FAQ Category: General

What safety precautions should I follow while at the yard?

For your safety and the safety of our team, we ask all customers to follow these guidelines while on site:

1. Do not enter the main yard area. For safety reasons, customers are not allowed to walk through the yard or view materials in the bins. We have heavy equipment and trucks actively operating, and unauthorized access is not permitted.
2. View materials at the front of the shop. We have sample bins for every product located near the office, so you can easily see what each material looks like without entering the yard.
3. Stay in or near your vehicle during loading, and wait for instructions from our team before moving your vehicle.
4. Only use open-bed trucks or trailers – we cannot load into enclosed vehicles or SUVs.
5. Keep children and pets inside your vehicle at all times.
6. Drive slowly (5 mph) and be aware of all trucks, loaders and other equipment in motion. Please note, heavy equipment has the right of way in our yard.

All pickup customers must sign our Loading Release Form before we load their vehicle.

👉View and Sign the Loading Release Form

Thank you for helping us keep the yard safe for everyone!

What types of materials do you carry?

We carry a wide selection of landscape materials for all kinds of projects – whether you’re sprucing up your park strip, building a gravel RV pad, creating a garden bed, or more. Our products include:

• Decorative Rock – Cobble, river rock, and crushed gravel in a variety of sizes and colors.
• Pathway Materials – Chat, road base, and other compactable materials.
• Mulch & Bark – Natural and dyed options for ground cover and moisture retention.
• Soils & Compost – Garden soil, topsoil, planting mix, and organic compost.
• Sand – Paver sand, play sand, and washed concrete sand.
• Certified Playground Woodchips – IPEMA-certified wood chips for playgrounds and fall zones.
• Landscape Fabric – Available as an add-on to any order.

You can browse photos and descriptions of each product on our Products Page.

Not sure what you need? Give us a call or stop by our yard – we’re happy to help you pick the right material for your project.

Can I come see the materials before I order?

Yes! We encourage customers to come by and see the materials in person before placing an order. Photos are helpful, but seeing the color, texture, and size up close is the best way to make sure you’re getting exactly what you want for your project.

Our yard is open for walk-in visits during our regular business hours. No appointment needed – just stop by, and our team will be happy to show you around and answer any questions you have.

📍 Visit our yard – Get directions

How do I calculate how much material I need for my project?

The easiest way to figure out how much material you need is to use our Material Calculator located at the bottom of our home page and on each of our product pages. Just enter the length (feet), width (feet), and depth (inches) of the area you are covering, and the calculator will show you how many cubic yards to order.

PLANNING TIP: If you’re ordering a material that compacts – like road base, pathway chat, or soil – we recommend ordering 10-25% extra to account for settling after installation.

Still have questions? Feel free to reach out – we’re happy to double-check your numbers!

What is a cubic yard? How does it differ from a ton of landscape material?

If you want a visual of what a cubic yard is….it is a 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft cube.

A cubic yard is VOLUME. When you are laying down landscape material, you should always measure the area you want to cover. Length x Width x Depth. This will give you the VOLUME of material needed. No matter which material you order (gravel, sand, soil, mulch, etc) for your project, it will be the same amount every time. If you order by tonnage, it will vary immensely between products.

Let’s say you’re creating a path way and you are trying to decide between laying a 3/4″ gravel down or you might decide to use one of the pathway chats or decomposed granite. If you order in volume (cubic yards) by what you need, it doesn’t matter if you change your mind and decide to do gravel, mulch, soil, sand, etc, because it is the same amount every time. On the other hand, ordering by tons and changing your mind can leave you short.

For example, you initially order 8 tons of 3/4″ standard construction gravel for your walkway because that’s what you figured or were told needed. Our 3/4″ standard construction gravel weighs 1.25 tons per yard. If you order 8 tons of that particular gravel, you have approximately 6.4 yards. You then speak with your significant other that they don’t like that product. You decide to order pathway chat and call back and order 8 tons of that product. You will now end up with a shortage of product because pathway chat is significantly heavier and will only give you 5.33 yards for that same 8 tons. That is why at Rock N Yard Landscape Center, we recommend to ALWAYS use a calculator and figure what you need in VOLUME which is cubic yards.

We have a recommended depth under each of our products and an online calculator to get you precisely what you need. Remember, just like any other home improvement project, you should slightly overestimate what you need by about 10%.