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Decorative landscape rock for beds and borders — tons, yards, bags, and fabric, by rock size.
With these inputs:
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Landscape rock | 1.63 tons |
| Volume | 1.17 yd³ |
| Depth used | 3 in |
| Cost (bulk) | $49 – $90 |
| Bed area | 120 sq ft |
| Rock | Crushed rock (3/4"), 1-3" |
| Depth for this size | 3 in |
| Volume (incl. 5%) | 1.17 yd³ |
| Weight | 1.63 tons |
| 0.5 cu ft bags (if bagged) | 63 bags |
| Landscape fabric | 138 sq ft |
Fifty-plus bags of decorative rock costs far more than a bulk delivery. Most stone yards will deliver a single ton.
Landscape rock needs more depth the bigger the stone: a single layer of 3-inch river rock is already 3 inches deep. This landscape rock calculator sets a sensible depth for the rock size you pick, then returns tons, cubic yards, 0.5 cu ft bag counts, landscape fabric, and cost for beds, borders, and around the house.
About one and a half times the size of the rock: 2 inches for pea-size rock, 3 inches for 1 to 3 inch river rock, and 4 to 5 inches for 3 to 5 inch rock. Anything shallower leaves the landscape fabric showing between stones.
At 3 inches deep, 100 square feet needs 0.93 cubic yards, or about 1.3 tons of medium river rock. At 2 inches it is 0.62 yards, about 0.85 tons.
Yes, in almost every case. Fabric keeps rock from sinking into the soil, which otherwise loses an inch or more of depth in a few years, and it blocks most weeds from below. Use a woven fabric rather than a thin non-woven sheet.
Rock costs more up front but lasts decades and does not blow away or rot; mulch is cheaper and feeds the soil but needs topping up every year. Use rock around foundations, downspouts, and in dry areas, and mulch in planting beds.
Need the whole roof at once? The free roofing calculator works out roof area, squares, shingle bundles, underlayment, drip edge, ridge cap and installed cost from one set of measurements.