River Cobble
Spring 2026 booking · Free estimate in 24 hours · (888) 341-6941
River rock · Lava · Crushed stone — clean ground cover, zero water
Ground cover that doesn't need watering.
Decorative rock — river cobble, lava, crushed granite, and Mexican beach pebble — laid over filter fabric to give planting beds, side yards, and xeriscapes a clean, finished surface that lasts a decade.
For planting beds, side yards, drainage strips & xeriscapes
The right rock finishes the yard.
Decorative rock isn't filler — it's the negative space that makes everything else read. Around plantings, around boulders, between pavers — the rock is what your eye doesn't notice, but the design wouldn't work without it.
We install decorative rock over commercial-grade filter fabric so weeds don't come through and rock doesn't sink into the soil. Edges are clean, depth is consistent, and color blends are mixed on-site to match your architecture and planting palette. Done right, the rock looks like it's always been there — and stays clean for 10+ years with almost zero maintenance.
Rock styles & sizes
Six rock palettes.
Choose by size and color — small crushed granite for a tight modern look, larger river cobble for a softer naturalistic feel, black lava rock for high contrast against green plantings.
Crushed Granite
Black Lava
Mexican Beach Pebble
Gold Quartz
Slate Chip
Engineered specs
The numbers behind a clean rock surface.
3"
Standard depth
3" of rock over filter fabric — enough to fully cover the soil, no thin spots.
6oz
Filter fabric
Commercial 6-oz woven landscape fabric — blocks weeds for 10+ years, lets water through.
0h2o
Water required
Zero irrigation — the surface is permanent, not seasonal.
10+yr
Expected lifespan
Stays clean and full-depth for a decade with a top-up every 5–7 years.
Where decorative rock excels
Four ways to cover ground.
Decorative rock is the right ground cover when you want a clean, low-water surface that frames plantings instead of competing with them. We use it most in beds, side yards, drainage strips, and modern xeriscapes.
Beds
Around plantings.
Cobble or crushed granite around shrubs and trees — keeps beds clean, suppresses weeds, retains a little soil moisture.
Side yards
Side-yard ground cover.
Side yards rarely justify turf or pavers. Rock over fabric gives a permanent, low-maintenance surface for the dog run or trash bin zone.
Drainage
Drainage strips.
Along foundations and downspouts — rock channels water away from the house and keeps mulch from washing into walks.
Xeriscape
Modern xeriscape.
In low-water landscapes, decorative rock is the canvas. Boulders punctuate the field; succulents and grasses bloom out of it.
Our installation process
From weed kill to final rake.
Decorative rock looks simple, but it lives or dies by what's underneath. Skip the fabric and weeds come through in a year; skip the depth and soil shows. We over-prep so the surface stays clean for a decade.
01
Site clearing & weed kill
We clear vegetation, scrape the surface, and treat persistent weeds. The cleaner the start, the longer the surface stays weed-free underneath the fabric.
02
Grading & edging
The bed is graded for proper drainage and crisp transitions. Steel, bender-board, or mortared cobble edging frames the field and keeps the rock contained.
03
Filter-fabric lay-down
Commercial 6-oz woven landscape fabric is rolled out, overlapped 6" at every seam, and pinned with steel staples every 12". This is the part that does the long-term work.
04
Rock placement & spreading
Rock is wheelbarrowed in and spread to a consistent 3" depth. We mix from 2–3 pallets at once for color blend so you don't end up with a striped install.
05
Boulder accents
Optional anchor boulders are set at bed corners and focal points. We hand-pick boulder shapes, set them on-grade, and bury 1/3 of each so they look planted, not placed.
06
Final rake & cleanup
The whole field is hand-raked for an even surface. Edges are crisped, the rock is hosed clean of dust, and we sweep adjacent walks before final walkthrough.
Start with a free site walk.
Ground cover that doesn't need watering.
Free estimate in 24 hours. Most decorative-rock installs grade, fabric, and spread in 1–3 days, with a 5-year warranty on workmanship.