Landscaping calculator

River rock

Decorative river-rock volume and tonnage from bed area, installed depth and supplier density.

Reviewed formula · v1.0.0

Project inputs

Enter field measurements. Imperial lengths take feet and inches. Unit conversion happens before the reviewed formula is applied.

Bed lengthft + inFinished bed lengthftinBed widthft + inAverage finished bed widthftinInstalled depthinFinished rock depth. 2–3 in is common for a decorative mulch layerDensitytons / yd³Tons per cubic yard. 1.35 is a common rounded-stone planning figureWaste factor%Allowance for settling, edges and irregular beds

All values can be refined when you edit the estimate. This tool does not replace field verification or local requirements.

Calculated result

1.7yd³

River rock order

FormulaLND-RRK-001

L × W × D ÷ 27 × (1 + waste)

40 ft³

Net volume

2.29 tons

Estimated weight

160 ft²

Area

Transparent cost view

Planning rates only. Pick a currency — badges, inputs, and totals follow. Material is a rate. Labour is hours × a planning hourly rate. Equipment and delivery are this-job amounts.

Material ratePlanning · per calculated unit · USDEquipmentPlanning · this job · USDDeliveryPlanning · this job · USDLabour hoursPlanning · this jobLabour ratePlanning · per hour · USDOverhead %%Contingency %%Markup %%Tax %%

Planning defaults are office figures, not a bid. US ready-mix in 2026 often lands around $125–165 per cubic yard delivered; place-and-finish commonly $2–4 per square foot. Replace every rate with a supplier or crew quote before you send the letter.

Indicative FX as of Aug 2026. Planning conversion, not a live bank rate.

Material costUSD 145

Labour (8 h)USD 280

Direct costUSD 535

Overhead + contingencyUSD 53.45

Markup + taxUSD 70.55

Estimated project totalUSD 659

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Embed this calculator

<iframe src="https://construclytic.com/embed/river-rock" title="River rock" width="100%" height="820" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="border:1px solid #d7e0da;border-radius:16px;background:#fff;"></iframe>

Paste on a contractor site or blog. The iframe is a planning takeoff, not a bid.

How this calculator works

A transparent river rock takeoff.

Bed length times width times installed depth, plus a visible settling allowance, rounded to the next 0.1 yd³ and converted to tons at the density you enter.

Worked example. Example: a 20 × 8 ft bed at 3 in depth, 1.35 t/yd³ and 10% waste rounds to 1.7 yd³, about 2.3 tons.

1. Measure the bed as a rectangle using average width.
2. Enter installed depth, not the bag illustration. 2–3 in is common as a decorative layer.
3. Confirm density with the yard. Washed river rock and angular landscape stone differ.

Need the broader workflow? Read the landscaping planning guide.

Questions

Questions about river rock

Is this the same as gravel?

Same volume math, different default depth and density, and a page that matches how people search for river rock.

Fabric underneath?

Landscape fabric is a separate roll takeoff. This tool is the stone only.

What is the formula ID?

This calculator publishes formula LND-RRK-001, version 1.0.0. The ID stays on the result and on the estimate line.

Is this engineering advice?

No. Construclytic is a planning website, not a registered engineering or contracting firm. Field checks, codes and product data still sit with you.

Does Construclytic fetch live supplier prices?

No. Costs use the rate you enter. Construclytic does not fetch live supplier prices.