How Much River Rock for 1,000 Square Feet?

For 1,000 square feet of river rock at 2 inches deep, you need about 6.17 cubic yards - roughly 334 bags (0.5 cu ft bag), about 8.64 tons. The amount changes with depth; the table below shows common depths, and you can adjust everything in the calculator.

DepthCubic yardsBags
2 in6.17334
3 in9.26500
4 in12.35667

Based on 1,000 square feet (1,000 sq ft). One cubic yard = 27 cubic feet; bags are 0.5 cu ft bag.

2 in for decorative cover, 3-4 in for fuller coverage or larger stone.

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You need about

6.17cubic yards
334
bags (0.5 cu ft bag)
8.64 t
approx. weight (~17,284 lb)

Weight is an estimate (1.2-1.7 tons per cubic yard); actual weight varies with material and moisture.

For most decorative beds, a 2 inch layer covers the ground well. Larger river rock (2 inches and up) looks best at 3 to 4 inches so the soil does not show through.

Measure the area in feet, set the depth, and the calculator returns cubic yards, an estimated weight in tons, and a bag count.

Other river rock amounts

Same area, other materials

Need a different size? Open the full River Rock calculator →