot be transported and will incur a return fee charge of $110.00”. With heavy waste, weight usually runs out before you reach the top.
Where the figures come from
The densities, weight limits and charges on this page come from these published pages, checked on 6 October 2026.
- EPA Victoria: Waste Mass Balance Guideline (Publication 2040), Table 3 · State regulator guideline, January 2022; conversion factors for commonly stockpiled waste, tonnes per m³
- Holcim Australia: glossary, density of concrete · Concrete manufacturer’s glossary: about 2,400 kg per m³, “a default design value in AS3600”; no page date
- Landscape Design Institute: calculating volumes and weights in excavation and materials handling · National landscape design body’s technical sheet (2022 revision); bulking factors for dug material
- Yarra Valley Skip Bins: skip bin hire prices · Skip hire business, Dixons Creek (Yarra Ranges); price table by size, waste and weight limit, no visible date, GST not stated
- ASAP Bin Hire: Bayswater skip bins · Skip hire business, Kilsyth; main “Our skip bins” table (the page also shows a second, different price guide), GST not stated
- M Tucker & Sons: skip bins Ringwood · Skip hire business, Mount Evelyn; published hire terms and extra charges (no price table), GST included
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