Landscape Rock Calculator
An 8 ft by 20 ft bed at 3 inches is 1.48 cubic yards and 1.87 short tons at 1,500 kg/m³.
Last updated . 1,500 kg/m³ is a planning assumption for mixed decorative stone, inside a 1,450–1,650 kg/m³ band. One yard is 1.26 short tons, 2528.33 lb, and 1.15 tonnes. Named products have their own pages.
River rock, pea gravel, lava, and 1 inch stone are separate: river rock, pea gravel, lava rock, and 1 inch gravel.
Landscape rock bed
Assumption: decorative landscape rock about 1,450–1,650 kg/m³. 1,500 is the start. It matches the DG density and is not a claim that the rock is DG.
Volume and weight
Finished cubic yards
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Order cubic yards
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Order short tons
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Order tonnes
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Which rock this page is for
Use this calculator when the material is “landscape rock” and the yard has not given you a named density. A named product should use its own page so the default matches that stone.
| Product | Where to calculate it | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed decorative rock | This page | 1,500 kg/m³ |
| River rock | River rock calculator | 1,525 kg/m³ |
| Pea gravel | Pea gravel calculator | 1,600 kg/m³ |
| 1 inch angular stone | 1 inch calculator | 1,600 kg/m³ |
| Lava rock | Lava rock calculator | 720 kg/m³ |
The weight band
Nothing here is a measured density from a named quarry. The result uses 1,500 kg/m³. The line under it reprints the finished bed at 1,450 and 1,650. For the 8 by 20 by 3 inch example those ends are 1.81 and 2.06 short tons. One yard at 1,500 is 1.26 short tons and 2528.33 lb, the same display as decomposed granite because both pages chose 1,500. At 1,650 a yard is 1.39 short tons and 2781.17 lb.
Coverage
One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch, 162 at 2 inches, and 108 at 3 inches. The example bed is 160 square feet at 3 inches, which is 1.48 cubic yards and 40.00 cubic feet.
Worked example
Leave length at 8 ft, width at 20 ft, depth at 3 in, and density at 1500. Finished and order cubic yards both read 1.48. Order short tons read 1.87. Order tonnes read 1.70. The range line reads 1.81 short tons at 1450 kg/m³ and 2.06 short tons at 1650 kg/m³. The formula line shows 40.00 ft³, 1.13 m³, and allowance 0.00 percent.
Frequently asked questions
How much landscape rock do I need for 8 by 20 feet?
At 3 inches the bed is 1.48 cubic yards, 40.00 cubic feet, and 1.13 cubic meters. At 1,500 kg/m³ that is 1.87 short tons and 1.70 tonnes. The range line prints the same finished volume at the ends of the band: 1.81 short tons at 1,450 kg/m³ and 2.06 short tons at 1,650 kg/m³. Order yards match finished yards. There is no compaction allowance.
How much does a yard of landscape rock weigh?
The start is 1,500 kg/m³, stated as a planning assumption inside 1,450 to 1,650 kg/m³. One cubic yard is 1.26 short tons, 2528.33 lb, and 1.15 tonnes. One short ton is 0.79 cubic yards. Decomposed granite and aquarium gravel use the same 1,500 kg/m³, so a yard shows the same 1.26 short tons. The materials are not the same. Only the planning density matches. At 1,450 a yard is 1.22 short tons. At 1,650 it is 1.39 short tons and 2781.17 lb.
Is landscape rock the same as river rock or pea gravel?
No. This page is the general decorative stone when the ticket does not name a product. River rock has its own page at 1,525 kg/m³, the midpoint of 1,450 to 1,600. Pea gravel is the small rounded stone at 1,600 kg/m³. Lava rock is much lighter and has its own page at 720 kg/m³. One inch angular stone is the 1 inch calculator at 1,600 kg/m³.
How deep should landscape rock be?
Three inches is the filled example. One cubic yard covers 108 square feet at 3 inches and 162 at 2 inches. An 8 by 20 foot bed is 160 square feet, so 160 ÷ 108 = 1.48 cubic yards at 3 inches. A path that needs a packed base should calculate that base on the 304 or crusher run page. This tool is the decorative layer.
Why is the weight a range?
Decorative rock is not one quarry product. Rounded rock, crushed decorative stone, and mixed colors do not share a lab density on this site. The band 1,450 to 1,650 kg/m³ is an assumption. The line under the result uses the finished volume, so it stays 1.81 and 2.06 short tons for this bed until you change the size. Type the supplier’s kg/m³ when the ticket has one.
Do I add waste?
The result is the exact bed. Rock kicked into the edging, or a partial-ton minimum at the yard, is extra you choose. The calculator does not hide a percent in the 1.87 short tons.
Can I enter meters?
Yes. Length, width, and depth each convert. An 8 ft by 20 ft by 3 in bed is 2.44 m by 6.10 m by 7.62 cm and still 1.48 cubic yards, 1.13 cubic meters, and 1.87 short tons at 1,500 kg/m³.