Landscaping Materials

River Rock Calculator

Enter the shape and depth of the area you are covering with river rock. The calculator returns cubic yards, weight in tons, and 50 lb bag count so you can compare bulk delivery to bagged pricing.

Area
ft
ft
in
%

Order river rock

1 cu yd

net 0.74 cu yd

Approximate weight

0.95 tons

1,900 lb

50 lb bags

44

without waste 40

Area

80 sq ft

Cubic feet

20 cu ft

Cubic meters

0.57 m³

Assumptions

  • River rock density: about 95 lb per cubic foot (roughly 1.3 tons per cubic yard).
  • 50 lb bag: about 0.5 cubic feet of coverage.
  • Order quantity rounded up to the nearest half cubic yard.

Sizing a river rock order

River rock is priced by the yard at stone yards and by the bag at home centers. Larger stone sizes (2 to 5 inch) look great as decorative feature but need more depth to hide fabric, and they pack looser than crushed gravel so you get slightly less weight per cubic yard.

Depth and coverage

A 3 inch layer of river rock covers about 100 sq ft per cubic yard. For 200 sq ft plan 2 cubic yards; for a large dry creek bed of 500 sq ft you are into 5 or more yards, which is a bulk order.

Fabric under the rock

Weed fabric under river rock buys you years before hand-pulling becomes a chore. Overlap seams by 6 inches, pin every 18 inches around edges, and cut planting holes only where you actually plant.

Frequently asked questions

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Educational estimates only. Not financial, tax, or legal advice.

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