aggregates · sold by the cubic yard and by the ton
River Rock Calculator
Type the bed, path or border you are covering and how deep the rock goes. The result comes back in the two units river rock is sold in — cubic yards and tons.
What to order
1.02cubic yards
or1.38tons, loose
10 ft short side10 ft long side
Both figures are for river rock loose, the state it is in when it is delivered and spread.
The formula, written out
(10 ft × 10 ft × 3 in ÷ 12) × (1 + 10% waste) ÷ 27 = 1.02 cubic yards
1.0185 cubic yards × 2700 lb per cubic yard (loose) ÷ 2000 = 1.38 tons
The formula above is the one that produced the numbers: the page asks for both in the same call, so the two cannot drift apart.
A bed 10 ft by 10 ft, 3 inches deep, is 25 cubic feet of rock. Adding the 10% waste factor makes 27.5 cubic feet, which is 27.5 ÷ 27 = 1.02 cubic yards. At 2,700 pounds per cubic yard that is 2,750 pounds, or 1.38 tons.
measured loose · read 2026-08-15 · next check 2027-08-15
“One YARD weighs 2,650 pounds. Is 3/4" round, washed, with no fines.”
Steve Miller Inc., Naperville, Illinois, 3/4" river rock · read 2026-08-13
“A cubic yard of the same material will weigh 2700 pounds on average (1.35 tons per yard.)”
Visions Landscape Supply & Design, Monroe, North Carolina, river rock · read 2026-08-13
“Approximately 1.4 tons per cubic yard”
MidWest Compost LLC, Elgin and West Chicago, Illinois, 1-1/2" washed river rock · read 2026-08-13
Your supplier has the last word. Aggregates vary by quarry and soil varies by the week it was dug, so the range above is what to expect and not a promise about the load you are buying. The weight on their ticket is the one you pay for.
The spread is the product, not an error. The yards quoted above run from 2,650 pounds a yard for ¾ inch round washed rock to about 2,800 for 1½ inch washed — a real difference, and a modest one. Three yards is too few to say what causes it.
How much does a cubic yard of river rock weigh?
Loose, as it is delivered, a cubic yard runs about 2,650 to 2,800 pounds, with 2,700 pounds a fair middle. Size drives most of the spread, and your supplier's own figure beats any of these.
How deep should river rock be laid?
Two to three inches is the usual depth for a decorative bed, and this page takes the depth you type rather than telling you what to use. It works out quantities; it does not decide the job for you.
Why does the calculator add a waste factor?
Some material is lost to spillage, uneven ground and settling. The default here is 10% and it is our own criterion, not a figure from a manufacturer — no manufacturer publishes one for river rock. Change it to whatever your job needs.