Decomposed Granite vs River Rock: Size, Cost, and Which to Use

Decomposed Granite

Decomposed granite, or DG, is granite that weathered in the ground into a mix of sand, silt, and small chips, then was dug and screened to 1/4 or 3/8 inch minus. It costs $25 to $45 per ton in 2026, weighs 1.3 to 1.5 tons per cubic yard, and compacts into a firm, natural-looking path or patio surface in gold, tan, gray, or rose. It is the standard path material in California, Arizona, Texas, and most of the drought-tolerant West.

River Rock

River rock is naturally rounded stone from river beds and glacial gravel deposits, washed and screened into size bands from 3/4 inch to 8 inches. It costs $40 to $100 per ton in 2026, weighs 1.35 to 1.6 tons per cubic yard, and is the go-to decorative stone for dry creek beds, garden beds, borders, and drainage swales where the rock needs to look good and stay put. It costs two to three times what crushed stone costs because it is sorted and washed, and because the supply is limited to places with river gravel.

Decomposed Granite

• ✓ Walkways
• ✓ Patios
• ✓ Landscaping
• ✓ Driveways
• ✓ Dog runs
• ✓ Bocce courts

River Rock

• ✓ Landscaping
• ✓ Dry creek beds
• ✓ Decorative borders
• ✓ Drainage swales
• ✓ Water features
• ✓ Ground cover

Decomposed Granite

• + Natural gold and tan look that fits Western landscapes
• + Compacts into a firm, walkable surface
• + Cheap at $25 to $45 per ton loose
• + Permeable, counts as pervious surface in many codes
• + Easy to install with a plate compactor

• − Loose DG tracks into the house and erodes in rain
• − Stabilizer adds $10 to $30 per ton
• − Needs edging or it spreads
• − Poor in freeze-thaw climates
• − Muddy when saturated

River Rock

• + Best-looking bulk stone, natural mixed colors
• + Never decomposes, one-time install
• + Drains fast and rarely clogs
• + Large sizes stay put in moving water
• + Available in sizes from 3/4 inch to 8 inch cobbles

• − Expensive, $40 to $100 per ton
• − Never packs, so it is a poor surface to walk or drive on
• − Heavy and awkward to spread
• − Holds heat in full sun
• − Hard to clean leaves and debris out of

Decomposed Granite

Decomposed granite is a mix of sand-sized particles and small granite chips, usually 1/4 inch minus, sometimes 3/8 inch minus. Colors run gold, tan, buff, gray, brown, and rose depending on the quarry. Gold and tan are the standard California and Arizona look. Sold loose, or stabilized with a binder that is mixed in dry or applied as a liquid.

River Rock

River rock is sold by size band: 3/4 to 1 inch (sometimes called large pea gravel), 1 to 2 inch (egg rock), 2 to 3 inch, 3 to 5 inch, and 5 to 8 inch cobbles. Every piece is smooth and rounded. Colors are a natural mix of tan, brown, gray, cream, rust, and black, with regional loads that run mostly one shade. Single-color sorted rock costs more.