Frequently Asked Questions

The common size of river rocks cover about 90-100 square feet at a 2 inch depth (recommended).  Larger river rock (+5 inches) typically covers 50-75 square feet. 

River rock, sometimes referred to as pea gravel (smaller), egg rock or deco rock (medium sized), is a naturally occurring rock.  It’s edges are smooth from the years of erosion in beneath the water.  Colors of river rock vary from brown, tans, yellows, and oranges.  Typical sizes are as follows:

#7s – small, pea gravel

#57s – small pea gravel to rock size

#4s – medium sized rock (egg to golf ball sized)

Large river rock – comes in many sizes, usually by range in inches (i.e. 3-5”)

River Rock is an excellent accent to your landscape.  It can be used as a beautiful, permanent ground cover (substitute for mulch and pine straw) or to reduce erosion.  It can be placed in gardens, around shrubbery, beside sidewalks, around pools, beneath porches, or the edges of a house.  It can also be used as driveway gravel, walking paths, or for fire pits.  The best advantage of using river rock is that it does not have to be replaced over time. 

Both gravel and river rock can be used for many of the same purposes.  Both come in a selection of sizes.  The primary difference is the cost of river rock is usually 2-3x more than the same size granite gravel.  River rock is generally more appealing aesthetically though. 

The two most popular sized river rock for landscaping is #57s (dime to quarter sized) and #4s (quarter to golf ball sized).  Both offer a great, long-lasting look for relatively flat surfaces to landscape.  For dry creek beds, larger river rock should be used.