River rock calculator for Texas
Tonnage by stone size, because a ton of 3-inch rock covers half what a ton of 1-inch rock does.
Enter your project dimensions
Stone size decides river rock coverage. The layer needs to run about twice the stone's diameter to hide the ground, so 1-inch rock sits 2 inches deep while 3-inch rock needs 4 inches or more. Same ton, half the area. This river rock calculator handles that for you: pick the size, enter the bed, get tons at river rock's 2,700 lb per cubic yard. And expect the delivered pile to look small. A ton of rock is only three-quarters of a cubic yard, and the photo customers send us most often is a freshly spread bed with fabric still showing through, which is a depth problem, never a quantity one.
Sizing the order
- Measure each bed or border in feet; the multiple-areas mode totals separate beds.
- Set depth at twice the stone diameter: 2 inches for 3/4–1 inch rock, 3–4 inches for 1–3 inch rock, 4–5 inches for the big stuff.
- Cubic feet ÷ 27 = cubic yards; yards × 1.35 = tons.
Coverage per ton, by size
| Stone size | Layer depth | 1 ton covers |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4–1" river rock | 2 inches | ≈ 120 sq ft |
| 1–3" river rock | 3 inches | ≈ 80 sq ft |
| Large river rock (2–4") | 4–5 inches | ≈ 53 sq ft |
| Oversize accents | single layer | 35–50 sq ft |
| Project | Typical size | Depth | Volume | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation border | 40 x 3 ft | 3" | 1.1 yd³ | 1.5 tons |
| Dry creek bed | 25 x 4 ft | 4" | 1.2 yd³ | 1.7 tons |
| Accent beds | ≈ 150 sq ft | 2" | 0.9 yd³ | 1.3 tons |
| Downspout splash zones, x4 | 3 x 2 ft each | 3" | 0.2 yd³ | 0.3 tons |
| Front-yard xeriscape | ≈ 600 sq ft | 3" | 5.6 yd³ | 7.5 tons |
Fabric first, rock second
Skip the landscape fabric and the ground slowly eats your rock. Stones sink into bare soil a little every season, weeds rise through, and in three years the bed needs a top-up that fabric would have prevented for a few dollars a roll. Lay non-woven fabric, pin it, then spread. The exception is drain rock in a working drainage path, where the fabric wraps the stone instead of sitting under it.
Design moves that make rock beds read natural
- Mix two sizes: a 1–2 inch base with clusters of larger stones. Uniform size reads like a parking lot median.
- In dry creek beds, bury the biggest anchor stones a third deep so they look placed by water.
- Rinse after spreading. Delivered rock carries quarry dust that grays the color until the first hose-down.
- Along foundations, run 3–4 inches over fabric with a slight fall away from the wall. It looks finished and moves roof water along.
- Clean leaves with a blower on low. Rakes flick stones into the lawn, and mower blades find them later.
Worked example: a 200-square-foot bed
One-inch river rock at 2 inches deep: 200 x 0.167 = 33 cubic feet = 1.2 cubic yards, about 1.7 tons. Order two tons. The surplus double-layers the front edge, which is the part everyone sees and the part that goes thin first.
Rock or mulch? The five-year answer
Mulch feeds soil and costs less per delivery, then asks for a refresh every year or two. River rock costs more once and then mostly just sits there looking the same in year five. It also warms the soil around it in summer, so planted beds usually get mulch while borders, drainage lines and edges get rock. Run both calculators with the same dimensions and the tonnage difference explains the price difference on the spot.
River rock coverage and cost questions
How do I calculate how much river rock I need?
How many square feet does 1 ton of river rock cover?
How much does 50 lbs of river rock cover?
How much is a ton of river rock?
How deep should river rock be?
Do I need landscape fabric under river rock?
Can I put river rock over mulch?
How much does a yard of river rock weigh?
Related calculators
Rock beds are a one-time buy.
River rock, large river rock and drain rock by the ton, free delivery included.