Landscaping gravel buying guide for Central Texas
Match landscape stone to beds, borders and drainage, not just color. Compare pea gravel, river rock and crushed limestone using current grade details and prices.
- Appearance
- Confirm a current source sample
- Drainage
- Clean stone is not a complete drainage system
- Planting
- Consider heat and soil needs
Choose shape, size and color
Rounded river rock suits decorative borders and beds where its movement can be contained. Pea gravel has smaller rounded particles, while angular crushed limestone behaves differently underfoot. Nominal grades cover a size range, not identical pieces. Product photos are illustrative; ask for a current sample to confirm source color, texture and size before ordering.
Separate decorative cover from drainage stone
A decorative rock bed does not solve poor grading. Clean washed stone may suit a designed drain, but base with fines is not free-draining aggregate. Confirm the selected grade, filter layer, pipe and outlet with your installer. Large erosion-control rock requires a separate design and may need specialized handling.
Protect plants and structures
Plan edging, remove weeds and confirm whether a separation fabric suits the bed and future planting. Rock can store summer heat and is not a substitute for healthy planting soil. Leave plant crowns, trunks, weep holes and drainage openings clear. Keep runoff directed away from structures without burying siding or changing slab-adjacent grades by guesswork.
Calculate irregular beds
Split beds into rectangles and calculate the parts separately. Subtract large unfilled areas before summing volumes. Use the actual specified cover depth and selected material's planning density. Allowance for uneven ground must be confirmed for the site, not automatically added as a percentage.
Order and maintain the right grade
Keep debris out of the bed, remove weeds and top up thin areas with matching stone. Confirm quantity, grade, unloading location and truck access before delivery. Current material prices exclude delivery and sales tax. Hauls beyond 40 miles need an address-specific quote; dispatch confirms the truck and date.
Materials we deliver for this project
Current public prices, grade details and canonical product links. Delivery and sales tax are separate.
Texas River Rock
From $50.00/ton
Rounded 1"-3" rock for dry creeks. Washed, rounded mixed-size stone. Low; use containment or edging.
2 ton minimum
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Pea Gravel
From $50.00/ton
Smooth rounded stone for paths and play areas. Washed, consistently small gravel. Low; remains movable underfoot.
2 ton minimum
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Crushed Limestone - Clean, 3/4 in
From $42.00/ton
Washed open graded drainage stone with no fines. Open-graded washed limestone, fines removed. Low; stays open so water can move through.
2 ton minimum
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Decomposed Granite
From $42.00/ton
Warm tan DG for paths, patios and xeriscape. Typical sieve analysis: ⅜ in 100% passing · No. 4 90–100% · No. 10 70–90% · No. 40 35–55% · No. 200 10–20% fines. High; compact in 2 to 3 in lifts at optimum moisture to 95% standard Proctor. Typical CBR 60+ compacted..
2 ton minimum
View material →Gravel quantity calculator
$42.00/ton · 1.35 tons/yd³ planning density · 2 ton minimum
French drains, Retaining wall backfill, Septic and foundation drainage · Open-graded washed limestone, fines removed
Use the depth specified for your project. Calculate each layer or rectangular section separately. No compaction or waste allowance is automatically added.
Enter positive length, width and depth to see volume, tons and material cost.
Request a delivered quotePlanning estimate only. Moisture, source density and compaction affect actual quantities. Confirm finished depth and any allowance with your installer. Standard delivery bands end at 40 miles; longer hauls need an address-specific quote. Truck access and scheduling are confirmed by dispatch.
Project planning
