RightQty

Aggregates & landscaping

River rock calculator

Estimate rounded river rock for dry creek beds, borders, drainage zones, paths, and decorative ground cover.

Project measurements

Calculate your river rock quantity

Measurement system
Area shape
Use the finished river rock depth, not the excavation depth.
river rock measurement diagramA rectangular river rock bed labeled length, width, and depth.LengthWidthDepth
Measure the finished area and the even depth of river rock you want—not the total excavation depth.
river rock type
River rockPurpose-specific material profile
Rounded natural stone; actual density varies with size, grading, moisture, and source.
Overage

Covers spillage, uneven depth, settling, and minor measurement differences.

Advanced material assumptionDefault: 1,450 kg/m³
Leave blank to use the material profile. Ask your supplier for a project-specific density when precision matters.
Optional cost estimateEnter your supplier's USD price

Material only. Delivery, taxes, labor, and local price differences are not included.

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Your estimate

Order approximately

3.7cubic yards

Includes 10% overage and is rounded up to the next 0.1 yd³.

Area
360 sq ft
Base volume
3.33 yd³
Approx. order weight
4.48 US tons
See all volume and weight conversions

Base volume

90 ft³

3.33 yd³

2.55 m³

With overage

99 ft³

3.67 yd³

2.8 m³

Approx. weight

8,961.53 lb

4.48 US tons

4,064.88 kg

4.06 t

Take this to your supplier

Shopping list

  • River rockIncludes 10% overage. Confirm density and delivery increments with your supplier.3.7 cubic yards
Calculation assumptions
  • Bulk density: 1,450 kg/m³.
  • The area has a uniform finished depth.
  • Quantity includes the selected overage but not a separate compaction factor.

Transparent math

How river rock quantity is calculated

1

Measure coverage area

Use rectangle area or π × radius² for a circle.

2

Apply rock depth

area × finished river rock depth gives base volume.

3

Add overage

Add the selected percentage, then round bulk volume or bag count upward.

Weight uses a 1,450 kg/m³ planning density by default. Rounded stone size, grading, moisture, composition, and void space can change it substantially.

Worked example

River rock for a 10 × 10 ft bed

At 3 in deep, the base volume is 25 cubic feet. Adding 10% overage gives 27.5 cubic feet, or 1.02 cubic yards, rounded to 1.1 cubic yards for ordering.

River rock guidance

Match depth to the selected stone size

Measure only the finished covered area and use the installed depth specified for the stone grading and project. Larger rounded rock may need a deeper layer to achieve consistent visual coverage.

Natural material varies

Ask the supplier for cubic-yards-per-US-short-ton or a current bulk density. This page estimates quantity; it does not design drainage, edging, slope stability, or structural base layers.