Landscape rock calculator
Calculate this loadUse this for mixed decorative stone when the yard has not given you a tighter product name or density.
Project calculator
Area 1
Cubic yards
0.93 yd³
Tons
1.20 t
2 cu ft bags
13
Estimated cost
Add a price
Active area
Leave blank to skip cost
Landscape rock planning density 1.3 t/yd³ (Decorative rock planning weight, mid-range of washed stone). Order 1 yd³ with 5% waste. 3 cu ft bags: 9.
Landscape rock is the catalog name for everything from Arizona colored rock to local ledge stone. Densities cluster around washed stone: we use 1.3 tons per cubic yard. If the yard publishes tons per yard on the load ticket, override the density in the calculator so cost-per-ton quotes match.
Xeriscape beds still need a weed barrier you can live with. Heavy fabric plus 2–3 inches of rock works until someone plants through it. Leave rings of soil for anything you actually want to grow; rock to the trunk is a maintenance problem.
Light-colored rock reflects heat onto siding and plants. Dark rock stores it. That is not a volume issue, but it is why two yards of the same size can feel like different climates.
For drainage, prefer angular crushed stone. For a dry creek, prefer river rock. This page is the honest middle when you only know you want ‘rock in the beds’.
Formula
Yards = area × depth ÷ 27. Tons ≈ yards × 1.3.
Worked example
A 15 × 5 ft foundation bed at 3 inches is 75 × 0.25 ÷ 27 = 0.69 yd³, about 0.90 tons.
Landscape rock on the ground
Typical cover is 3 inches. Range 1.15–1.45 t/yd³. Use for mixed decorative stone when the yard has not published a density.
Density table
| Material | t / yd³ | lb / yd³ | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| River rock | 1.25 | 2500 | Supplier bulk tables for 1–3 inch washed river rock |
| Landscape rock | 1.3 | 2600 | Decorative rock planning weight, mid-range of washed stone |
| Rock | 1.35 | 2700 | Generic decorative/riprap planning density |
Related calculators
River rock calculator
Measure the bed, pick a depth at least as large as the stone, and convert to yards and tons at 1.25 tons/yd³.
Rock calculator
Large stone has more voids than gravel. Use this when the yard calls it rock, riprap, or ‘landscape stone’ without a tighter name.
Pea gravel calculator
Rounded 1/4–3/8 inch pea gravel is a 2-inch path material. It migrates, so plan edging and a little extra.