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MATERIAL CALCULATOR

River rock calculator.

Work out the volume of decorative river rock for a landscaping area.

KEEP YOUR PLAN

Give your project a name.

Save your measurements and quotes on this device. No account needed.

My saved projects

YOUR MEASUREMENTS

Use the depth and allowance from your project specification.

Bag sizes, weight & pricing +

Bag counts and prices apply to the main material only. Enter your supplier’s density to calculate weight.

Compare bags with bulk delivery +

Use the bag size and units above. Compare the same product at your supplier’s quoted prices. Enter small-bag contents above and its price below. Include each delivery charge; enter zero for pickup.

Bulk-bag quote · optional third option

Compare small bags, bulk bags and a loose load side by side. Each price is optional; include delivery once for each option.

Minimum and increment use the bulk quote unit. For half-yard orders, enter 0.5 as the increment. Zero uses the exact estimate. Check taxes, unloading charges and access separately. Weight quotes need your supplier’s bulk density.

Gouache illustration of a pale gravel path curving between leafy garden borders.
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of a completed project.
BEFORE YOU ORDER

Getting a useful estimate

Gaps between stones affect coverage. Check the coverage for your chosen size with the supplier before ordering.

Measure the space you need to fill. Rectangles use length and width; circles use diameter. For several sections, choose combined areas and add rectangles, then subtract exclusions. The final area must be greater than zero.

Choose the rock size before setting a depth

The linked supplier product contains stones approximately 1 to 3 inches across. “River rock” also covers other size ranges. A thin geometric layer may not represent complete coverage when the stones themselves are larger than the entered depth.

Ask for coverage at your chosen stone size and intended depth. Use that product’s bulk density for a weight order. Do not borrow the density of pea gravel or assume that every river-rock product covers the same area.

Gravelshop: Multi Colored River Gravel (1–3 inch)

Measure only the area receiving stone

Subtract planted islands, stepping stones and other areas that will stay uncovered. Combined areas accepts rectangular exclusions. For curved borders, split the area into smaller measured sections and check the approximation.

A 10-by-6-foot area at an example depth of 3 inches contains 15 cubic feet, or about 0.556 cubic yards. That figure is an arithmetic estimate, not a promise of coverage for a particular rock size.

National Institute of Standards and Technology: NIST SI conversion factors

Check coverage as well as price

Compare the same stone size, color and product in each quote. Ask the supplier to reconcile your estimated volume with their coverage information before ordering. The quote comparison includes bulk delivery and minimum orders; taxes, pickup and unloading costs may need separate checks.

Gravelshop: Multi Colored River Gravel (1–3 inch)

Volume formula

Volume = area × depth × (1 + allowance ÷ 100)

Allowance applies once to each volume layer. No density or compaction factor is assumed. If buying by weight, enter the density for your supplier’s product in the units shown.

Sources & what they cover

  • NIST SI conversion factorsNational Institute of Standards and Technology

    Exact US customary and SI conversion factors; no material or installation recommendations.

    Source checked
  • Multi Colored River Gravel (1–3 inch)Gravelshop

    One supplier’s larger rounded decorative stone; not a universal product specification.

    Source checked

We check what each reference covers. A source check does not mean a specialist has reviewed this tool. You supply the depths, densities, prices and blend proportions.

Operated by Pete CallaghanUpdated Not yet independently reviewedHow we check our toolsReport a correction