How much river rock do I need?
River rock is smooth, washed stone sorted by size — 3/4 to 1-1/2 in, 1–3 in, 3–5 in and larger. Measure the bed, choose a depth, and the calculator gives tons, cubic yards and half-cubic-foot bags:
| Depth | Sq ft per ton | Sq ft per cubic yard | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 125 | 162 | Small 3/4–1-1/2 in stone over fabric |
| 3 in | 83 | 108 | 1–3 in rock in beds |
| 4 in | 62 | 81 | 3–5 in rock, splash areas |
| 6 in | 42 | 54 | Dry creek beds, larger stone |
At 1.3 tons per cubic yard. Rock settles into the soil and the fabric over the first season, so the calculator adds 10% by default.
How deep should river rock be?
Depth follows the size of the stone. The goal is to hide the landscape fabric completely with at least two layers of rock — any thinner and the fabric shows through as the stones shift. Small 3/4–1-1/2 in stone does that at 2 in; 1–3 in rock needs about 3 in; 3–5 in cobbles need 4 in or more. In a dry creek bed, lay the bigger stones first along the banks and fill between them with smaller rock.
Our advice: rock is heavy and permanent — plan before you order. River rock costs several times what crushed stone does because it's washed and screened, it's hard to remove later, and it heats up in full sun, which stresses nearby plants. For planting beds where you'll add and divide plants, mulch is easier to live with; for paths, pea gravel is easier on the feet. The full trade-off is in mulch vs rock.
Buying river rock by the ton or the bag
Landscape yards sell river rock by the ton and weigh the truck on a scale. One Georgia yard we track charged $134.95–$175 per ton in October 2026; crushed #57 stone runs closer to $35–$55. Half-cubic-foot bags (about 50 lb) make sense only for small accents — a ton is roughly 40 bags.
If your supplier quotes by the cubic yard instead, convert with the tons to cubic yards converter, or work the volume out directly with the cubic yard calculator.
