How rock is priced
| Sold by | Typical for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Cubic yard | Landscape centers, decorative rock, lava rock | Some yards load with a bucket, so “a yard” is an estimate |
| Ton | Quarries, larger delivery companies, riprap, wall stone, flagstone | The weight per yard varies by rock, and wet rock weighs more |
| Bag | Garden centers, home improvement stores | Easy to underestimate how many bags you need |
| Pallet | Flagstone, wall stone, some beach pebbles | Ask the weight and coverage of a pallet |
| Piece | Boulders, specimen stones | Hard to compare with per-ton prices without an estimate of weight |
Converting prices so you can compare
price per cu yd = price per ton × tons per cu yd
price per ton = price per cu yd ÷ tons per cu yd
bulk-equivalent price per cu yd of bags = bag price × 54 (0.5 cu ft bags)
Use about 1.35 tons per cubic yard for most landscape rock and river rock, 1.4 for Mexican beach pebbles, 1.3 for decomposed granite and 0.6 for lava rock. The rock weight calculator has the full list.
For boulders sold by the piece, estimate each boulder’s weight with the boulder weight calculator and divide the piece price by its weight in tons. That gives a per-ton figure you can compare with a yard that sells boulders by weight.
What drives the cost of landscape rock
- Rock type and source. Local stone that is quarried or dug nearby is usually the cheapest. Rock that travels a long way, such as Mexican beach pebbles or specialty colors, costs more.
- Size and processing. Washed and screened rock in a narrow size range costs more than an unwashed mix. Very large cobbles and boulders take more handling.
- Haul distance. Rock is heavy, so trucking is a big part of the price. The same rock can cost noticeably more at a yard far from the quarry.
- Delivery fees and minimums. Many yards charge a flat delivery fee by distance, and some have a minimum order. On a small order the delivery can cost as much as the rock.
- How you buy. Bags cost the most per cubic yard; bulk pickup the least, if your vehicle can carry it safely.
- Installation. If you hire it out, labor, removing grass or old rock, fabric, edging and how far the rock has to be wheeled all add to the bill.
Building a budget from local quotes
Use the calculator above: enter your area and rock, then type the price per ton or per yard from your quote. Then add the rest:
| Line item | How to work it out |
|---|---|
| Rock | Cubic yards or tons from the calculator × your quoted price |
| Delivery | Flat fee per load from the yard; ask how many loads your order needs |
| Fabric | Area + about 10% for overlaps, priced per roll |
| Edging | Perimeter of the bed in feet, priced per piece or per foot |
| Tools or rental | Wheelbarrow, rake, plate compactor (for decomposed granite) |
| Labor | Quotes for the whole job, or your own time |
| Tax | Ask whether quotes include sales tax |
Worked example (method only)
A 20 × 10 ft bed in 1–3 inch river rock at 4 inches comes to 2.72 cu yd, about 3.67 tons, with 10% extra. Suppose Yard A quotes by the ton and Yard B by the yard. Multiply Yard A’s per-ton price by 3.67 and Yard B’s per-yard price by 2.72, add each yard’s delivery fee, and compare the two totals. If one yard rounds up to whole tons or whole yards, use the rounded amount.
River rock prices
River rock varies more in price than most landscape rock because “river rock” covers everything from small local pebbles to large colorful imported cobbles. When comparing river rock prices:
- Compare the same size range (for example 1–3 inch) and color.
- Ask if it is washed. Unwashed rock is cheaper but dusty at first.
- Check whether the price is per ton or per yard; at about 1.35 tons per yard the difference is large.
- Ask the delivery fee to your address; it can change which yard is cheapest.
Questions to ask the supplier
- Do you sell this by the ton or the cubic yard, and in what increments?
- What does a cubic yard of this rock weigh?
- What is the delivery fee to my address, and how much does one load carry?
- Is there a minimum order for delivery?
- Is the rock washed? Can I see the pile or a sample?
- Does the price include tax?
We don't publish price figures because they vary too much by region to be useful. Your local quotes, plugged into the calculator, give a far better budget than any national average.
Questions people ask
- How much is a yard of rock?
- It depends on the rock, its size and your distance from the source, so call two or three local yards. To compare a price per ton with a price per yard, multiply the per-ton price by about 1.35 for most landscape rock, or about 0.6 for lava rock.
- How much is a ton of rock?
- Prices vary widely by region and rock type. To turn a per-yard quote into a per-ton price, divide it by about 1.35 for most landscape rock. Then add delivery, which can be a large share of the total on small orders.
- Is it cheaper to buy rock by the ton or by the yard?
- Neither unit is cheaper on its own. Convert both quotes to the same unit using the rock's weight per yard, then compare. For lava rock, buying by the yard is usually clearer because its weight varies so much.
- Are bags of rock more expensive than bulk?
- Usually much more per cubic yard. A cubic yard is 54 bags of 0.5 cubic feet, so multiply the bag price by 54 and compare with the bulk price per yard plus delivery.
- Why are river rock prices so different from place to place?
- River rock is heavy and cheap to dig but expensive to haul. Distance from the source, the size and color range, whether it is washed and screened, and whether it is a local or imported product all change the price.