How Much River Rock for a 12x16 Area?

For a 12x16 area of river rock at 2 inches deep, you need about 1.19 cubic yards - roughly 64 bags (0.5 cu ft bag), about 1.66 tons. The amount changes with depth; the table below shows common depths, and you can adjust everything in the calculator.

DepthCubic yardsBags
2 in1.1964
3 in1.7896
4 in2.37128

Based on a 12x16 area (192 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

1.19cubic yards
64
bags (0.5 cu ft bag)
1.66 t
approx. weight (~3,319 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 →