How Much Landscaping Rock Do I Need? 2024 Free Calculator

How Much Landscaping Rock Do I Need

How Much Landscaping Rock Do I Need? – Tips on Planning a Rock Landscaping Project

When you start planning a project that involves landscaping rock, a common question that you get asked is, how much landscaping rock do I need?

Calculating this accurately can save you a bunch of money and headaches.

You don’t want to order too much as you will waste money and all that extra labor spreading it around.

If you order too little, you won’t have enough to cover the landscape adequately.

There are two main factors you need to consider when calculating how much landscaping rock you need for your project:

  • The size of the project area you will be covering
  • How deep do you want the rock to be

Tools you will need:

  • Measuring Tape
  • Calculator

✅ PRO TIP:

Use rock as mulch only in beds for plants that require minimal moisture, like alpine plants and cacti.

Install barriers around rock areas that are next to yards.

This will keep the rock in its area from spilling over onto your lawn, which could cause extensive damage to your lawnmower. 

Calculate Rock Coverage

landscaped rock garden

To calculate this size, measure the length and width of the project area.

Multiplying those numbers will give you the square footage (or square meters for our metric friends).

For example, if your project area is 20 feet long by 20 feet wide, your coverage area is 400 square feet.

The next step is deciding how deep you want your rock coverage.

For most purposes, 2 inches (or 50mm) of landscaping rock is adequate.

If you use a material that is larger than this, then the depth will be the same size as the rocks themselves.

That is, you will want one layer of 3 to 8 inches (75 to 200mm) of rocks.

The amount of rock you will need will depend partly on what size of gravel or rock you want for your landscaping project.

The chart below will help you figure out how large of an area 1 ton of different types of landscaping rocks will cover.

Landscaping Rock Calculator

Phyxter Landscaping rock chart
Use our handy chart to calculate how much rock you need.

The Easy Way!

Using this chart, you will be able to estimate the amount of material you will need.

Take the square footage or meters you calculated earlier when you measured your area, then divide it by the coverage number in the table above for the type of rock you will be using.

If you use the recommended depth in the chart above, the formula will look like this:

Length x Width = Square footage (or square meters) of coverage area

Square footage of coverage area/coverage per 1 ton of rock = tons of rock needed for your project.

Japanese style rock garden

Here is an Example.

You calculated you need 400 square feet of rock with a rock size of 1″ to 3″.

You will need approximately 5 tons of rock.

If you want to use a smaller material like ¾” to 1″, you may only need 4 tons of rock.

If you have any questions or need help calculating your project’s coverage area, call your local landscaper.

They will be more than happy to help you estimate how much rock you need for your project and even recommend what would be suitable for your property.

⭐ Finally!

Phyxter Approved Logo on Service Truck

If you live in North or Central Okanagan, Phyxter Home Services has you covered!

Visit our Phyxter Home Services page for more information.

We offer various landscaping services that can save you money and make your home look great.

Want to learn more about your home?

Check out all of our home improvement ideas!

Russell Jones

Russell, a native Australian and VP of Operations at Phyxter Home Services, is also part-owner of Vernon Air Conditioning, Plumbing, and Electrical Services. When he's not busy with work projects and renovations, Russell enjoys putting his vast knowledge of home improvement to good use by sharing his tips and tricks.

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Phyxter (pronounced Fix-ter) is a national home services brand specializing in Residential HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing solutions.

Phyxter is laser-focused on writing the best articles and guides to empower homeowners to get the best out of their homes.

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