River Rock Calculator
Find how many tons, cubic yards or bags of river rock you need.
Measure your project
Your answer
That is 0.51 cubic yards. We added 10% extra.
If you buy bags
What it costs
River rock: $115 a cubic yard, the middle of 9 US sellers (Oct 2026), before delivery.
Quick answers
- Tons in a yard
- About 1.25 tons, loose. Bag labels we checked work out to 1.08–1.27 tons.
- Yards in a ton
- About 0.8 cubic yards. So 5 tons fills about 4 cubic yards.
- Price by the yard
- About $115 a cubic yard, the middle of 9 sellers. Delivery is extra.
- Price by the ton
- About $89.95 a ton, the middle of 7 sellers.
How to work it out
- Measure the length and width of the area in feet.
- Multiply length × width × depth in inches. Divide by 324 for cubic yards.
- Add 10% to spare, if you like: multiply by 1.1.
- Tons are cubic yards × 1.25. Bags of 0.5 cubic feet are cubic yards × 54, rounded up.
20 × 4 × 3 ÷ 324 = 0.74 cubic yards
0.74 × 1.1 = 0.81 with 10% extra
0.81 × 1.25 = 1.02 tons
0.81 × 54 = 44 bags
River rock for common areas
Find your area on the left, then read across to your depth. Each number is tons of loose rock, with no extra.
| Area | 2 in deep | 3 in deep | 4 in deep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 sq ft | 0.39 | 0.58 | 0.77 |
| 100 sq ft | 0.77 | 1.16 | 1.54 |
| 200 sq ft | 1.54 | 2.31 | 3.09 |
| 300 sq ft | 2.31 | 3.47 | 4.63 |
| 500 sq ft | 3.86 | 5.79 | 7.72 |
A 10 × 10 ft area is 100 sq ft. So is a strip 4 ft wide and 25 ft long.
Why we use 1.25 tons a yard
Southwest Boulder & Stone gives 1.25 tons a cubic yard as a rule of thumb for rock in general. Lava rock and mulch are not covered by it. We use the same number for river rock.
We checked it against bag labels. Two Lowe's river rock bags hold 0.5 cubic feet and weigh 44 or 47 lb. That works out to 1.19 and 1.27 tons a yard.
A Vigoro bag of creek rock 2–4 in weighs 40 lb for the same size. That is only about 1.08 tons a yard.
We found no figure from a road agency, a university or a quarry. So the tons are a good guide, not a promise.
River rock sizes
River rock is sold in many sizes. Each seller names its own, and some call a size "river jack".
| Size | Where we saw it |
|---|---|
| 3/4 in | a yard in California |
| 3/4–1 1/2 in | a yard in New York |
| 1 1/2 in | yards in Minnesota and New Jersey |
| 2 in | yards in Ohio and Texas |
| 1–3 in | a yard in North Carolina |
| 2–4 in | a yard in North Carolina; Vigoro creek rock bags |
| 1/2–3 in | Lowe's bags |
Sizes are the sellers' own labels. There is no single standard.
Our calculator uses the same weight for every size. We also found no expert depth for river rock, so the depth is your choice.
What river rock costs
Across 9 US yards, the middle price was $115 a cubic yard. Their prices ran from $60 to $165.
By the ton, the middle is $89.95, from 7 sellers. They ran from $49 to $255, because plain and fancy rock are mixed.
Each price list is from a different yard. So a per ton price times 1.25 won't match the per yard price.
We found no price for bagged river rock.
Before you order
- Pick a size from the yard's own list, since names differ.
- Ask if the rock is plain or decorative. The top price in our per ton list was a decorative rock.
- If the yard sells by the ton, ask what weight it uses for one cubic yard.
Building a dry creek near a house or on a slope? Check your local building rules or ask a builder or engineer.
Questions people ask
How much river rock do I need?
Measure the area in feet, then choose a depth. A 10 × 10 ft area, 3 in deep, needs 0.93 cubic yards. That is about 1.16 tons.
How much river rock is in a yard?
A cubic yard holds 27 cubic feet. That much river rock weighs about 1.25 tons, or 2,500 lb.
How much does a ton of river rock cover?
At 3 in deep, one ton covers about 86 sq ft. Spread thinner, at 2 in, it covers about 130 sq ft.
How many yards of river rock are in a ton?
About 0.8 cubic yards. Divide 1 by 1.25, the tons in one yard.
How many bags of river rock do I need?
Find the cubic feet, then divide by the bag size and round up. With bags of 0.5 cubic feet, you need 54 for every cubic yard.
How much does 5 tons of river rock cost?
About $450 at our middle price of $89.95 a ton. 6 tons is about $540. But the 7 sellers we found would charge $245 to $1,275 for 5 tons.
How much 2 inch river rock do I need?
Work it out like any river rock. We use 1.25 tons a yard for every size, as we found no weight for each size.
How much does a yard of river rock cover?
162 sq ft at 2 in deep, 108 sq ft at 3 in, or 81 sq ft at 4 in.
Where our numbers come from
- Rock weight: Southwest Boulder & Stone rule of thumb (1.25 tons a cubic yard, not lava rock)
- River rock bags: Lowe's 0.5 cubic foot bag (44 lb; archived page)
- Creek rock bags: Vigoro 0.5 cubic foot bag (40 lb; archived page)
- #57 stone extra: Palmetto Sand & Gravel (add 10%)
- River rock price: 9 US sellers per cubic yard, 7 per ton (Oct 2026)
Made by BuildersCount. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.
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