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Visit Construction Sites

Find a commercial construction site where there’s large-scale excavation work going on.

They’ll probably be more than happy to give you the rocks they’ve unearthed.

rock garden

The Spruce / K. Dave

You’ll need to become a member of Freecycle to search, but it’s worth the free membership.

They may be happy to have you haul away their excess materials that can’t be returned anyway.

Also, ask them for leads on free rocks if they come up empty.

rocks at a construction site

The Spruce / K. Dave

Some sellers may even offer delivery for a small fee.

The quarry may also sell at a deep discount to the public.

You could be doing them a favor by saving them a trip to the dump.

road construction

The Spruce / K. Dave

Help a Farmer

Farmers often clear their fields of rocks.

Help a local farmer by offering to remove rocks yourself.

There may already be a pile of rocks ready to be taken away.

collecting rocks

The Spruce / K. Dave

Pea gravel is considered the cheapest stone forlandscaping your yard.

The best stone for landscaping depends on your project.

Flagstone is popular for patios and walkways.

Flower garden

alejandrophotography / Getty Images

Rockhounding Guide.USDA Forest Service.

Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Collecting Rules.Utah Geological Survey.

What is the average price for pea gravel?HomeAdvisor.

woman checking online classifieds

People Images / Getty Images

How much are river rocks and other landscaping stones?HomeAdvisor.

Public Collection of Rocks, Mineral Specimens, and Semiprecious Gemstones on Public Lands for Noncommercial Purposes FAQ.

mixed hardscape

Michael Wells / Getty Images

A man holding an iPhone looking at the Nextdoor app.

Unsplash

Residential Construction Site Foundation Walls

BanksPhotos / Getty Images

Trucks working in a granite quarry.

vallefrias / Getty Images

Contractor working on house at construction site

Getty Images/Ariel Skelley

farmer’s field with rocks

The Spruce / K. Dave