HOW MANY ROCKS?

[Mmathis]

Is there a way to calculate how many rocks you'll need? Since they come in all different shapes & sizes, and it would depend on how you plan to use or distribute them, each pond would be different. But looking to get a general idea. At one point I was considering landscaping bricks -- figuring that would be easy as you could go by linear feet. But rocks.....?

 

[sissy]

There are never to many rocks just to few rocks .I guess if you measure around your whole pond and then times it by at least 2 or 3 you should be fine ,even if you get extra you will find a place for them .Better to pay for only one delivery if you are having delivered .If you put what is left in your landscaping for later use the better for you .Free rocks also by the road someone will pick up if you have extra ,I have picked up lots of them in some of the bigger developments here where people redo there landscape and put the stuff by the curb with sign that says free .I attack those freebies ,MINE MINE MINE .lol

 

[j.w]

Ha Ha one can never have too many rocks like sissy says! I pick them up wherever I go whenever I can and have hubby get them for me if too heavy.
They look nice here and there in gardens set just right.
Sissy good thing we don't live in the same neighborhood or we'd be fighting for who gets which rocks free first,lol!

 

[Mmathis]

Unfortunately, we have to buy our rock, here. Not a geologically rocky part of the country. Now, Arkansas, just north, is a different story, but don't think we could haul what we'd need in our car. Assuming we could get away with it

If you got it per rock ... or is it sold by the pound? How much are we looking at? I haven't priced rock, yet, but trying to get an idea. I mentioned, "several hundred dollars" to hubby the other day and thought his eyes were going to pop out!

 

[Waterbug]

Sure. When you buy rocks they're sorted by size. So if you're using say 10" round rocks you know 1 rock will cover 10" sq in of liner and occupy 10 cubic inches of space. So if the seller sells by cubic yards to can get a good idea how much you need. If you want to fill in between the rocks with smaller rocks you can do the same estimate. Say the round rocks leave 2" sq in gaps, 20% of your liner will need smaller rock at a depth of say 3-4" and you get total volume.

If the quarry sells by weight they can tell you how much a given number of cubic yards weighs. BTW, they'll just say "yards" rather than "cubic yards", but it's the same.

Add 10 -20% extra to be sure, unless the extra puts you over the delivery max and it's an extra charge. In that case you can always order more for no extra cost.

 

[sissy]

They usually sell rock in pallet form here or by the ton here and if you want to pick it up you drive onto a scale coming in and you drive out on the scale when you leave with your pickings and that is how they bill you .By weight .But a lot of garden centers sell it in pallets with a cage around it and charge a fee for delivery or you can pick it up .18 ton here costs over 500 dollars with delivery and highway use tax and fuel cost tax

 

[addy1]

We had 5 pallet of boulders, flat rocks, mixed rocks, one large truck of river rock, 6 pickup loads of pa field stone, every rock we dug up that was usable .........could still use some more rocks.
I just guessed on the amount, we had to buy almost all of ours, not cheap

 

[sissy]

yeh seems the rock yards have it made free from the earth but not cheap to get out with fuel costs being so high .I guess if you have none or not enough you are forced to pay .

 

[j.w]

Rocks all over the place here on the rivers the ocean beaches, the sound, hillsides, roadsides, ditches everywhere. Guess that's why they sell it so cheap at the concrete place where we got it.

So no rocks in Louisiana? Thought rocks were in every state but guess hard to find in some.

 

[sissy]

There must be a shortage because you are hoarding them JW lol.I came to the conclusion a long time ago since this property was a cow pasture that cow poo turns to rocks as I have lots of them here but still have to buy them.These are all mostly quartz

 

[fishin4cars]

Check up in Ark. You may can find a rock quarry just north of you that delivers. I've found several rock places around Magnolia and just north that sold them pretty cheap. Average cost here is between .21-.63 per pound depending on what kind of rock. More expensive rock doesn't mean nicer rock in most cases. It usually means it's been shipped from further away. If You have looked at my showcase there is about 10 tons around my present pond. I bought 6 pallets at about a ton each and cost was about $2600 so less than $500 a ton delivered. keep in mind the bigger the rocks the less coverage you will get per ton. Also Don't get just one kind of rock. You will want some flat, for water falls and stepping stones, River rock which is round in nature looks best as accents or in streams. Boulders or larger size need to be spaced out so they show off better as you'll find moving them to be not only a challenging task, but after moving and repositioning a few times to get what you want a pain to keep moving. Save buying higher end show rocks until last. Those will cost more but haveing three or four REALLY nice show off big rocks always dresses things up greatly. Your actually not in a bad area to get rocks shipped to you. Lots better up there than down here in marsh country. The only rock down here to "FIND" is gravel. all larger rock must be brought in by truck.

 

[Waterbug]

That's a good point. I can order flag stone directly from the quarry about 200 miles away. Including delivery it's $99 a pallet if I buy a full truck load. At the local retail the pallets are in the $250-300 range, same rock. Plus additional to delivery to site. However I have to provide the forklift for the direct from quarry delivery, but they're pretty cheap to rent.

 

[addy1]

When using rocks, it is best to use a few large with a bunch of small and mediums, makes it look a lot more "natural" Like fishin says get a mix.
I have boulders, flat pa field stone, river rocks, large and medium, the small river rock like pebbles. And the only usable rocks we have here, white quartz type rocks. I am using them more for accent. The upslope side of my pond took two pallets to cover that edge of the pond and up the slope, with some plants, it looks like a rock ledge that just happens to have a pond at the base of it.

 

[fishin4cars]

That's a good point. I can order flag stone directly from the quarry about 200 miles away. Including delivery it's $99 a pallet if I buy a full truck load. At the local retail the pallets are in the $250-300 range, same rock. Plus additional to delivery to site. However I have to provide the forklift for the direct from quarry delivery, but they're pretty cheap to rent.

$99 a pallet to deliver? Dang I wish I could strike a deal like that! Bring me a semi load! Bigger the better. no need for forklift, I could just drag them off the trailer into the grass and move them with the tractor one by one. And here I am thinking my Rock guy was giving me a deal! LOL Yea, If she is planning on getting a few pallets or more I would think buying them direct from one of the quarry's would be the way to go, pay more for shipping but less for the rock itself. I know they have several Rock mining quarry's not too far to the north of her in Ark. and that really isn't that far for a delivery truck.

 

[addy1]

Each of my pallets were 3-5 hundred and 78 to deliver per truck. Can't recall the price of the pea gravel, must have been bad is why I am blanking it out lol