How Much River Rock for a 12x12 Area?
For a 12x12 area of river rock at 2 inches deep, you need about 0.89 cubic yards - roughly 48 bags (0.5 cu ft bag), about 1.24 tons. The amount changes with depth; the table below shows common depths, and you can adjust everything in the calculator.
Based on a 12x12 area (144 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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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 →