River Rock Calculator
A 10 ft by 10 ft bed at 3 inches is 0.93 cubic yards and 1.19 short tons at 1,525 kg/m³, the midpoint of a 1,450–1,600 kg/m³ assumption.
Last updated . The 1,450–1,600 kg/m³ band is a planning assumption for loose rounded rock, not a lab test. 1,525 kg/m³ is 1.29 short tons and 1.17 tonnes per cubic yard. Replace it with the quarry number when you have one.
Estimate river rock for a bed, a border, or a dry creek. Smaller rounded stone belongs on the pea gravel calculator. Angular 1/2 to 1 inch stone belongs on the #57 calculator.
River rock bed
Assumption: loose river rock about 1,450–1,600 kg/m³. 1,525 is the midpoint used below.
Volume and weight
Finished cubic yards
0.00
Order cubic yards
0.00
Order short tons
0.00
Order tonnes
0.00
Sizes
Yards sell river rock by the range on the bag or the pile, not by a single sieve number. A decorative bed is often 1/2 to 1 inch or 1 to 2 inches. Dry creeks and borders step up to 2 to 4 inches or 3 to 5 inches. Cobbles are larger still. Pea gravel, about 1/8 to 3/8 inch, is the small rounded neighbor and is not this product. #57 is angular, so it locks and drains differently.
| Common name | About | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Small river pebble | 1/2–1 in | Beds and borders |
| 1–2 inch river rock | 1–2 in | Paths and ground cover |
| 2–4 inch | 2–4 in | Dry creeks |
| 3–5 inch and cobble | 3 in and up | Edging and erosion spots |
The weight assumption
Rounded rock leaves more air in the pile than crushed stone with fines. This calculator starts at 1,525 kg/m³ and prints the same bed at both ends of 1,450 and 1,600 kg/m³. One yard at the midpoint is 1.29 short tons (2570.47 lb) and 1.17 tonnes. One yard at 1,450 is 1.22 short tons. One yard at 1,600 is 1.35 short tons, the same as the #57 default. Nothing on this page is a measured density from a named quarry. Pea gravel is the smaller rounded stone, and the choice between that and angular rock is pea gravel versus crushed stone.
Coverage
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, and 108 at 3 inches. A 10 by 10 foot bed at 3 inches is 100 ÷ 108 = 0.93 cubic yards. The foot line of that bed is 25.00. Order yards match finished yards because river rock is not given a compaction allowance here. If you compact a base under it, calculate that base on the 304 or crusher run page.
Worked example
Leave length and width at 10 ft, depth at 3 in, and density at 1525. Finished cubic yards read 0.93. Order cubic yards read 0.93. Order short tons read 1.19. Order tonnes read 1.08. The range line reads 1.13 short tons at 1450 kg/m³ and 1.25 short tons at 1600 kg/m³. The formula line shows 25.00 ft³ and 0.71 m³.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yard of river rock weigh?
This page assumes 1,450 to 1,600 kg/m³ for loose river rock. The calculator starts at the midpoint, 1,525 kg/m³, which is 1.29 short tons, 2570.47 lb, and 1.17 tonnes per cubic yard. At 1,450 kg/m³ a yard is 1.22 short tons. At 1,600 kg/m³ it is 1.35. Type the quarry’s figure if you have one. The band is a planning assumption, not a lab report.
What size is river rock?
Landscape river rock is rounded stone sold by a size range. Common ranges are about 1/2 to 1 inch, 1 to 2 inches, 2 to 4 inches, and 3 to 5 inches, plus larger cobbles. Pea gravel is the smaller rounded stone, about 1/8 to 3/8 inch, and it has its own calculator at 1,600 kg/m³. Bigger rock has more voids, which is why the midpoint here is a little under the pea gravel default.
How much river rock do I need for 10 by 10 feet?
At 3 inches deep, a 10 ft by 10 ft bed is 0.93 cubic yards, 25.00 cubic feet, and 0.71 cubic meters. At 1,525 kg/m³ that is 1.19 short tons and 1.08 tonnes. The same volume is 1.13 short tons at 1,450 kg/m³ and 1.25 short tons at 1,600 kg/m³. The line under the result prints that range.
How deep should river rock be?
Two to three inches is a common decorative depth. One cubic yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches and 108 square feet at 3 inches. A path people walk on may need a packed base under the rock. This calculator is the river rock layer only. The 304 and crusher run pages are the base.
How many tons are in a cubic yard of river rock?
At the 1,525 kg/m³ starting point, 1.29 short tons. One short ton is 0.78 cubic yards at that density. The tons to yards calculator lists river rock at the same 1,525 kg/m³, so a known tonnage converts at the same rate. The order line on this page is the finished bed, with no hidden waste percent.
Is river rock the same as pea gravel or #57?
No. Pea gravel is small and rounded, and the pea gravel page uses 1,600 kg/m³. #57 is angular crushed stone, usually 1/2 to 1 inch, also at 1,600 kg/m³. River rock is the larger rounded stone used as a surface, a dry creek, or a border. Use this page when the ticket says river rock.
Do I need to add waste?
The result is the exact bed you typed. Rounded rock scatters at the edges, and some yards sell by the ton with a partial-ton minimum. Add a little if you want leftover. This tool does not hide an extra percent in the answer.
Can I enter meters?
Yes. Length, width, and depth each have a unit menu with feet, inches, yards, meters, and centimeters. Depth also takes millimeters. The 10 by 10 ft by 3 in example stays 0.93 yards and 0.71 cubic meters if you type 3.05 m by 3.05 m by 7.62 cm.