The Rock Shop

The Rock Shop is a bulk topsoil, mulch and landscape materials supplier serving Durham, North Carolina and the surrounding region. Google lists the business under 4 categories — Topsoil supplier, Mulch supplier, Rock shop, Landscaping supply store — which points to a broader inventory than a single-product yard carries.

The business holds a 4.5-star Google rating from 122 reviews. That tracks close to the North Carolina average of 4.5 across the 977 suppliers we list statewide.

What The Rock Shop supplies

Screened topsoil is the workhorse material for new lawns, raised beds and regrading work. Yards typically screen to ½" or ⅜" to pull out rocks, roots and clods, and many sell blended mixes that cut native soil with compost or sand to improve structure and drainage.

Ask which blend you are buying. Straight screened topsoil suits filling and levelling; a 50/50 or 70/30 soil-compost blend performs far better as a planting medium. Pure fill dirt is a different product entirely — unscreened, often clay-heavy, and meant for structural filling rather than growing.

Bulk mulch comes in hardwood, dyed, cedar, cypress and pine bark varieties. Bought loose by the yard it usually costs well under half the per-volume price of bagged mulch at a big-box store, which is why most repeat buyers switch to bulk.

Because The Rock Shop carries several material lines, it is often possible to combine an order across products — soil, mulch and stone on one truck — rather than paying separate delivery charges to two or three different yards.

How much material you need

Topsoil is sold by the cubic yard. A cubic yard of topsoil weighs roughly 2,000–2,400 lbs depending on moisture, so a half-ton pickup safely carries about one yard.

As a rough guide: 1 yard covers about 100 sq ft at 3 in; 3 yards covers about 325 sq ft at 3 in; 10 yards covers about 1,080 sq ft at 3 in.

Measure your area and decide on depth before calling. Most yards will run the volume calculation for you and will flag when stepping up to a larger load actually lowers the price per unit.

Ordering and delivery

Confirm the delivery radius and fee early in the call. Two yards quoting similar material prices can land very differently once haulage is added.

Check where the truck can actually dump. Tandem trucks need overhead clearance and firm ground, and most drivers will not reverse across a soft lawn or a new driveway. If access is tight, ask whether they run a smaller truck or can leave the load at the kerb.

Pricing for bulk material is rarely published in full, since it moves with stock and season. The business website may list current products, but a phone call will get you a firm delivered number faster.

Ratings and reputation

Of the 122 reviews on file, 89 are five-star (73%) and 21 are four-star. 10 reviews sit at one or two stars, and those are worth reading directly — complaints at material yards usually concern delivery timing or short loads rather than the product itself.

Among the suppliers we list across North Carolina, this rating places The Rock Shop in the top 72%.

Across the 27 suppliers we list in Durham, the average rating is 4.6.

Review volume matters as much as the score. A 4.5 drawn from 122 reviews reflects a substantial track record.

Hours and visiting the yard

The Rock Shop is open 6 days a week, closed on Sunday. The yard opens as early as 7:30 AM and runs until 5 PM.

Saturday opening makes this a practical option for weekend projects — a real advantage, since plenty of bulk yards shut for the weekend and leave homeowners unable to collect material outside working hours.

Loading is weather-dependent whatever the posted hours say. Heavy rain turns yards to mud and makes wet material heavier and harder to spread, so call the same morning if conditions look poor.

Best time to buy in North Carolina

Demand for topsoil peaks from spring through early summer across North Carolina, when yards run their longest queues and hold firmest on price. Late summer and autumn typically bring shorter waits and more negotiating room, particularly on larger loads. If your project timing is flexible, buying outside the spring rush is the single easiest way to reduce the delivered cost.

Other suppliers nearby

There are 6 other suppliers we list within a short drive, the closest being The Rock Shop in Durham, roughly 0 miles away. 133 suppliers sit within a 25-mile radius of this yard.

Because haulage is such a large share of delivered cost, the nearest yard carrying your material frequently wins on total price even at a higher per-unit rate.

Buying topsoil in Durham

We list 27 bulk suppliers in Durham and 977 across North Carolina, spread over 241 cities and towns.

Bulk material pricing is intensely local. Trucking is a large share of the delivered cost, which is why a nearby yard usually beats a cheaper one further out once the full quote lands.