Best of 2003: Best Rock Quarry

KRC Rock
315 East Carmel, San Marcos
12249 Oak Knoll Road, Poway
www.krcrock.com
800-572-7625

These guys have two dozen different kinds of flagstone, all in different colors and textures and thicknesses. They'll walk you through the acres of rock in their yard, helping you define your needs, and make recommendations on what would be appropriate, from landscape boulders to pebbles. Rock is purchased based on weight, so if you need to cover 500 square feet of patio in flagstone, you'll need about five tons of rock. (Prices range from $159 per ton to $900 per ton.) River rock is similar -- a cubic yard sells for from $85 to $126, depending on the size of rock and where it was quarried. Plan a few visits to KRC before your final purchase. Use the first visit for fact-finding; then you can go back to choose cut, color, clarity, and carat.