Does Home Depot's Landscape Gravel Actually Hold Up? Here's What Reviews Are Saying

Gravel is one of the most versatile additions you can make to your landscaping. From patios to pathways, driveways to drains, garden beds to grass replacement, it can be used for just about anything. For starters, gravel is easier to install than patio pavers or poured concrete. That makes it perfect for DIY projects like this perfect garden path that can fit any yard. It's also low maintenance, requiring none of the watering or weeding that turf and gardens demand. Landscape rock and gravel can even help with erosion caused by water drainage, making it a good choice for resilient landscaping in the face of extreme weather events. While this material is widely available from bulk suppliers and big box stores, does the landscape gravel from Home Depot actually hold up? We wanted to know what reviewers had to say.

There are many different types of gravel to consider, from small pea gravel to larger crushed stone or slate chips. Home Depot's most popular landscape gravel is Margo Garden Products Rain Forest Black Gravel, which comes in a 30-pound bag that covers almost half a cubic foot. Each stone, which the company imports from beaches around the world, measures 3/16 of an inch on average. Many reviewers love the manageable size of the bags. A variety of landscape gravel is available from Margo Garden Products at Home Depot, in a range of colors, sizes, and quantities, including pallets that cover up to 21.6 cubic feet for over $1,000.

For smaller projects, a 30-pound bag of gravel may do the trick. But when you want to tackle bigger projects, like trading out your lawn for a gravel garden for low-maintenance xeriscaping, you'll need to invest in much larger quantities. Although most Home Depot customers report success with landscape gravel bought by the bag and by the pallet, it may not be the cheapest option available for your project. 

Local landscaping supply companies also offer a variety of landscape gravel, which is typically sold by the ton. They will often have experts on staff or online calculators that help you figure out exactly how much gravel you need for your project. Instead of schlepping heavy bags from the store to your lawn, supply companies can deliver landscaping gravel directly to your project site.

Unlike Home Depot, which offers free delivery for bags or pallets of landscape gravel, there may be an additional fee involved for larger quantities purchased directly from a stone yard. However, the cost of the stone itself is likely to be cheaper. Depending on the quantity ordered, you can expect to pay anywhere from half the price at Home Depot to almost $.10 on the dollar. If you only need a small amount of landscaping gravel, Home Depot has several excellent options available. But for larger projects, leave no stone unturned and check your local landscaping supply company for the best deal.